Ashokan Scottish String Fling
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with other musicians and express joy together through beautiful music with world-class musicians and teachers, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas.
This camp is recommended for intermediate and advanced fiddle (violin) and cello players, but other levels and instruments are also welcome to observe and join in.
The entire group will work together from Friday to Sunday to build a dynamic arrangement of Scottish (and adjacent) tunes with a focus on melodic expression, ornamentation, and how to achieve an epic groove.
For more information, see https://ashokancenter.org/product/string-fling-2024/
Maine Fiddle Camp
Four options for the Maine Fiddle Camp -
June Weekend: June 14-16
June Week June 16-21
August Week #1 August 4-9
August Week #2 August 11-16
Maine Fiddle Camp is a multi-generational traditional music camp in central Maine. Not just for fiddles, MFC offers instruction in at least 14 instruments plus voice. Instructors emphasize learning and playing by ear. All ages and levels are welcome—from skilled players to people who have never played before. Besides instrument workshops, there are opportunities to perform, sing around the campfire, and “form a band”. There are jam sessions, variety shows, old time country dances and traditional camp activities like swimming and games for the kids. The food at MFC is healthy, locally sourced wherever possible, respectful campers’ dietary needs, and above all, delicious.
For more information, go to https://www.mainefiddlecamp.org
NEFFA: New England Folk Festival Association
NEFFA has hosted an annual Folk Festival in Massachusetts since 1944, making this the 80th year!
In addition to the Folk Festival, the association sponsors weekly Thursday contra dances, a grants program for folk artists, and educational programs. The Festival features a wide array of participatory dancing, singing, and instrument-playing; performances of dance, music, and storytelling; workshops and discussions on a variety of skills and topics; handmade crafts; vendors selling instruments, dance clothing and shoes, recordings and sheet music, ethnic goods, and more. The range of music and dance is vast: traditional New England contras and squares; international folk dancing (Balkan, Breton, Scandinavian, and much more); Morris and other traditional English dancing; sea chanteys, rounds, and shape-note singing; and much more.
For more information, visit https://neffa.org
Fiddle Hell Online
For 18 years, the Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival has been a yearly gathering of fiddlers, cellists, mandolin/guitar/banjo players, and singers to meet, jam, learn, listen, and have fun. It's both friendly and diverse, crossing all ages and including many traditional musical styles. To keep ourselves safe during the pandemic, we re-imagined Fiddle Hell as an online festival and music camp. We have enjoyed five Fiddle Hell Onlines, with a sixth planned for April 11-14, 2024. Typically, there are about 10% beginners, 30% low intermediates, 35% high intermediates, and 25% advanced players, with many workshop and jam session choices at each level.
The sixth Fiddle Hell Online will be on April 11-14, 2024, with replays of all sessions for 4 months. There will be 160 live workshops to learn from, 25 live concerts to enjoy, and 25 live jam sessions to join on Zoom, for fiddle, mandolin, cello, guitar, banjo, & singing. Other instruments and listeners are welcome, too. Fiddle Hell instructors -- experienced & supportive teachers, and wonderful & inspiring players -- will cover Bluegrass, Blues, Cajun, Cape Breton, East European, Electric, Irish, Jazz, Jazz Manouche, Klezmer, Latin, Mexican, New Acoustic, New England, Old-Time Southern, Québécois, Scandinavian, Scottish, and Swing styles. Historical and technical workshops will be on the program in addition to tune and style learning. Workshops and jams are designed for Beginners, Low Intermediates, High Intermediates, and Advanced players, although you can attend or replay any sessions you like.
For more information, see https://fiddlehell.org
Fiddle Hell
The invention of the late, great fiddler Dale Hopkins from Missouri, "Fiddle Hell" events have occurred in fun locations worldwide
Fall Fiddle Festival
Festival 9:30am-5pm; Concert 7:30pm
Fiddlers from Scottish, Irish, and New England contradance traditions will join forces at the Concord Community Music School for the fifth Fall Fiddle Festival, a day packed with workshops and group playing for fiddlers (and violinists who are interested in learning to fiddle!). The Festival is open to teens and adults, and will include workshops on a variety of topics at the novice, intermediate, and advanced levels. In the evening, all five fiddle faculty members, along with their musical collaborators, will present a toe-tapping evening concert of fiddle music open to the public. The Festival will feature guest faculty members Liz Knowles and Maura Shawn Scanlin, alongside three of New Hampshire’s own fiddling favorites, Audrey Budington, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, and Liz Faiella.
For more information: Fall Fiddle Fest
To see Maura Shawn Scanlin at the Glenfiddich: Maura Scanlin performing
Boston States Fiddle Camp
Boston States runs from check-in at 4:00 pm on Thursday, October 19, to noon on Sunday, October 22, 2023 and takes place at Potash Hill in Marlboro, Vermont. We offer classes in fiddle, piano, guitar, stepdance, and song. Scholarships are available to anyone of any age or ability level.
This year’s instructors include Troy MacGillivray (Cape Breton Fiddle), Adam Sutherland (Scottish Fiddle), Katie McNally (Scottish-American Fiddle), Jenna Moynihan (beginner fiddle), Eamon Sefton (guitar), Neil Pearlman (piano), Dan Houghton (pipes/song), Laura Scott (Cape Breton Step Dancing), and more.
Learn more and register at: https://www.bostonstatesfiddle.com/
Jink & Diddle School of Scottish Music
Jink and Diddle bills itself as a total immersion Scottish musical experience. There are four sessions of the Jink & Diddle School of Scottish Music in July and August of 2023 in Valle Crucis, NC.
Acadia Trad Festival
Maine has long been a crossroads for many styles of music and dance. The Acadia Trad Festival will be held at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor from Monday June 26 to Sunday July 2.
Scottish String Fling at The Ashokan Center
World-class Scottish traditional musicians and teachers, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas, host this inspirational weekend of traditional and contemporary Scottish music for intermediate and advanced string players.
NEFFA - New England Folk Festival Association
The New England Folk Festival, widely known by the name NEFFA, is an annual folk festival that blends dance, music, crafts, and food from many places and cultures. This year is the 79th annual Festival!
Fiddle Hell
The fifth Fiddle Hell Online will be on April 13-16, 2023. There will be 170 live workshops to learn from, 30 live concerts to enjoy, and 30 live jam sessions to join on Zoom, for fiddle, mandolin, cello, guitar, banjo, & singing. Other instruments and listeners are welcome, too.
Cardigan Mountain Winter Sports and Scottish Dance Weekend
Join us at the AMC Cardigan Lodge for a weekend of winter hiking, Scottish Country dancing, puzzles, games, music, and great food and community.