Vermont School of
Irish Traditional Music

Welcome to our Fall 2024

Repertoire Series!

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Irish traditional music sessions can offer a unique connection between people who otherwise might not even have known each other.

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In-person classes

Wednesday evenings,

October 9th through November 13th

 

Registration opens

Sept. 18th, 2024

Registration deadline:

Oct. 2nd, 2024

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Which class should I choose?

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Read the class descriptions below and decide for yourself.  

In-person students are also welcome to switch classes,

or to stay for both.

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Introduction to

Core Irish Repertoire

(in-person only)

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This in-person series is designed for people who can already play an instrument, but want to learn more about Irish traditional music and the repertoire that is commonly played

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  We also welcome more experienced Irish musicians who would like to review and practice core repertoire.

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The goal of the class is to meet other musicians,  learn some solid Irish repertoire, and enjoy the art of playing with others.

 

One tune will be assigned each week. We'll go through the assigned tune in class, review tunes already assigned, and practice playing them with other musicians.

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By the end of the series you'll have learned some popular Irish session tunes.

But you will also make some new friends and be introduced to both the local and the world-wide community of people who love Irish music.

 

Dates 

Wednesdays

October 9th - November 13th

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Time:

6:30 - 7:30 pm

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Location for in-person classes:

Waterbury Congregational Church

8 North Main St., Waterbury Vermont

(use side entrance)

 

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Advanced

Repertoire Classes

 Online and/or in-person 

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This class explores aims to give musicians a deeper look into Irish music and repertoire, and is geared to musicians who already have a reasonably good Irish repertoire and play at an intermediate to advanced level. 

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Theme for Fall 2024

Advanced Repertoire:

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The Music of the Dwyer Brothers

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 The fact is, you can pick up tunes anywhere, and as Irish musicians we often do!  So every year, the music school tries to focus on particular composers or players of Irish music to provide a deeper look into the tradition.

 

We hope that learning about the composers of this music (and some of the stories behind the tunes) will help make both the music and the playing of it more meaningful to you.

 

This fall we are going to explore the repertoire of the famed Dwyer Brothers, multi-instrumentalists of the Beara Peninsula in County Cork.  You may already play some of their tunes, or at least you’ve heard them, since these four brothers: Finbarr, Michael, John, and Richie, have been some of the most prolific and brilliant composers in the Irish tradition.

 

Each week we will give you one Dwyer tune to learn, paired with a “review” tune that we’ve taught before.   But in addition, we will offer sound files of other tunes composed by the Dwyers so that you can get a larger sense of the output of this unusual family of musicians.  

 

We’re excited to explore the music and the lives of the Dwyer brothers, whose music has influenced several generations of Irish musicians worldwide.​​

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Advanced Series Online

The self-paced online “classes” will feature weekly assigned tunes, teaching sound files, video clips, and stories behind the tunes using both email and Google Drive. 

We will also offer practice suggestions.

You can download and work with the audio files at your convenience.

 

Advanced Series In-Person

You will receive the same material offered in the online option above. 

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In-person classes focus on socializing with other musicians, learning to play a tune at different speeds, from moderate to fast, as well as learning to play comfortably in a small to large group setting.

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Dates

Wednesdays, October 9th - November 13th​

 

Time

7:30- 9:00 pm

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Location

Waterbury Congregational Church 8 North Main St., Waterbury Vermont (use side entrance)

 

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Who can register?

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This series is open to Vermonters and out-of-staters alike - with the understanding that

no class audio files may be shared outside the class. 

 

What is the tuition?

We want to keep classes affordable for everyone, so we’re asking for a suggested registration fee of just $100 USD. 

If you are able to chip in more, we're hugely grateful.

If you are not able to afford $100, just contribute whatever you can.

 

How to register:

You can register simply by emailing us at benedictandhilari@gmail.com.

Specify which class you are registering for.

We will confirm your registration and let you know how to pay tuition.