For the musicians amongst us we are offering a Musicians’ Workshop, conducted by the Craigellachie Band’s Ian Muir. The workshop sessions will take place at the Gatton campus on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 2pm to 4.30pm during the Winter School.
These sessions will be aimed at giving a grounding in good technique and enabling musicians to understand and appreciate the unique style of Scottish country dance music.
During the sessions Ian will cover the following:
• The characteristics of the different dance-types: Reel, Jig and Strathspey.
- The instrumental techniques that are uniquely Scottish.
- Repertoire and arranging sets of suitable tunes.
- Playing within the context of a band.
- How to tackle challenging tunes.
Ian will also hope to explore harmony and rhythm through the arrangements of a couple of non-dance sets.
To take part in this workshop you need a good grounding on your instrument but do not need to have had any previous experience playing in a band or for dancing. As a guideline, the minimum standard is around Grade 5 or equivalent of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, UK (similar to AMEB Grade 5). Ian Muir actively encourages younger players to apply for a place on the course.
Ian will send the music out to participants via a web link six weeks before the Winter School. It would be helpful if you could all come with a working knowledge of the tunes as some will be more challenging than others. The aim of the musicians’ workshop is to enable the participants to join the band and play for the first three dances at our Ball on the final night.
The workshop will also be available for commuters who would like to attend the musicians’ workshop without registering for the Winter School. The cost will be $75 for the three sessions (Participants must attend all three sessions). It is free for those musicians who are attending the Winter School.
Applications for the Musicians’ Workshop
All applicants for the musicians’ workshop should complete, scan and send the attached application form to our email address below no later than Sunday 5 May – the same deadline as Winter School Registration.
Want to take part in the musicians’ workshop? Click here for the registration form.