Specialty Classes

Specialty Classes are meant to cover important aspects of the tradition that we’d like to highlight. You may find that the topics addressed in specialty classes are common threads across all the music and dancing classes you can attend at camp. We also think that this is the place to try interesting things that could one day become regular Monday to Friday classes.

Moving to the Music
Why do they call marches, marches? Wait a second, are you supposed to march to them? Hmm…so what about strathspeys (I can’t even say that one), and reels and jigs ‘n stuff? A mandatory class for everyone!

Ear Stretching From the Piper’s Hand
Non-pipers are invited to take part in a pipe-tune repertoire class lead by one of our pipe instructors. Learning a melody from an unfamiliar instrument is a great way to open up your melodic mind!

Ear Stretching From the Fiddler’s Hand
Pipe students will have the opportunity to learn some tunes from a fiddler. Learning to learn tunes from other musicians will facilitate students’ ability to play tunes with other musicians.

A’chording to the Tunes
An accompaniment appreciation class where fiddlers, accordionists, whistle-ists, and the like have the chance to play with a guitar or piano player who will explain their approach to accompaniment, answer questions, and chart some chords.

A’chording to the Pipe Tunes
An accompaniment appreciation class where pipers can play with a guitar or piano player who will explain their approach to accompaniment, answer questions, and chart some chords. We’ve decided to separate the pipers from the rest of the melody players for this one because music theory and understanding accompaniment can be a very new thing for pipers. You’ll know what we mean when you sit down for this one.

Just Droning On…
Special drone tuning class for special drone tunings, by special drone tuner, Tim. Here you can hear Tim.

Pipes Maintenance Class by Nate Banton
Pipemaker Nate Banton will discuss and demonstrate the ins and outs of maintaining a set of bellows blown pipes. Hemping, oiling, reed adjustment (chanter and drone), bag and bellows care, and more.

Highland Pipes
Tim and Ellen are both accomplished Highland pipers. In dreaming up the PEI Fiddle Camp, we mostly had smallpipes and Border pipes in mind, however, if there is interest among Highland pipers to attend camp, Tim will be ready to accommodate. We will seek your input during registration (please tell us what you would like to study).

Maine Dance Tune Repertoire
Lead by George Fowler, this class may be held at a variety of times during the week, or a continuing class held each day. This would be teaching tunes mostly selected from George’s two Montville Project albums.

Waltz Workshop
Playing waltzes for dancers: learn a simple waltz & work on making it “danceable”.

Technique labs and trouble shooting workshops
For beginning to intermediate fiddlers, covering topics like practice techniques, getting good tone, scales, double stops, rhythm, instrument difficulties (bows, strings, bridges, etc.). Students may also suggest topics.

New England Contradancing
A 60-90min class teaching the basic steps & dance patterns, which you can then show off at the dance that evening.

Playing for Contradances
Techniques for rhythm, tune selection, set arrangements, ensemble. Will be a session for all instruments, not just fiddle.

Reading Music Workshop
Are you frustrated by those little black dots on the page? Knowing how to read music opens up a lot of possibilities for learning new tunes. This is a workshop to develop your basic music-reading skills, so that you can play any written tune you come across. We will cover what you need to know to transfer those black dots to your fingers and we will learn some “tricks of the trade” for how to read music quickly and easily. This workshop is for beginners to advanced players of any instrument.