Printable PDF flyers about our summer classes:
  - All classes - schedule and descriptions
  - Kids classes flyer
  - Dance class flyer 

Irish arts sampler for kids 5 to 12, 
Thursday mornings, 9 am to noon.
Enrollment: 24 students.  $135 for 8 weeks.
Kids get an introduction to Irish music, dance and culture:  step dancing, tin whistle, intro to various instruments and dance tune types, folk songs, Irish language, storytelling, crafts, games/sports, geography and culture of Ireland. Probably some Irish food, too!
Registration form

Photos from past years
 

Evening classes for adults and youth

Monday (beginning June 16)
5:30 pm	Beginning Irish tunes for young musicians
6:30	Beginning tin whistle
7:30	Regional Styles in Irish Traditional Music
Tuesday (beginning June 17)
5:30	Irish session tunes, all instruments (improvers)
6:30	Irish tunes with emphasis on playing for dance
7:30	The House Dance Tradition of Co. Donegal
Wednesday (beginning June 18)
5:30	Improvers Irish fiddle tunes (Caldwell)
6:30	Beginning fiddle (Caldwell)
7:00	Beginning Bodhran (Schultz)
7:30	Irish tunes for mandolin and banjo (Caldwell)
7 pm	7 pm   beginning Irish language (Hart)
8 pm	Irish language II  (Hart)

Weekday evening classes, Mon, Tues, and Wed.  Minimum class size of 8 participants for most classes.

Cost: Unless otherwise marked, the fee for these classes is $65. A family discount of 15% applies if family members take more than one class. (or if one person takes more than one class)

Monday evenings

5:30pm  Beginning Irish tunes for young musicians (& parents), All folk instruments welcome.
Starting off with easy jigs, waltzes and hornpipes, progressing to reels, slipjigs and polkas. Learn about types of Irish tunes and their context.

6:30 pm  Beginning tin whistle
This class is for total beginners, starting with how to hold the instrument. If you do not have a tin whistle in the key of D (most common), we sell them for $12.

7:30 pm  Regional Styles in Irish Traditional Music
(not an instrumental class)
Explore the regional styles in Irish traditional music, and how these are affected by the modern climate. One week will focus on each of the main areas of regionality: Donegal (and the North West), Sligo, Clare and Sliabh Luachra (Cork/Kerry), their famous practitioners, and the instruments specific to each. One week  will focus on the two main centres of population in Ireland, Belfast and Dublin, and how the musical scene has coped with the amalgamation of styles. The final week will look at the recent hypothesis that regional styles are on the decline. 
You do NOT need to be a musician to take this class.

Tuesday evenings

5:30 pm  Irish session tunes, all instruments (improvers)
Learn a variety of Irish tunes that are commonly played for sessions and dances. Melody and backup instruments are welcome. You should be an intermediate level musician, but it's not necessary to have a background in Irish traditional music. Main focus will be on learning tunes and playing together in a group with discussion about trad sessions, context, history, protocol, etc.

6:30 pm  Irish tunes with emphasis on playing for dance
Melody and backup instruments are welcome.
Targeted for players of Irish music or other styles, with a goal of learning a set of tunes to play for Irish folk dancing (ceili and set).  Class will be divided into two parts, a small portion taken up with contextual information, DVD viewing, CD listening and discussion of dance-related issues such as tune selection for dances, style, rhythm and speed, communicating with the caller. Most of the class is then dedicated to learning tunes.   Participants should be intermediate level musicians, but it's not necessary to have a background in Irish traditional music.

7:30 pm  The House Dance Tradition of Co. Donegal
No partner required, min. 8 participants. Teens through seniors are welcome!
Classes will be in two parts, a small section taken up with contextual information and DVD viewing, and most of the class then dedicated to learning these social dances from the northwest of Ireland. One new one will be added each week until the class has almost a full repertoire.
Dances will include: Shoe the Donkey, Barndance, Highland, Waltz, Marine, Mazurka, 'Damsha Mór ' (Big Dance).
Irish social dancing is aerobic, fun exercise; footwork is low to the ground (no jumping, leaping, etc. This is NOT Riverdance stuff!)

Wednesday evenings

5:30 pm  Improvers Irish fiddle tunes (novice to intermediate fiddle/violin players, Irish traditional tunes with emphasis on style and ornamentation. You don't necessarily need to have a background in Irish music if you are at least an intermediate violinist.)

6:30 pm  Beginning fiddle/violin
For people wishing to get a start on playing violin/fiddle, with emphasis on folk/traditional style

7pm  Beginning Bodhran (Irish frame drum) with Tom Schultz
For total beginners, starting with how to hold the drum and tipper.  Basic technique and rhythms for jigs, reels, polkas, etc. Each week will add new patterns to play with different tune types.

7:30 pm  Irish tunes for mandolin and banjo (novice to intermediate players, background in Irish music not necessary) Learn to play Irish tunes (melody) on mandolin and banjo

Wednesday-only classes with Brian Hart
6 pm   concertina/accordion (4 weeks) $10 per class
Continuation for people who took the concertina/accordion class from Brian last summer
Traditional singing (4 weeks) $10 per class
Learn traditional songs and

7 pm   beginning Irish language
Basics of conversational Irish.

8 pm   Irish language II
Continuation class for people who have had at least one Irish language class before.

 

Conor and Brian are also available for individual lessons.

Our summer arts program is made possible this year thanks to a grant from the Milwaukee Irish Fest Foundation.

For questions, please contact Kate Akers kakers@moceltic.org or 573-442-2048.

Rental instruments:

We have two fiddles, four bodhrans and three button accordions available to rent at this timefor students participating in classes or lessons.  Fiddles and accordions are $25/mo,  bodhrans are $15/mo.

We also have tin whistles for sale for $12 each.