Fiddle, Harp & Feet Workshop #1

Fiddle, Harp & Feet Workshop #1

January 27, 6:30-8:30 pm

Maldon’s studio (2400 NE Alberta St. Upstairs! Look for sandwich boards to find back entrance)

$20 (payable at class, but please pre-register): cash, check or Venmo

Each workshop will have a different type of tune that we will focus on. Our first session this month will focus on waltzes. Elizabeth chose 2 waltzes common in harp repertoire, and Betsy chose 2 that are common for fiddles. Maldon will teach 3 dances: Set dance in waltz time, waltzing, and waltz clog (dancing percussively in waltz time). Recordings and sheet music are attached (NOTE: Elizabeth’s 2 waltzes are in one pdf) We won’t spend class time learning the tunes. You can either learn the tunes beforehand, bring sheet music to read, or challenge yourself to learn them on the fly during class (if you want to work on that!). We want our classes to be accessible to many levels of players, so if you can’t learn 4 waltzes, come anyway. We’ll be able to show you ways to participate musically anyway!

We would like to highlight how we all can combine the elements of music in our playing and dancing. Fiddles usually play melodies, but can also play harmonies, backup and rhythm. Harps often do backup, but can also play melodies, harmonies and rhythm. And dancers can combine both melody and backup playing into their dancing.

We love the vision of learning and growing as a community of musicians, rather than in our own musical corners. So much traditional music and dance over the years has been done all together, with people of varying abilities. The more advanced players can often be so inspiring and nurturing to newer players, and also can learn from the newer players some of the things that might never have been taught to them.

We hope that many of you will want to come to all the classes that we do, but they can be taken one at a time, so it’s OK to miss some if you’re unable to do them all. We will also have classes on February 24 and March 24, same time and same place, but different musical focus.

Please let any of us know if you have any questions.

Betsy, Elizabeth & Maldon

Download Tune & sheet Music