Scottish Traditional Fiddle will be taught to orchestra students. They will learn performance practices/style, most common tune forms and their individual characteristics, ways of arranging the tunes into sets and also arranging accompaniments, vocabulary unique to the genre, rhythmic figures associated with the genre, cultural settings for the music, and ways of bowing to create certain effects needed for the style and also helpful for playing very fast. Participating students may ask questions of the artist and will have the opportunity to play the music under Mr. McNeill’s direction. He will be working with a class of orchestra students who have participated in Scottish Partnership for Arts and Education’s 2009 Artists in Residence Workshops where they worked with the artist for one week and then participated in a Student Culminating Concert on October 9, 2009.Brian McNeill is one of a handful of Scottish musicians responsible for the renaissance of Scottish traditional music in the 1950’s and 60’s. Born in Falkirk, Scotland, Brian studied violin as a youngster. As a teenager, he turned to guitar and rock and roll. He soon found that his true love was the traditional music of Scotland and, as he writes: “I never looked back.” He saw a connection between rock and roll and tradition and, in 1969, cofounded the Battlefield Band, one of Scotland’s best known folk ensembles. Ten years later, he went on his own to become the “Renaissance man” that he is today. He is a virtuoso on fiddle, viola, mandolin, cittern, bouzouki, guitar, bass, concertina, and hurdy-gurdy. He has long been recognized for the genius of his songwriting. He is constantly in demand as a music producer and, as if that were not enough, has published two mystery novels. For eight years he was Head of Scottish Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) where he developed a curriculum that teaches the music and musicianship as well as guides the students to be full-time professionals in the art of Scottish Traditional Music. During his stint at the RSAMD, he developed the RSAMD Graded Exams in Traditional Music. Students of the tradition can work to qualify on five levels of expertise. Because of Brian’s residencies, St. Louis is the only location outside of Scotland where students can play for qualification. For more information about Mr. McNeill, visit his website at: www.brianmcneill.co.uk.
This program is sponsored by the Scottish Partnership for Arts and Education and Missouri Arts Council, a State Agency.
60 minutes
Program Date Program Time Network Time Registration Deadline
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10/14/2009 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM 10/09/2009
10/14/2009 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM 10/09/2009
Scottish Fiddle Music with Brian McNeill
HEC-TV 2007-08 Honorable Mention
Helen Headrick
utilization@hectv.org
8390 Delmar Blvd
Suite 211
St Louis, MO 63124
United States
Phone: (314) 432-3476
Education: Grade(s): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
