Mandolin & Guitar Residential Weekend

15th-17th May 2009

Wiston Lodge, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Course Outline | Course Tutors | Individual Tuition
Accommodation | Price | Booking

Course Outline

• This weekend is aimed at anyone (from beginners to advanced players) wishing to improve their mandolin or guitar skills.
• An integral part of the course will be individual or small group tuition.
• An instrumental technique class will introduce the participants to a technique programme that will help you to continue your technical progress beyond the weekend.
• The weekend's topic will be "Ensemble Playing". We will explore different aspects of ensemble playing. These can include the roles of the different parts, timing and interpretation.
• During the workshops, participants will have the chance to play or explore music in their preferred style. There is a range of workshops on offer and all participants are asked to indicate their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. See the booking form for a list of the workshops on offer.
• In the Ensemble, we will play three pieces in different styles.
• The aim is for everyone to be able to further their knowledge and ability in their preferred style alongside getting to know a bit more of the other music that is around.

Course Tutors

• Nigel Gatherer - Celtic Mandolin

  An outstanding mandolin player Nigel Gatherer has taught Scottish music in classes and to individual students for many years. His students learn mandolin, penny whistle, guitar, and music in mixed instrument groups. Nigel works with the Scots Music Group (Edinburgh) and is senior mandolin tutor for Glasgow Fiddle Workshop. He also writes and publishes music and collects books and records concerned with traditional music.

• Alison Stephens - Mandolin

  Alison Stephens is arguably the leading exponent of the classical mandolin in the UK. She was the first graduate of mandolin from Trinity College of Music, London, and was appointed as a teacher upon graduation, a post she still holds. Alison has played across the UK and has toured extensively across the globe. She regularly plays in opera, ballet, film scores and concert performances with the country's leading orchestras. As well as the Louis de Bernières CD, Alison has worked on several other projects in connection with Captain Corelli's Mandolin including a sell-out stage show which has so far notched up well over 500 performances in several different countries and over 100 different venues. She also played on the soundtrack for the Hollywood film starring Nicholas Cage; wrote music for, and played on a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation; appeared on a Bookmark Documentary on BBC 2 and has given many poetry and music recitals with Craig Ogden and Louis de Bernières.

• Graeme Scott - Guitar

  Graeme Scott attended the Scottish National Jazz Institute. In 1999 he was a finalist in the Scottish Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition and in 2000 he was presented with the Johnny Dankworth Award for the Most Promising Young Talent. In 2001 he graduated from the Strathclyde University BA in Applied Music course. From there he continued his studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and gained a PGDip and MMus in Classical Guitar Performance. He attended numerous masterclasses.

• Barbara Pommerenke-Steel - Ensemble & Mandolin

  Recently appointed as the first mandolin tutor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Barbara is a qualified guitar and mandolin teacher Barbara and the co-founder of the Lanarkshire Guitar and Mandolin Association . As its principal tutor she runs several weekly mandolin courses for adults and children. She is the conductor of the Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra "Da Capo Alba" the Youth Orchestra "Mango" and currently chairperson of the British BMG (Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar) Federation.

Individual or Group Lessons

During the lessons you can either work on a technical aspect or on a piece of music. If you wish to work on a piece you are asked to bring it with you to the course.

Workshops

• Workshop 1: Graeme Scott

  Ensemble Playing: Jazz and Popular

  Key Topics: Listening-Group Dynamics-Balance-Performance, Techniques-Improvising.
  Topics will cover:
  • being able to listen to other parts in the ensemble while playing your own part in order to achieve good balance among the ensemble.
  • being sensitive to the group dynamic during the ensemble and being able to change dynamic easily when appropriate.
  • being able to continue when things go wrong!!
  • being able to adapt to improvisation when it occurs in an ensemble and treat it as being a creative tool rather than an obstacle.
  
  This workshop introduces the participants to aspects like interpretation through sound colours and dynamics. The workshop will also cover practice techniques for ensemble pieces and ideas on how to improve the timing.
  
  It is suitable for beginners and improvers.

• Workshop 2: Alison Stephens

  Ensemble skills

  The workshops will include two contrasting pieces for ensemble worked up to a high standard. One piece will be mainly learnt by ear/memory and semi-improvised, the other will be a more standard classical structured piece. The focus will be on stretching all the faculties needed for playing in an ensemble and aiming for a high finished standard.
  
  Many players lean too heavily on only one of their best skills (either reading, ear, memory, theory, rhythm) to the detriment of their other potential skills. The idea of this workshop is to hone ALL skills that help with ensemble playing. We will do this by encouraging discussion, thinking about music theory in relation to both "free" and structured music, and also using specially tailored games to develop listening, rhythm and reading skills.

• Workshop 3: Barbara Pommerenke-Steel

  Interpretation and Practice Techniques

  This workshop introduces the participants to aspects like interpretation through sound colours and dynamics. The workshop will also cover practice techniques for ensemble pieces and ideas how to improve the timing.
  
  It is suitable for beginners and improvers.

• Workshop 4: Nigel Gatherer

  Learning your instrument is a very important part of the musical path, but for many people music doesn't "come alive" until they start playing with other people. Nigel Gatherer is a specialist in getting musicians to discover the joy of playing in ensemble, and will introduce tunes and encourage a collaborative approach to arranging and presenting them in a unique way, utilising each component instrument to its capacity.
  
  Any level of player and any instrument welcome.

• Orchestra / Ensemble

  All participants will come together to form a large ensemble. This group will play three pieces of different styles.

Accommodation

Wiston Lodge is located within the beautiful surroundings of the Upper Clyde Valley. The former hunting lodge, built in the late 19th century offers the perfect setting for a music weekend. The Lodge sits at the foot of Tinto Hill and is the "Home Base" of the Tinto Folk Festival.

Accommodation is in rooms of up to 6 beds. Single rooms are limited and may be available on request. Special food requirements can be met.

Price

The price includes full board, accommodation and tuition.

Booking & Payment

The application form can be printed off and posted back to us with full payment. A Word version of the form is also available.

Deposit
To secure a place on the course, a deposit of £40 is required by 1st March 2009 and should accompany the booking form.

Full payment
Full payment is required to be received by 1st April 2009.

Payment method
Please make your cheque payable to "LGMA" and post it to
LGMA
1 Fraser Crescent
Hamilton
ML3 8LG

Further information and directions will be provided with booking confirmation.
If you would like to find out more about the weekend you can speak to Barbara or Ian on 01698 457518 or mail to: secretary@mandolinscotland.org

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