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All Masterclasses are 90 minutes and scheduled during the Festival on Saturday Oct 12 & Sunday Oct 13, 2024
Classes are $25 Festival Admission is Separate but Volunteers get in FREE! And we need a lot!
Students must have an instrument in good working order for these classes. Experience Levels are listed for each class.
Singing & Dancing Classes are open to All Levels while some classes will be reserved for more experienced students.
Experience Levels:
Beginner- Basic knowledge of instrument and can play scales and/or a tune slowly
Intermediate -Plays instrument but new to Irish Trad Tunes
Intermediate 2- Plays instrument & knows a couple of Trad Tunes
Advanced -Plays Instrument & has memorized multiple Trad Tunes
Students will receive a Pass when they arrive at the Festival Admissions Gate to be handed in to their instructor. Please plan on arriving at least 5 minutes before your scheduled class time. All instrument & singing classes are in 20×20 heavy duty tents (with walls if it’s Irish/Scottish Weather). Dance classes will be held in the Pavilion located nearest to the Admission Gate & Tennis Courts. A map will be provided with your pass.
2024 MASTERCLASS INSTRUCTORS
EIMEAR ARKINS- Fiddle + other instruments, Intermediate 1 SAT 2.00-3.30
Singing- Lilting, All Levels SUN 11-12.30
CLASS INFO: Lilting – it’s more than just didly-i! Diddly idle doodle dum! This workshop will focus on the Irish mouth music tradition known as ‘lilting’. Beginning with a brief presentation on the origins of this art form, we will then look at some of the various styles that exist within the tradition before trying a couple of tunes together. Eimear is a three time world champion lilter and will give you all the tips and tricks you need to make sense of the nonsensical vocables!
CLASS INFO: FIDDLE; Make your tunes sound Irish: Playing Irish music is more than just playing the right notes. This workshop will focus on ways to give your playing the lift, swing and nyah that’s unmistakably Irish! We will look at bowing, ornamentation and phrasing and some practices you can apply across all of your dance tunes. Some techniques will be specific to fiddle but others are applicable to all instruments so non-fiddle players are most welcome!
Eimear Arkins is an award winning musician and singer from County Clare, now living in St. Louis, MO. She has toured throughout the US, Ireland and beyond with acclaimed bands like Cherish The Ladies, Téada, and Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas. She is regularly seen performing with harp player and St Louis native, Eileen Gannon and guitar/bouzouki player and singer David McKindley-Ward. Eimear has also toured extensively with the international music organization Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann on concert tours throughout Ireland, Britain, North America and Canada and with the internationally renowned show Brú Ború. Eimear is a qualified Irish music and dance instructor and has performed and given workshops at festivals all over the world including Féile Séamus Creagh, Newfoundland; Catskills Irish Arts Week; Viljandi Pärimusmuusika Festival, Estonia; St Louis Tionól; Canadian Celtic Celebration, and Festival Interceltique de Lorient, France. In June 2018 she released her debut album, What’s Next? and was warded “Best Newcomer” from LiveIreland in 2019. In January 2020, Eimear was awarded an Artist Fellowship from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis. Eimear recently released her second album, Here & There, featuring collaborations with David McKindley Ward, Eileen Gannon, Alan Murray and Kevin Buckley.
www.eimeararkins.com
www.facebook.com/eimeararkinsmusic
CALUM BELL– Scottish Tunes for ALL INSTRUMENTS Intermediate +SAT 3.45pm-5.15
Flute Intermediate+ SUN 12.45-2.15
Calum Bell is a multi-instrumentalist who has been performing on New England stages since the age of seven, when he started touring with the Bell Family Band, and he can be found today playing six nights a week at venues in and around his native Boston. He brings a mastery far beyond his years to the Irish fiddle and flute, and regularly tours with international Irish music and dance shows in the US and Europe. His innovative approach to the music combines syncopation and creative harmonies with a deep respect for the tradition.
SIOBHAN BUTLER- Sean Nós, Irish Percussive Dance, ALL LEVELS
SAT 10.30am-12pm REELS,
SUN 12pm-1.30pm JIGS
Siobhan Butler is a traditional dancer, dance researcher, and founder of the online irish dance education platform Bánóg. Informed by decades of field work in traditional percussive dance, Siobhan’s work as a performer and educator has taken her to stages and institutions around the world where she has been privileged to collaborate with music and dance artists such as Nuala Kennedy, Nic Gareiss, Tony DeMarco, Damien Connolly, Sandy Silva, Kieran Jordan, and many more. Siobhan’s creations draw from the ephemeral qualities of movement, local traditions, and nature, finding inspiration in the interconnectedness of dance, music, landscape, and people. Since moving to Ireland from the United States in 2016, Siobhan’s primary dance influences are some of County Clare’s greatest Set dancers and their unique “battering” style. She uses this influence along with her background in other percussive dance forms to design her own unique voice as an artist. Siobhan has a BA in Anthropology from Goddard College (USA) and a MA in Ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick (IRE). She lives in Manorhamilton, Leitrim with her husband, stonemason and traditional musician, Dominic Keogh.
SARAH BYSTROM– Fiddle, Intermediate+ SUN 2.30pm-4pm
CLASS INFO: This class will focus on basic ornamentations which shape tunes.
Sarah Bystrom in addition to being a first rate player is also the owner of the esteemed Bystrom Bows. She first discovered her interest in making instruments while playing Irish music. She studied violin playing and Celtic fiddling with luthier John Reed in Red Wing, Minnesota. During her lessons, she became interested in violin building and repair. While still in her teens she apprenticed with John Reed and completed making two violins by the age of 17. She went on to graduate in 2013 from the esteemed Violin and Bow Repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing, where she studied with Lisbeth Nelson Butler and John Reed. After graduating, Sarah moved to Nashville, Tennessee to work for several years at Williams Fine Violins as the bow rehair and repair technician. She began the study of bow making during this time as well as sharpening her repair skills. Learning to make bows under Rodney Mohr, her enthusiasm for the trade grew and she started exploring the bow-making world. Becoming part of groups like the Violin Society of America and attending workshops through Oberlin College and Learning Trade Secrets, she furthered her skills as a maker and networked with others in her field.
Sarah now works out of her home workshop in Nashville, TN making bows and doing bow repairs and rehairs as well as instrument set up and maintenance. She is playing with Doon the Brae at CelticFest MS this year.
RANDY CLEPPER Irish Bouzouki: Countermelodies and More , Intermediate + SAT 12.15-1.45pm
Ohio-based multi-instrumentalist Randy Clepper is a player of the Irish bouzouki, fingerstyle guitar, tenor banjo and hammer dulcimer. Originally from Tennessee, Randy’s early musical interests covered folk, pop, rock, jazz, funk, bluegrass and various traditional styles, eventually settling into a deep, lifelong love of Irish music. Randy also performs in a duo with Ohio-based fingerstyle guitarist John Sherman. Their recording, “Finally Tuned”, reviewed in Irish Music Magazine and on TradConnect.com (Ireland), was ranked in the top 10 trad albums by Folk Festival, WDCB Public Radio, Chicago. Randy has performed and recorded as part of the eclectic dulcimer ensemble Hammer On!, with members of the Yanni World Tour, aerial dance troupe Project Bandaloop, also the Chattanooga Symphony, and as opener for Grammy-nominated folk singer John McCutcheon. Randy is a frequent performer and teacher at Irish festivals across the US, regional Folk Alliance conferences, and online as a Tune Supply artist. He is also the host and curator of the Trad Nua Celtic Concert Series at Natalie’s Live Music in Columbus, Ohio where he performs regularly with bouzouki player Mick Broderick (Slide).
RICK CUNNINGHAM– Mandolin Beginner+ SAT 3.45pm-5.15pm,
Button Accordion C#/D, Beginner+ SUN 2.30-4pm
Multi-instrumentalist Rick Cunningham has played Irish music for over 30 years now, playing
mandolin, bouzouki, tenor banjo, and button accordion in numerous traditional bands over that
time. In 2006, Rick won 1 st Place Solo Mandolin in the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil, and competed in
the All Ireland that year. He has taught workshops on mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, and button accordion at music camps
including the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat and Alabama Folk School, as well as giving
instrumental workshops at festivals such the North Texas Irish Festival and Celticfest
Mississippi. Rick’s 2016 CD, “Till The Warfare Is Over” applies these instruments to the American shaped
note music tradition, and has won critical acclaim from singers and instrumentalists alike.
Currently he’s performing in the traditional music duo Boxing Robin, whose debut EP, “The
View From Here” has been well received and has received airplay on trad music programs at
home and abroad.
PATRICK D’ARCY- Uilleann Pipes , Intermediate+ SAT 5.30pm-7pm
CLASS INFO: Bringing Expression to Slow Airs
Patrick D’Arcy hails from Dublin, Ireland and has spent most of his musical life plying his craft in California but now transplanted to beautiful Tennessee! The Nashville area to be more precise. From September 2010 to September 2021 he had the privilege to record and tour extensively from The Royal Albert Hall to The Grand Ole Opry to Carnegie Hall with modern hymn writers Keith & Kristyn Getty. During his time in Los Angeles Patrick played with some exciting projects, namely – Rattle The Knee, The Rambling House Band, The Ne’er Duwels, Celtic Pink Floyd, Anita & The Yanks, and Flogging Molly. He regularly hosted traditional Irish music session’s at Timmy Nolan’s in Toluca Lake and The Auld Dubliner in Long Beach and hopes to do the same in the Nashville area. Keep an eye on the Shows section for upcoming and recurring events. As well as recording and performing with bands and producers in Los Angeles, he also participates in online recording sessions with artists all around the world. He enjoys teaching the Uilleann pipes & whistle at home as well as at tionóil (gatherings) around the country and also online to a world wide student body. In his early days of playing the Uilleann pipes he would venture to the County Clare where he found a firm footing by attending the legendary Willie Clancy Summer School in Milltown Malbay, named after one of Irelands most influential pipers. Before that, guitar was his main instrument, with ventures into the mandolin which brought him to play for three years with L.A. / Irish punk band “Flogging Molly”. He is a founding member of the Southern California Uilleann Pipers Club and creator of UilleannObsession.com. Doon the Brae
BOB DEAN– Bodhrán Beginner+ SAT 5.30pm-7pm
CLASS INFO: Session Etiquette, Timing, and When in Doubt, Count!
Bob has been a fixture of the Nashville music scene since the late 70s and returns to CelticFest MS with Doon the Brae. He has performed with many artists from Jerry Lee Lewis to Dennis Quaid. Bob became enthralled with the Bodhran and has traveled extensively in Ireland to study Irish drumming styles.
MADELINE DIERAUF – Irish Fiddle Ornamentation & Variation Intermediate+ SUN 12.45pm-2.15pm
CLASS INFO; Fiddle Ornamentation and Variation: In this class we will explore different ways to change up the way we play tunes. We will look at common ornamentations, talk about how to come up with variations, and if students are interested, look at how other styles, like Old-time, can influence our Irish playing.
Madeline Dierauf is from Western North Carolina, and began playing Irish music under the tutelage of Asheville’s Beanie O’Dell before quickly becoming immersed in Atlanta’s Irish music scene. Her music has taken her to many stages, from Wilkesboro’s Merlefest to IrishFest Atlanta and the Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Her sensitive and thoughtful approach to the tunes and harmonies is a cornerstone of her band, the East Coasters, unique sound.
TAYLOR DUNN– Fiddle Tunes in the Style of Kevin Burke, Intermediate+ SAT 5.30pm-7pm
So what does it mean to play in the Kevin Burke style?
Kevin Burke (born 1950) is an Irish master fiddler considered one of the finest living Irish fiddlers. For nearly five decades he has been at the forefront of Irish traditional music and Celtic music, performing and recording with the groups The Bothy Band, Patrick Street, and the Celtic Fiddle Festival. He is a 2002 recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Burke’s fiddle playing style was heavily influenced by the Sligo style playing. Burke described the style as being “the best of both worlds”—combining the driving rhythm of Donegal style and the smooth lyricism of Clare style. While acknowledging that his playing is “based on” the Sligo style, he also acknowledges being influenced by many different musical styles outside of Irish traditional music. For example, one of the distinctive features of his playing is the “strong backbeat he applies to many reels, with emphasis on every third quaver”, presenting the emphasised beat with an up bow, versus the traditional approach of playing that pattern with an emphasised downbow. Burke also emphasises the strong beat by playing “an adjacent open string as the bow digs in”.
Taylor Dunn grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina surrounded by a rich heritage of old time and traditional country music. After hearing the recordings of Kevin Burke and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, along with those of The Bothy Band, Taylor began learning traditional Irish fiddle in Kevin Burke’s distinct Sligo stylings. Out of college, Dunn played an international folk festival in Portugal and spent several months immersed in Irish music in Doolin and the Dingle Bay area. In 1985, Dunn moved to Nashville to pursue his love of songwriting, and throughout his career, he has had songs recorded by Paul Overstreet, Marie Osmond, Rhett Akins, Charlie Louvin, Shawn Camp, Tracy Byrd, The Malpass Brothers, and Garth Brooks, among many others. Dunn’s renewed love of Irish music led him back to Ireland where he was able to spend personal time with Kevin Burke. Taylor currently plays fiddle in the Irish band Doon the Brae and is a staple of the Traditional Irish scene in and around Nashville. He hosts a monthly session at the iconic Brown’s Diner.
SUSAN HYAMS- Scottish Highland Dancing, ALL LEVELS SAT 4:30pm-6pm
Scottish highland dances are commonly known as the solo dances of Scotland, as not to be confused with Scottish country dances which are danced in pairs and groups. This class is beginner friendly but all levels are welcome.
Thistle Dancers and Pipers have weekly lessons in Natchitoches, LA with their instructor, Susan Hyams. Hyams has been Scottish dancing since the age of 5 and playing bagpipes since 14. She grew up in Massachusetts and had a very successful Highland and bagpipe school in Northern Virginia prior to moving to Natchitoches with her husband, Collier Hyams, and family in 2016. Hyams is certified to teach Highland dance and is a Member in both Highland and Scottish National with the BATD and is a member of ScotDance USA. Hyams restarted her Thistle Dancers and Pipers in Natchitoches in 2019 when five of her dancers made their debut at the NSU Folklife festival joining her husband’s world-fusion band, 50 Man Machine, on stage. The school has grown since then and is always welcoming new students in either Highland Dance or bagpipes.
BELLA ISSAKOVA- Irish Fiddle as a Second Language, Beginner + SAT 12.15-1.45pm
Bulgarian born, classically educated violinist Bella Issakova has spent the past 30 years performing and teaching. In the mid 1990’s in addition to playing in orchestras and chamber groups, Bella began exploring other genres of music, bluegrass and jazz being the first forays outside of the classical structure. Eventually Bella discovered and fell in love with the Traditional music of Ireland, and has had the fortune and privilege to play and tour extensively in that field. Among the various projects she is involved with, Bella was the musical director for Kerry Irish Productions’ “An Irish Christmas” tour from 2005 to 2018, which covered most of the continental US. Bella was a member of the Traditional Irish band The Red Wellies for a number of years between tours with Kerry Irish Productions. Bella continues to play with classical groups and orchestras, as well as Irish Music Groups, and enjoys this opportunity for crossover and bridge between her two favorite styles of music. Bella has a busy private teaching studio in the city of Atlanta and in the Midtown High School district in particular. She enjoys passing her love and knowledge of both classical and Traditional Irish genres to the up and coming generation of musicians. She has been the leader of the Intown Atlanta Youth Irish Music group since 2016. This group has performed at local venues as well as the Atlanta Irish Fest in Roswell.
GREG JOHNSON- So you want to play the Harp? Beginner+ SAT 10:30-12pm
CLASS INFO: Have you just started learning the harp? Are you thinking about buying a harp but don’t know where to start? This workshop will help answer your burning questions about getting started on the harp, teach basic technique, and introduce some concepts of playing tunes and accompanying others. It can be tailored to absolute novices with no musical understanding, to those who already possess the fundamentals of music and wish to play harp, and to those in the early stages of learning harp.
Based in Oxford, Mississippi Greg Johnson plays Celtic, Medieval, Renaissance, Classical, Americana Folk, Blues, and Jazz on a variety of instruments (harp, Irish bouzouki, guitar, mandolin, tin whistle, hurdy gurdy, viola da gamba, double bass, trombone, and more). He plays Celtic music with his wife Shaundi Wall in their group The Old Ways. Greg is Head of Special Collections, Blues Curator, and Professor at the University of Mississippi.
KARL KERSEY- Mandolin, Beginner+ The Mandolin in Irish and Scottish Music SAT 5.30pm-7pm
Karl has played and taught professionally for over 35 years across many genres, including rock, blues, bluegrass, and country. He is a proponent of the mandolin in Celtic music. Karl has studied with Rose Flanagan, Brian McNeill, John Doyle, and Liz Carroll. He teaches at several Irish Music Camps and leads sessions in Nashville, TN. He attended Musician’s Institute (GIT) in Los Angeles, and is a graduate of IBMA’s “Leadership Bluegrass Academy.” Founding member of Nashville based Trad band, Doon the Brae.
CATHERINE KOEHLER- Traditional Irish Ballads- All Levels SAT 2pm-3:30
CLASS INFO;Traditional Irish Ballads: Irish Stories through Song – This masterclass will take a look at one of the most identifiable aspects of Irish singing – the importance of telling a story. Participants will learn about the traditions that have persisted in Irish singing for centuries, listen to authentic singers of sean nós, discuss geographical differences in how songs are ornamented, and learn one or two contemporary ballads that can be added to your own song list!
Catherine Koehler has been singing and performing for over 50 years. Her piano teacher first recognized that her voice was preferred over her piano playing ability and therefore her singing debut was at the age of 6…at her piano recital. The songs she grew up with as well as the stories she has adapted from contemporary and traditional sources have delighted audiences of all ages throughout the southeast and beyond. Easily switching between Broadway show tunes and bluegrass, she reclaimed her Celtic culture by focusing on traditional Irish tunes, many recalled from her childhood. She has appeared at such venues as the Great Lakes Gathering, The North Texas Irish Festival, CelticFest Mississippi, Northeast Louisiana CelticFest, and Fairwynd Renaissance Festival. She is a 2-time winner of the Kathleen O’Connell Memorial Bardic Award.
DAVID MCKINDLEY-WARD– Irish Melodies for Tenor Banjo/Mandolin Intermediate+ SAT 2pm-3.30pm,
ALL INSTRUMENTS Beginner+ SUN 11-12.30pm
CLASS INFO: Irish Melodies for Tenor Banjo/Mandolin: Here you will learn the basics to develop even, relaxed rhythmic banjo/mandolin playing for jigs, reels, and hornpipes. This class is perfect for the beginner who wants to get into Irish music, or the intermediate player looking for new ideas to add to their tunes, just wanting to learn a few new tunes, and/or learn a bit more about ornamentation, phrasing and dynamics . We will talk about the basics from how to hold the instrument, how to increase your speed, how to master the triplett, and as always with any workshop I run, touching on HOW TO PRACTICE. All learning will be done by ear. All you need is something to record with and your instrument! Whether on mandolin or banjo, the techniques are very similar.
CLASS INFO: How to practice: In this workshop we will discuss the art of learning how to practice our instruments. For many of us, insecurity gets in the way of maintaining a curious and open relationship with our own playing, which leads to a fear of picking up the instrument. And if we have any desire to improve, pick up our instruments we must! If you have ever struggled with consistency in the practice room, never practice at all, or feel like your ability to play your instrument comes and goes on its own with no rhyme or reason, this class is for you. We will discuss in detail about how to set up a successful practice habit, how to cue yourself emotionally to be able to find your weak spots and make steady progress on improving those areas, and much more. All instruments welcome.
Award winning musician and singer, David McKindley-Ward, grew up in the DC area steeped in folk, American and old time music. His traditional singing style and versatile accompaniment skills meant a transition to Irish music was a great fit. David has collaborated with Irish singers
and instrumentalists alike including Billy McComiskey; Eimear Arkins; Liz Hanley; and Joey Abarta and Brenda Castles as The Sheep Stealers. He has recorded a number of albums with long time friend and songwriter Letitia VanSant. Over the last few years, he has made a name for
himself as a touring artist across the US, Ireland and the UK and a regular performer and tutor at festivals including Catskills Irish Arts Week, Baltimore TradFest and The Philadelphia Céilí Group. He recently moved to the Boston area and has found a musical home amongst the fine
traditional Irish musicians based there.
ED MILLER- Scottish Songs, All Levels, SAT 12.15-1.45pm
CLASS INFO: 20th century Scottish songs on the road to becoming traditional. Traditional songs don’t suddenly appear like wildflowers; rather they become “traditional” by completing the long journey from being individually written to becoming part of the traditional repertoire of a country or group. This class will talk about, play versions of and teach a few such songs, with subject matter that varies from the Traveler way of life to urban renewal. Songbooks will be provided.
A native of Edinburgh, Ed Miller first came to the USA for “a year or so” to do graduate work at the University of Texas. Now, over 40 years later, he is still based in Austin and travels throughout North America entertaining and educating audiences with his wonderful songs and droll stories.
Although he did gain a PhD in Folklore from UT in 1981, he long ago moved from university life to being a fulltime performer. Over the past 30 years, he has established himself as one of Scotland’s finest singing exports, and is in great demand to perform at concerts, folk clubs, coffeehouses, Celtic festivals, Burns Suppers and Highland Games all over the country. In addition, he is a popular teacher at music camps such as the Swannanoa Gathering in N.Carolina and the Spanish Peaks Festival in Colorado. He has 10 CD’s to his credit, the most recent of which is “Follow the Music.” His
earlier “Lyrics of Gold,” a collection of Robert Burns songs, was featured in Sing Out magazine as one of the four best Burns CD’s of recent times.
www.songsofscotland.com
SCOTT MILLER- Flute Intermediate+ SAT 12.15-1.45pm
Scott Miller is a flute & uilleann pipe player based in Auburn, Alabama with a strong background in the music and Irish language of southwest Donegal. Since 2003, Scott has led the local Auburn area’s Irish traditional music sessions and has been a member of several bands such as The Vulcan Eejits, Redhill and Southwind. He has performed extensively at festivals and sessions throughout the southeastern US and Co. Donegal, Ireland. As a third generation pharmacist, Scott earned his Pharm.D. from Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy in 2009. Scott is currently a member of The Gaulway Ramblers who played CFMS in 2022 and will be performing with bandmates CJ Alexander & Nathan Glazier as Tír Chonaill Trio this year. He will be offering an masterclass for Flute players new to Irish Tunes as well as free workshops throughout the weekend in Irish.
ALAN MURRAY – Beginner +Tin Whistle SAT 2pm-3.30pm,
Bouzouki & Guitar Intermediate+ SUN 11-12.30pm
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, guitarist, bouzouki player and singer Alan Murray lives in New Jersey where he has established
himself as an in-demand performer and teacher on the Irish music scene. He currently plays and tours around the world with many of the finest traditional musicians and acts today, and has taught classes at such prestigious music programs as Warren Wilson College Swanannoa Gathering, Catskills Irish Arts Week, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, The O’Flaherty Retreat, as well as masterclasses in Irish and Celtic music at the University of Louisiana and Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University. He plays in multiple award winning bands including FourWinds and has recently joined legendary American Irish Trad band, Solas.
CATHERINE O’KELLY– Sean Nós Singing ALL LEVELS
SAT 3.45pm-5.15 SUN 12.45pm-2.15pm
UNFORTUNATELY, CATHERINE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COME TO CFMS THIS YEAR SO THIS CLASS HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD. THE EAST COASTERS ARE LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SINGER TO JOIN THEM.
Catherine O’Kelly is an Irish Traditional singer and fiddler from Tappan, NY. Catherine often sings unaccompanied through the sean nós style of singing utilizing ornamentation and emotion to tell a story through songs that are centuries old. Catherine has won competitions, taught, and sung on stages up and down the East coast, including the Maryland Irish Festival, the Blarney Star Music series in New York City, and the Baltimore Irish Trad Fest as well as CFMS 2023 with The East Coasters.
RICHARD OSBAN–Dropped D Guitar Intermediate+ 12.45pm-2.15pm
CLASS INFO; Dropped-D guitar accompaniment: This class will focus on accompanying traditional Irish music on the guitar. We will focus on chord selection (left hand) and also on rhythm and groove (right hand). This class is open to players who play in Dropped-D, or to players who play in standard tuning and are open to tuning that E-String down! Most Irish traditional music is in the keys of D, G, and their modes, and so having a D on the bass gives an accompanist many more options- you won’t regret making the switch!
Richard Osban is a driving and dynamic guitarist based in Baltimore, Maryland. He cut his teeth on Irish music while living in Europe, and toured internationally with several Irish and Scottish music projects before returning to the US. Most recently, he has performed with Scottish trad duo Jocelyn Pettit and Ellen Gira, and also tours actively with his trio the East Coasters. Richard has instructed at several international workshops, including Folksounds Elmstein, Celtic Folk Weekend Regensburg, and the annual Irish weekend in Ismaning. He is also director of the Baltimore Irish Music School and, organizer of the Baltimore Irish Tenor Banjo Summit, and assistant director of the Baltimore Irish Trad Fest.
DON PENZIEN- Accompaniment for Irish Trad Music on DADGAD Guitar Intermediate+ SAT 10.30am-12pm
CLASS INFO: This class will address various settings (sessions, playing for dancers, ensemble/ stage performance) and also focus specifically on session etiquette & cooperating with other backers.
Don Penzien is no stranger to CelticFest Mississippi! He is a Michigan native with strong roots in Irish culture and an affinity for Celtic music. Upon relocating south, he found Mississippi sorely lacking as per it’s appreciation of the Irish and Scottish traditions native to many of the state’s citizens. So he founded and for 25 years directed what has evolved into a much-revered celebration of traditional Celtic music and dance—CelticFest Mississippi. Don has long been a top-flight performer of Irish traditional music. It was the never- ending traditional music playing at the Irish pub he frequented while earning his Ph.D. (clinical psychology) in Athens, Ohio that inspired Don to play and where he began his exclusive use of the “DADGAD” guitar tuning with tips from such notables as Zan McLeod and Daíthí Sproule. Frequently on the road playing concerts and festivals with his many projects including Gailfean (featuring Brian Conway, John Whelan & Máirtín de Cógáin), The Máirtín de Cógáin Project, and Shared Madness (featuring Haley Richardson & Megan Irby). Don is widely recognized for his reserved backing style and his dexterous work on DADGAD-tuned guitar provides solid, driving rhythms to traditional tunes as well as perceptive and sensitive accompaniments to songs and airs.
Don relocated to North Carolina in 2014 where he continues to work as a Professor of Psychiatry, Anesthesiology and Neurology at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. And if there’s an Irish trad tune session anywhere nearby, odds are, you’ll find him there.
HALEY RICHARDSON- Fiddle
SAT 10.30am-12pm Intermediate 2/Advanced
SUN 11am-12.30pm Intermediate 1+
Haley Richardson is a virtuosic musician, whose talents extend to both classical and Irish traditional music. With her highly ornamented Sligo style, Haley has garnered a number of prestigious awards and honors, including multiple championships at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (All Ireland Championships) in Ireland, numerous MidAtlantic Championships, and the coveted Junior (2015) and Senior (2018) Fiddler Of Dooney awards. Whether performing in a solo capacity or in an ensemble, Haley brings a rare dynamism and energy to her music, informed by her thorough knowledge of the form, her mastery of her instrument, and the absolutely trailblazing and show-stopping technique and emotion evident in every note she plays. Haley is a member of Mick Moloney’s Green Fields of America and the John Whelan Band. Her most recent album, When the Wind Blows High and Clear,with multi-instrumentalist, Quinn Bachand, was nominated for 2020 Ensemble of the Year by the Canadian Folk Music Awards. She is currently touring as lead fiddler for the 25th Anniversary tour of Grammy Award winning production Riverdance and was featured in the 25th Anniversary show recorded in Dublin and shown world-wide. Find out more about Haley at www.HaleyRichardsonMusic.com or follow her @haleyrichardsonmusic on Instagram or on Facebook@ Haley Richardson Music.
GYPSY YOUNGRAVEN– Bodhrán Beginner+ 3.45pm-5.15pm
CLASS INFO:’Let’s talk goatskin’ – a friendly session about all things bodhran.
Leah (Gypsy)Youngraven began playing bodhrán in the early 1990s. She had her
performance debut in the summer of 1992, and has played across the Southeast and
Midwest, formerly with Ravens and Spriggan, both based in Texas, and now with Boxing
Robin, based in Tennessee. She’s recorded three albums, and has contributed bodhrán
tracks to two other albums. A singer as well as a multi-instrumentalist, she also plays
guitar, mandolin, and hurdy gurdy.