Inaugural Tin Whistle Workshop a Success

On March 22, students in our first ever Tin Whistle for Complete Beginners Workshop presented a short seisiún featuring the tunes they had been working on for six weeks. They learned polkas, barn dances and mazurkas and the craic was mighty!

The free six-week series of classes was aimed at kids aged 8–12, with no experience needed. Instructor Ellen Redman is both a classically trained flutist and accomplished traditional Irish flutist and whistle player. She co-hosts the weekly seisiún at the ICC.

Ellen remarked about the workshop, “I was delighted at the response and enrollment, which speaks to the value the families give to Irish culture. I was also blown away by the students’ enthusiasm and interest in the whistle. We had so much fun!”

The goal of the program was to introduce kids to the tin whistle, an easy and fun way to get started playing the polkas, jigs, reels and songs that are such an important part of Irish culture. This is hopefully the first of many workshops that will be offered to music enthusiasts of all ages.

The program was supported in part by a grant from the West Springfield Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. We are grateful for their support!

Visit our YouTube channel to see the students perform their versions of “Hot Cross Buns” and “I’ll Tell Me Ma.”