Mandolin & Guitar Residential Weekend

9th-11th March 2007

Wiston Lodge, Lanarkshire, Scotland

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

This course has now taken place, but if you would like to find out more about residential weekends you can email Barbara or Ian at secretary@mandolinscotland.org.

Course Outline

• This weekend is aimed at anyone (from beginners to advanced players) wishing to improve their mandolin and 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 "Songs". We are going to explore songsfrom different times and styles.
• In our first session we will look at the Songs in Scottish Music and will have a chance to get the Klezmer Music: This introduction into this unique style of music will include a bit of history, the forms and styles and listening examples from traditional to modern.
• During the workshops participants will have the chance to play and explore music in your 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 Workshops section of this page for a more detailed description of the workshops on offer.
• In the Ensemble we will play three pieces looking at the specifics of each covered style.
• 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.
• Jens-Uwe Popp – Guitar
  Jens-Uwe Popp lives in Hamburg (Germany) and performs with renowned Artists such as Giora Feidman, Efim Jourist and David Orlowskys Klezmorim. Together with the guitar player Michael Bentzien he was honoured with several National and International Prizes. Jens-Uwe Popp has been working as a guitar teacher for many years, at music schools as well as on residential courses run by the German Guitar and Mandolin Federation (BDZ).
• Alan Jones – Mandolin
  Alan is currently teaching mandolin for Lanarkshire Guitar and Mandolin Association, Glasgow Fiddle Workshop and South Lanarkshire Council. He comes from a Celtic background and amongst others played in the Ceilidh band Hot Toddy.
• Barbara Pommerenke-Steel – Ensemble & Mandolin
  A qualified guitar and mandolin teacher, Barbara is the co-founder of the Lanarkshire Guitar and Mandolin Association and as its principal tutor, runs several weekly mandolin courses for adults and children. She is the conductor of the Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra Da Capo Alba and the Youth Orchestra MANGO. Barbara is chairperson of the British BMG (Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar) Federation.
• Jochen Roß – Mandolin
  Jochen lives in Hamburg (Germany) and has been playing mandolin since the age of nine. He performs Classical Music as well as Rock Music and has received several National and International Prizes. He played with the German Rock Band “Vitamin 5“ for 8 years and currently teaches mandolin, music theory and piano at a music school. He also teaches on residential courses run by the German Guitar and Mandolin Federation (BDZ).

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 this to the course.

Workshops

• Workshop 1: Exploration of the role of song in Celtic music.
  Song accompaniment (rhythm, strumming, cross-picking, Arpeggio picking); Using song airs as instrumental pieces; We will listen to examples of accompaniment as well as trying various approaches to accompaniment. We'll look at the different types of song and how these differences might dictate our approach to them. We'll look at ways of presenting a song, both in a solo context and with an ensemble.
• Workshop 2: Song accompaniment and Arrangement
  The starting point will be an accompaniment using simple chords. From here we will explore more chords and harmonies in order to find interesting accompaniments for the songs. In a second step we will choose and try rhythmical patterns and pickings in order to support the ideas which are present in the songs.
• Workshop 3: Advanced Ensemble
  Intermediate and advanced players will have the opportunity to explore music of different styles in an ensemble setting.
• Workshop 4: Improvers Ensemble
  Both beginners and improvers will find suitable tasks in this ensemble, which will play music from various styles.
• Workshop 5
  This workshop will explore very different songs: The expression of words in a Dowland song, a South American traditional and a song from the Classical time. It is suitable for those who want to further explore the interpretation of music.
• Orchestra
  All participants will come together to form an orchestra. This will play three pieces from 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 & Deposit

The application form can be printed off and posted back to us.
A deposit of £40 (to be received by 10th February) is required and should accompany the booking form. (Cheques payable to LGMA)

Tuition
Intro | Classes | Workshops | Teachers' Courses

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