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14th Annual
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Grainne Hambly (left) leads the advanced level
workshop. |
"...it was a wonderful weekend in
every way- I loved the people, the teachers, and the learning experience.
Thanks for all your efforts. Having the CD to listen to the songs was a great
idea. It helped me learn them much more quickly."
--from a 2003 attendee.
"This was the first I ever played
this type of music, first time doing a weekend thing, first time all around. I
think I am hooked! You are fabulous."
--exactly what we like to
hear. This feedback from a 2002 participant.
"My favorite workshop was Saturday night when everybody played what they learned and played together. It was inspiring and it boosted my confidence," said one 2002 participant.
Workshops
We structure the entire weekend as one long-running workshop, covering all of the topics listed below, plus anything else that comes up as a result of the formal and informal discussions. You'll learn at least 2 new pieces in small group sessions. You'll start learning a tune by ear, work ornamentations into that and as things progress, work on chord basics and finally left hand accompaniment. It's a marathon day. Be prepared for total harp immersion!
Friday
Night
Arriving: You can settle in at the Manchester Inn anytime after
2 pm. The hotel is only a block away from the beach so enjoy a nice walk
after your long car ride if you arrive earlier than that.
Dinner: We have traditionally started
the evening by going out to dinner in small groups. It's a great way to unwind
from your trip and get to know the other harpers.
Harpers Circle
We have a "get-to-know you" Harpers Circle on Friday night, starting roughly about 8 pm. Everybody gets a chance to play. Don't be shy. Even if you have only one piece, we're going to ask you to share it. Non-harping participants and guests are also encouraged to participate.
Saturday
Workshops
Workshop Levels
Based on feedback, we started dividing up the workshops into
more levels a number of years ago and attendees seem happy with the outcome. In
general, we'll try covering the same great topics but at differing depths and
speeds. When you register you can follow our guidelines and place yourself in
any one of the four levels or ask us for suggestions on placement. We break out
into these groups for the Saturday workshops. Everybody will learn the
same tune before the first break in the morning session. At the break, anyone
who is uncomfortable at the level they chose can speak to the instructor and
work out another placement. We cannot
accommodate those who have never ever played a harp at all, even for the beginner class.
- Beginner harp: only recently started playing harp or are still new at getting both hands to play together.
- Intermediate harp, Level 1: playing 3 years or less and need work at playing by ear. This will go at a faster pace than the beginner track.
- Intermediate harp, Level 2: playing 5 years or less and can pick up melodies quickly but needs work with left hand accompaniment.
- Advanced harp: playing at least 5 years and is very adept at playing by ear. Taken at a faster pace than the intermediate track and will cover more of the nuances of left-hand accompaniment.
Workshop
Topics Covered
We will mail all registrants a "listening" CD of the pieces we intend to teach at the Escape at least 2 weeks in advance. All you're supposed to do is listen to it. Listen to it a lot. This is part of learning to play by ear. Some of the subject topics might change slightly at the weekend, depending on the experience and playing levels of the participants. If we need to bring in additional teachers to keep the class sizes suitably small, we may add to the list! The goal is always the same—learn by doing.
Saturday Morning
Everybody learns the same piece in the first workshop, at different levels, depending on the group you're with.
- Playing by Ear: You don't have to read music to play it. Music-dependent players can break free of the printed page. Ear training makes a well-rounded musician. Listen & learn! We'll make repetition, repetition, repetition fun, fun, fun.
- Ornamentations: Ornamentations are the "icing on the cake" in your playing. We'll be teaching a few of the basics within the tunes we're learning. Lots of practice.
- Building repertoire: each level learns a different piece in the second workshop of the morning. Left hand accompaniment added to suit.
Saturday Afternoon
- Chord Basics & Inversions: Bridget will cover this topic and and show how to pick the right chord for accompaniment. There's more than one way to play a chord. Chords will add depth to your playing, and combined with a good accompaniment pattern, give the music color.
- Rhythm Accompaniment: Kathy will help you apply chord knowledge to create interesting bass lines and then playing on and off the beat to jazz it up a little. So popular every year that we’re doing it at 2 levels this year so everybody can get involved.
- Playing by Ear: Gráinne will provide tips and tricks for learning how to play by ear, especially for those without teachers and who rely mostly on sheet music, regardless of their playing level.
- Arranging to Accompany Singing: Debbie will focus on picking material and working on basic arrangements to accompany singing.
- Singing and playing harp at the same time: Debbie will lead a beginner/intermediate-level workshop on coordinating your hands and voice. Learn by starting a basic pattern, then changing chords and use various inversions and finally add voice to it.
- Fingering Techniques for speed: How does she play so fast? Grainne will share some ideas and technique for building up your playing speed.
- Playing Techniques: two levels for this workshop with
- Learn another tune!: Bridget will add another tune to your repertoire in this second afternoon session.
- Practice Time: lots of people asked for a "practice" session, a time when they could review the day's material on their own. Two teachers will "roam" the inn providing assistance where needed.
- Learning to Perform: a casual open discussion held on the front porch. Some people get anxious even playing for their families, let alone strangers, and we know what it’s like. We’ll share some strategies for taking the nerves out of performing.
- Stretching Out: on the beach, weather permitting, a session on various stretching exercises to help relax and prevent playing injuries
- Massage time: you can sign up for a chair massage. This is an optional activity. The cost is $10.
Saturday Evening
The Emigrant Experience: An after-dinner with Kathy and her husband Dennis performing music from their Bound for Amerikay program. Great music and interesting history on the experiences of emigrants coming to this country. What must it have been like? How did it feel to leave everyone and everything that is familiar to go off to a fabled land of freedom with streets paved with gold and untold wealth and opportunity? What was it like? Experience it through their music.
Leftovers: we wrap up by finishing off the day's loose ends. We play the whole evening "by ear." Whatever needs doing gets done.
Playing with Others: Get together in the dining room with all the harps and other instruments. We'll call this a "slow" jam session. What are the dynamics of interacting with other musicians? Play if you know it. Watch. Listen. Learn.
Sunday
The Use it Or Lose it Session
Our Sunday morning session is a refresh of the pieces "learned" on Saturday. You'd be surprised how much sank in while you slept. It's an intense practice session, with the goal of cementing everything "in your head and hands" before you leave the Weekend. We tidy up all the loose ends in these pieces for the harp orchestra performance in the afternoon public concert. You won't believe how exciting it all is!
Sunday Concert
Following Sunday morning's "Use it or Lose it"
session and a fabulous brunch, we'll head out to set up for the afternoon
public concert at 1pm. The site of the concert will be the Youth Auditorium,
just a block from the
Reviews of Past Weekends
- Photo album of the 2004 weekend
- Photo album of the 1999 weekend and concert
- Review of the 1998 weekend.
- The first public concert