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Fiddle camp is a brand new concept for PEI, but its vibrant tradition of Celtic and Acadian music and dance has been a fixture on the Island for over 200 years. This June, an impressive group of globe-trotting artists are inviting players and dancers to join them for a learning experience like no other.
The idea for PEI Fiddle Camp was born four years ago when camp director, Ward MacDonald had the great pleasure of being invited to teach at fiddle camps in Vermont and Colorado. The musical and cultural experiences at those camps and the incredible friendships he made inspired him to bring the concept home to PEI. So he called on his friends, and they answered.
Karine performing
The team of instructors that have come together for PEI Fiddle Camp includes incredibly accomplished performers, recording artists and ethnomusicologists, and they all possess a deep desire to pass on their traditions.
At camp, every day is filled with teaching and learning and every evening is filled with jams, concerts, and dances (that’s not to mention, the beach, the campfire, and the hiking trails).
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Like a true tradition, fiddle camp is for everyone, and it’s not just fiddles! As you will see from the pages of our site, quality instruction will be provided for several instruments with a variety of playing and teaching styles. Classes are offered for different levels of ability and age groups.
Ellen & Pascal
We believe that fiddle camp is essential to the continued growth of traditional music. More and more, children and adults are not hearing traditional music played in the home the way most of us were lucky enough to have growing up. Ipods, Youtube, and MySpace are wonderful electronic aids that can help you learn and expose you to new music, but they are no substitute for the understanding and appreciation you learn from being immersed in the culture.
Emmanuelle LeBlanc says it best, “Video won’t replace going to camp; nothing will ever replace being there. There are things that happen at camp that you just have to be there to experience; Like when you hear a new tune and you fall in love with it, and you start learning it, and by Day 3, everyone is playing it! Just the feeling of that, there’s no Youtube or internet replacement for human emotions.”
Fiddle camp provides immersion. By the second day of fiddle camp, the rest of the world disappears, and you reach the place in your mind where you are perfectly aligned with the music. You are playing at your best, you are learning at your best, and you are surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals. That community of passion will be made up of a hundred music lovers from across the continent. Great friends, great music, and great memories are natural.
We invite you to join us on the shores of PEI this June where we hope you find a welcoming and inspiring experience for advanced players and beginners alike.