Marcus Hernon is now on the list as the advanced flute teacher for Augusta.
http://www.augustaheritage.com/irish.html
Has anybody had him for a class?
I’d like to know more about Hernon as a teacher, too. Anyone every had a class with him? Bumpity bump.
Thanks, Jeanie
Yes, I had class with Marcus Hernon for a week once, at Gaelic Roots in Boston maybe 7 or 8 years ago now. He’s a very good flute player, a very nice guy, and as I recall a good teacher. But it’s been so long now that I can’t really recall any specifics about how he taught in order to give them to you here. One thing I do recall, though, is that he writes a lot of his own tunes and he used them in teaching the class - which does get over the problem of trying to find a tune that no one in the class already knows. He also is very much into birds, so all of his tunes are named after birds. Names like (and I am making all of these up) The Elusive Snipe or The Cunning RoadRunner or The 2006 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinal. Somewhere I have a short stack of xerox copies of tunes with bird names written out in staff notation that I haven’t looked at or thought about for a long time. So yes, the dots will be available in his class if you need them. He also has a CD out of him playing his bird-name tunes, but I don’t have it or know the name of it (it’s one of those birds, though). If you want to get it, it should be readily available from the usual sources.
So I hope this helps just a bit anyway. Bottom line, I don’t think it would be a wasted week for anyone who chooses to go.
Thanks for your thoughts, John. I’m still up in the air about whether to take him or John Skelton for a class. Our family has made this our annual vacation trip, and I always come home with much more than I went with, tune-wise, and advice-wise. As i live in a veritable ITM and flute wasteland, this is about the only opportunity that I have to really spend time and tunes with other fluters.
Thanks again,
Dow
p.s. Hi Jeanie! Are you planning on going back this year?
My family will miss this one. I’m going to Friday Harbor soon though!
I’ll miss you, Dow.
Jennie
(but maybe Jeanie will be there)
You go, girl! I’ve lusted after Friday Harbor for several years now but never can get it together to travel that far. But hey, it’s almost in your backyard (well, sort of). Have fun, Jennie! You’ll be missed.
Duplicate post removed.
Friday Harbor is great! I went there two years ago and would love to go again sometime, but it is a rather long trip for me since I live in the other Washington (the one with the Beltway and the crooked politicians). But the FH camp is probably the best of these camps I’ve been to, in America anyway. They keep it small so you have the community feeling, the instructors are top notch, and the scenery and the setting can’t be beat. You’ll love it. Tell Catherine McEvoy I said hello…
Re choosing John Skelton vs Marcus Hernon for a class, if you choose John you do get the rib-splitting nonstop comedy along with the tunes. Always a consideration.
Another pesky duplicate post removed. Is it me?
Guys,
I feel silly asking, but what is Friday Harbor?
Arbo
Friday Harbor is a lovely small Irish music camp run by Randal Bays each March on an island north of Seattle. Check out their website http://fridayharborirish.com .
Arbo-
Are you planning on going to Augusta this year?
Dow,
I may be attending. Trying to decide between Augusta (I would be taking banjo again with Angelina Carberry), or the Catskills (where I would be taking fiddle with ???).
Arbo
We had talked about Swannanoa, but it looks like they don’t have any craft classes, which is what my wife and son are interested in, so I think that we’ll be back this year. I hope to meet you this time. I think that we only ran into each other on the last day as folks were heading out last year.