Registration for the tionól entitles you to all classes, workshops, lectures, and concerts. The schedule allows you to take two classes and one workshop over the course of the weekend. There are two concerts featuring instructors: one on Friday night and one on Saturday night. The Piper’s Chair concert on Sunday night is for attendees; there will be a sign-up sheet available on Sunday for those who want to perform.
Classes (Saturday morning and afternoon)
Classes, which take place on Saturday, are group lessons; generally the instructor teaches everyone a tune (along with ornamentation and techniques in the context of the tune) and answers questions from students.
You’ll be assigned to classes based on your skill level, so you’ll need to choose your skill level when you register:
- Beginner: Either no prior experience or some experience with the basics of the instrument and able to play a few tunes at a slow pace with little or no ornamentation.
- Intermediate: Should be able to play a variety of tunes (jigs, reels, hornpipes), have a reasonable repertory of tunes and be able to play at a reasonable dance tempo.
- Advanced: Proficient on the instrument, interested in expanding technique, studying nuances of style and ornamentation.
For pipes, there are typically several levels of “intermediate,” because most of our attendees fall into that category. If you feel you’re at the low end of intermediate (e.g., playing a few years but have a limited repertoire and skill), choose “lower intermediate.” If you’ve been playing a while but don’t yet consider yourself advanced, choose “upper intermediate.”
Classes for Pipes
Two classes: one on Saturday morning and one on Saturday afternoon. You’ll have one instructor in the morning and a different instructor in the afternoon. You’ll be assigned to a class based on your skill level.
- Basic/beginner: Traditional class; usually not more than 8 people.
- Intermediate: Traditional class, up to 10 students.
- Advanced: Traditional class, up to 10 students
Classes for Fiddle
Fiddle classes are taught at intermediate and advanced levels and are not appropriate for beginners. Each group of fiddle students will have a turn with each of the instructors.
Workshops
Workshops are focused on specific topics. All the workshops will take place on Sunday afternoon. While some workshops may be most useful to upper intermediate or advanced students, all students are welcome to attend.
With some exceptions, workshops will be capped at 10 participants to ensure more one-on-one interaction and a higher-quality experience for everyone.
Pipes
Patrick Hutchinson
The most fundamental movement I teach is this (see symbol), which in words is Play-the-note-close-the-note, Blip, Off. It is used to separate notes of the same pitch, and then extended to separate any three notes in a jig, reel, or whatever you will. I’ll be teaching you how to do this to introduce a certain kind of clarity into your playing, featuring some interesting tunes from the Apocrypha and elsewhere, and from your own repertoires. This is a hands-on, pipes-specific workshop.
Limited to 10 attendees
Benedict Koehler
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULLY SUBSCRIBED. Tune “Sculpting.” Ideas on using phrasing, articulation, and ornamentation to help bring the music to life. Primary directed at pipers but may be of interest to players of other instruments as well. This is a hands-on workshop.
Limited to 10 attendees
Caoimhín Ó Fearghaíl
Rhythmic Variation in Dance Tunes. Exploring the possibilities through articulation, ornamentation, swing, and regulator accompaniment. Primary directed at pipers but may be of interest to players of other instruments as well. This is a hands-on workshop.
Limited to 10 attendees
Colleen Shanks
Plenty of Hornpipe. In this workshop, we’ll look at the origins of the class of tunes called hornpipes, examine ways in which piping ornamentation fits into the hornpipe rhythm both as a way to create rhythm and to add variation to the melody, and learn a few lesser-known hornpipes. This is a hands-on, pipes-specific workshop.
Limited to 10 attendees
Kieran O’Hare
Playing the Regulators. The goal of this workshop will be to help students to play the regulators in an effective, musical, and enjoyable way. Topics covered will include how to approach playing the regulators both physically and musically; some ergonomic considerations; and some stylistic directions to consider. This will be a practical, participation-only class. Attendees should be able to play dance music and slow airs on the chanter, have functioning regulators, and be prepared to try out whatever lessons or techniques might come up.
Limited to 10 attendees
Kara Doyle
The Practice of Practice. How can you align your practice at home with your goals as a musician? This hands-on workshop is mainly aimed at folks who are in the first few years of learning the pipes, though pipers of any level are welcome. We will explore some ideas for getting more out of your practice sessions. Our goal will be to equip participants with one or two new practice techniques and/or ways of thinking through a particular difficulty you’re having with the pipes.
Limited to 10 attendees
Louise Mulcahy
A Celebration of Women in Uilleann Piping: Mná na bPíob. The uilleann pipes is an instrument long associated with male players and throughout history women have been in the minority within this tradition. Historical records and publications have featured many male performers but little documentation is available on the women who played the uilleann pipes during the 19th and 20th Century. This workshop focuses on Louise’s extensive research in this unique area of Irish traditional music, including valuable historical material, photographs, and documentation on these important women. This pioneering project is of cultural, musical, and historical significance, and is a unique part of Irish music history.
Unlimited attendees
Michael Hubbert
Pipes Maintenance. A discussion of common pipe problems, possible solutions to those problems, and the skills and techniques needed to keep a set of pipes working. Topics will include leak detection, tying in stocks, thread wrapping, cleaning, keys and springs, and more.
Unlimited attendees
Fiddle
Liz Knowles
Gestures and Shapes. How to use gestures and shapes in the learning, teaching, playing, and practicing of Irish music. This is a listening and demonstration workshop; although Liz will be demonstrating on the fiddle, this workshop is designed for all instruments.
No limit on instruments or # of attendees
Liz Carroll
Making the Tune Your Own. Liz will divulge her process, and help students explore their own processes, of taking an old standard and finding new ways of playing it.
No limit on instruments or # of attendees
Reedmaking
Pipes and Reed Clinic: 10AM -12 PM and 2:30-4:30 PM Saturday. Michael Hubbert will be available on Saturday morning and afternoon to assist you with any reed and pipe issues or questions you may have. This clinic operates on a drop-in basis, so feel free to come by during the clinic hours. To ensure that we can address everyone’s concerns effectively, we kindly request that you prioritize your top two challenges. Our goal is to assist as many people as possible, so while we will do our best to accommodate additional issues, they will be addressed if time permits.
Reedmaking Workshop. THIS WORKSHOP IS FULLY SUBSCRIBED. Unlike the other workshops (which are held Sunday afternoon), this intensive workshop runs for a total of four sessions: Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced reed maker, all skill levels are welcome!
Class size is limited to six students, and pre-registration is required. [This workshop is fully subscribed; all six slots have been taken] Click the checkbox for the Reedmaking Workshop when buying your online ticket for the tionól. This workshop is only available to full registrants to the Northeast Tionól; it’s not available for a workshop-only registration. The Sunday afternoon reedmaking workshop will end in time to allow you to take one of the regular Sunday afternoon workshop as well, if you have the energy!
Talk by Michael Hubbert (Sunday morning)
Responsible restoration and repair
Discussion and slide presentation focusing on issues surrounding repair and restoration of important old sets of pipes, and the thorny questions about what should or should not be done in an effort to make an old abused set of pipes work, while at the same time respecting and preserving the history of the instrument.
Schedule
Friday
3:30 pm: Check-in/Registration begins in Pub
6:00-7:00 pm: Supper
7:30-8:00 pm: Orientation Meeting in Pub
8:00-9:30 pm: Friday night concert
9:30-11:30 pm: Slow Session in Tea Room
9:30 pm-??? Sessions, visiting, etc.
Saturday
8:00-9:30 am: Breakfast
9:00-10:00 am: Registration in Dining Room
10:00 am-12:00 pm: Piping/Fiddling CLASSES
10:00 am-12:00 pm: Reedmaking Workshop (Jim Wenham)
10:00 am-12:00 pm: Drop-in Reed Clinic (Michael Hubbert)
12:15 pm: Group Photo outside Dining Room!
12:30-1:30 pm: Lunch
2:30-4:30 pm: Piping/Fiddling CLASSES
2:30-4:30 pm: Reedmaking Workshop (Jim Wenham)
2:30-4:30 pm: Drop-in Pipes and Reed Clinic (Michael Hubbert)
4:30-6:00 pm: Free time
6:00-7:00 pm: Supper
7:30-10:00 pm: Saturday night concert
10:00 pm-??? Sessions, etc…
Sunday
8:00-9:30 am: Breakfast
9:30-11:00 am – Pack up and check out for those leaving Sunday
9:00-10:00am: Mná na hUilleann meeting, Tea Room
10:00 am-12:00 pm Reedmaking Workshop (Jim Wenham)
11:00 am-12:30 pm Talk by Michael Hubbert on Responsible Restoration and Repair, Pub
12:30-1:30 pm: Lunch
1:00-1:30 pm: Tionól Organizational Meeting in the Tea Room
1:30-3:00 pm: Reedmaking Workshop (Jim Wenham)
3:00-4:30 pm: Piping/Fiddling WORKSHOPS
4:30-6:00 pm: Free time
6:00-7:00 pm: Supper
7:30-9:30 pm: Piper’s Chair
9:30 pm -??? Sessions, etc.
Monday
8:00-9:30 am: Farewell Breakfast
10:00-11:00 am: Check-out by 11 am
One thought on “Details”
Comments are closed.