Vermont School of
Irish Traditional Music

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Thanks for joining the spring series, which is now over!  

Watch for a new series coming this fall.

THEME FOR THIS SPRING - 

More Tunes from our Notebook

 

Over the years, whenever we came across a tune that we liked, we jotted it down in a tattered black notebook so that we wouldn’t forget to revisit it later. A lot of those tunes have become standards for us in sessions, and sometimes even in performances.  As we did last fall, we decided to go back through that notebook and share more of those tunes.

 

As always, we’ll give you any stories we can find behind the tunes (either personal or from the tradition) so that we’re not just passing on a bunch of notes for you to learn.

Without context, without the chat, Irish traditional music simply wouldn’t have the same depth and meaning for us players.

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Classes will be both online and in person

  

How Our Self-Paced Classes Work

Both local students as well as out-of-area students will receive

a weekly email.

Each email will feature the assigned tunes for the week, links to teaching tracks on Google Drive, video clips, and stories behind the tunes. 

We will also offer practice suggestions and a few reflections on playing this music! 

The audio files can be downloaded and worked on at your convenience. 

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In-Person Classes

Local students, providing that they are fully vaccinated, have the option of also joining in-person classes on Wednesday evenings, from April 6th through May 11th, 2022. They will be held at the Waterbury Congregational Church at 8 North Main St., in Waterbury, Vermont, from 7:00- 9:00 pm.

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The in-person class will be in two parts.

You can attend one or both parts, as you wish.

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7:00 - 7:45  pm

Review of any of the assigned tunes.

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7:45 - 9:00 pm

Practice in session playing (slow session). 

We’ll be playing any tunes you wish. The focus will be on solid rhythm and confidence-building in sessions. 

 

Anyone needing extra help on their instrument or with a given tune should arrive for 7:00 pm

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Relaxed pace vs. Challenging pace

As in the past, you will have the option of choosing the “relaxed pace” option, the “challenging” option, or both if you’re ambitious! No need to tell us which. 

 

Which option should I choose?

1. The relaxed pace option will offer slower, evocative tunes or easy session tunes. If you’re new to Irish music, if you like slower music, or if you are simply short of time, we’d suggest learning  tunes from the relaxed pace option. It’s an easy way to explore some beautiful music in the tradition. More advanced players are encouraged to learn them as well.

 

2. The challenging option will offer dance tunes you can bring to sessions. If you’re experienced in Irish music, you may choose from any of the offerings. Some of the slower tunes can be useful for gigs, and the dance tunes will be fun to play in sessions.

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Who can register?

This series is open to Vermonters and out-of-staters alike - with the understanding that the audio files cannot be shared outside the class. 

 

Tuition

To help reimburse us for the time we put into creating the classes, we’re asking for a registration fee of $100 USD.

If you are able to chip in more to help us cover the church rental, that would be appreciated. 

If you are not able to afford $100, just send us what you are able.

 

How to register:

You can register simply by emailing us before April 2nd at benedictandhilari@gmail.com. We will confirm your registration.

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