CATSKILLS IRISH ARTS WEEK

July 11 - 17th, 2010 http://www.irishvillageusa.com/catskills-irish-arts-week

Laura Byrne’s Basic Flute class in the Catskills

While especially beneficial for classical musicians, this class is for anyone who would like to improve their ability to learn by ear as well as hone basic Irish traditional flute technique, ornaments and style. Tin whistle players are also welcome.

Ear training: Irish music is an aural tradition and there is big a difference between “memorizing a tune” and learning it “by heart.” We will work on developing your ability to learn by ear more accurately, quickly and easily.

Phrasing and breathing: On the flute and whistle, these often go hand in hand. We’ll work on finding good places to breathe in the tunes and discuss phrasing, and how to play “musically” in depth.

Irish traditional rhythm: Most Irish traditional tunes are meant for dancing – the rhythm is possibly the most important aspect of the music and we will discuss the characteristics of the rhythm of most styles of dance tunes, techniques for improving your rhythm, and how it fits into the phrasing of each tune.

Ornaments: We’ll discuss the many different types of ornaments, how they are executed and where to use them.

Tone and breath control: Did you know that the flute takes more air to play than any other wind instrument? We’ll go over the mechanics of breathing and tone production and you’ll learn ways to improve both.

Irish traditional style: We’ll discuss the many different styles of flute playing and listen to recorded samples of flute players from several regions of Ireland.

Repertoire: You’ll learn a handful of Irish traditional tunes of different types (reels, jigs, polkas, hornpipes etc.) We’ll discuss the different styles of tunes as well as the best sources for increasing your repertoire of traditional tunes.

And all the rest…: We’ll also discuss posture, hand position, how to improve stamina for marathon sessions, differences between different types of flutes and whistles, practice techniques to maximize your time and get better faster, and tips for overcoming performance anxiety.

Email me with any questions at lauraeganflute@gmail.com

Students are advised to bring a recording device as a learning aid.