March 10-11 2012
We’re very excited to be partnering with both PEI Fiddle Camp and the Skye Theater to bring attendees a more comprehensive maritime music event. The two biggest changes will be that number one: all meals, and a limited number of sleeping spaces can be had at the Skye Theater, and number two: we are increasing the instrument classes available. We have focused on Smallpipes and fiddle in the past, but this Spring we’re able to offer whistle, Border pipes and piano accompaniment also.
The instructors this Spring are:
Dr. Ellen MacPhee – Scottish Smallpipes, Border Pipes
Ellen MacPhee is a living proponent of a bagpiping tradition geared for dance halls and audiences that like to groove. Her repertoire draws on the dance rhythms of Prince Edward Island, Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton traditions, and her arrangements combine Scottish smallpipes with fiddles, pianos, guitars, banjos and other unlikely characters.
Ellen began her studies in piping and dance at the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada in her hometown of Summerside, PEI. During those formative years, she also attended summer camps at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s, Cape Breton. She found her musical calling at one of those summer sessions when she was introduced to the smallpipes by pipe maker Hamish Moore of Scotland.
In recent years, Ellen has delighted listeners around Eastern Canada and the United States including performance highlights at Celtic Colours International Festival and PEI’s Festival of Small Halls. She has also taught at PEI Fiddle Camp, the Gaelic College, Hamish Moore’s Piping School in Richmond, VT, and The Piper’s Gathering in Killington, VT.
At each stop, Dr. Ellen, who daylights as a chiropractor, encourages healthy playing habits through her seminar: The Prevention of Overuse Injuries in Musicians.
http://vimeo.com/17067871
Dr. John MacPhee
We are very pleased to have Ellen MacPhee’s brother, John MacPhee as a new instructor for MPF. John was once part Cape Breton Island’s Gaelic College Pipe Band and was the piper for the now legendary “Celtic Fusion” band Slainte Mhath. While “Celtic Fusion” may not suggest it, Slainte Mhath’s music always stayed deep into it’s Cape Breton/Maritime roots, and students who want that “pure cape Breton trad”, will find John’s piping very pleasing to their ears. You can here John playing pipes with the band here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD7ZV8HMja0&feature=related
Ward MacDonald – PEI Scottish Fiddle
Ward MacDonald grew up in the Scottish fiddling traditions of Prince Edward Island. His playing reflects four generations of family fiddling and is spiced with a unique blend of Cape Breton, Acadian, and Irish influences.
As an emerging composer, Ward is honoured to have had his tunes published by other artists including the late Jerry Holland, Timothy Cummings, and Alistair Gillies; and recorded by Andrea Beaton, Colin Grant, Chrissy Crowley, Vishten and others.
Ward has been featured at concerts, festivals, and square dances across Atlantic Canada and has traveled with his music as far as Cuba and the Bahamas. He has also taught and performed at fiddle camps in New Brunswick, Vermont, Maine, Colorado and the Yukon.
Over the last decade, Ward has worked to promote the traditional music scene on Prince Edward Island and develop new performing and learning opportunities. Along the way he created PEI’s Festival of Small Halls, initiated workshops at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival, and founded the PEI Fiddle Camp.
As a teacher, Ward continuously grows his own understanding of the music while striving to expand his bag of tricks for explaining it in simple terms. His method includes guided ear training aided by singing tunes, dancing demonstrations, marching, and sheet music. Watch a video of Ward performing at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1aXV0dWCuI
Tim Cummings – Scottish Whistle
Tim Cummings, a native of Tennessee, began his musical studies at the age of 6 as a student of the piano. He took up the pipes at age 8, and piping has been his primary musical focus ever since. Tim has studied piping with Al MacRae, Sandy Keith, Scott MacAulay, and briefly with the faculty at the RSAMD and National Piping Centre in Glasgow.
He earned his undergraduate degree in Music Education (The College of Wooster, Ohio); and both a B.A. Honours degree in Ethnomusicology and an M.A. in Musicology (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand). During the 2002-03 school year, he was the Artist in Residence at The College of Piping in Summerside, PEI. While living in New Zealand, Tim was a member of the highly competitive Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band, and he continues to arrange much of their repertoire. He has also published several pieces and collections of piping music via Beithe Publishing.
Currently based in Vermont, Tim works as a private teacher, performer, arranger/composer, and publisher of piping and Celtic-related music. In his spare time, he enjoys clawhammer banjo, shape-note singing, the great outdoors, and causing a little mischief here and there.
Ryan MacNeil - Piano
Ryan’s pedigree cannot be dismissed. Ryan was the piano player for Slainte Mhath and since 2005 has been playing with his family in the world famous Barra MacNeil’s. We’re very excited to have a dedicated paino player for the weekend, especially Ryan who is one of the best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPm-mAHhVQs
Nate Banton -
I’ll be doing a bit of maintenance and reedmaking demos during the weekend. I’ll also have at least one set for loan if someone wants to give bellows piping a whirl. www.Natebanton.com
If you have thought about attending PEI Fiddle camp, but you weren’t sure whether to make the jump, this event is a much closer and shorter event to get your feet wet with. Don’t miss it!
http://www.mainepipesandfiddle.com
Here is a video of John and Tim on smallpipes (among others), with Ryan on piano. Please excuse the tuning as the video progresses (into the wee hours! Plus, outside of the frame was a very talented GHB piper trying his hand at smallpipes with bellows for the first time).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMQ_vtF4Kxo&feature=youtu.be
I have no doubt that the tunes in Maine in March will be very similar. We once had people playing tunes almost continuously for six hours!
It’s a very fun time with the instructors being extremely approachable and catering to beginners and the advanced. If you play pipes, fiddle, piano, whistle, please come on up to Maine. It’s not as far as you might think and so very well worth it.