Tin Whistle for the Complete Beginner Workshop Series Starts in February
The Irish Cultural Center is excited to introduce our Tin Whistle for the Complete Beginner Workshop taught by Ellen Redman. This free 6-week series of classes is aimed at kids aged 8–12, with no experience needed. Advance registration is required.
Enter the magical world of Irish music! Learning the tin whistle is an easy and fun way to get started playing the polkas, jigs, reels and songs that are such an important part of Irish culture. In this introductory workshop we will learn all the notes on the whistle which will enable us to play a few tunes just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. The tunes will be taught by ear so reading music is not a requirement. We will also take time to explore Irish music in its many forms and what it’s like to play in a session.
Dates and Time
Wednesdays from 4:45–5:30 pm
February 8 & 15, March 1, 8, 15 & 22 (note week off for school vacation)
After our last class on March 22, we will perform a few tunes before the weekly trad session at the ICC.
Location
Irish Cultural Center
429 Morgan Road, West Springfield, MA
(use the patio entrance to the Irish House Restaurant)
Cost
Workshop is free. Whistles and materials will be provided.
To Register
Parents/guardians must complete the online registration form by February 6. Class size is limited to 12 students, ages 8–12. Click to register.
This program is 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.
About the Instructor
Ellen Redman, (Irish flute and tin whistle) is both a classically trained flutist and accomplished traditional Irish flutist and whistle player. Inspired by the flute playing of Kevin Crawford and Nuala Kennedy and with nurture and encouragement from Boston fiddlers Larry Reynolds and Seamus Connolly, she found a new direction and passion in her musical life and in 2006 and 2007 qualified for the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil. Ellen is an instructor of classical and Irish flute at Smith College and teaches Irish flute and whistle at the Connecticut Academy of Irish Music. She is a flutist with the Springfield Symphony and co-hosts a weekly session at the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England, as well as guest-hosting sessions around New England. She is also the director of The Wailing Banshees, a traditional Irish group she formed at Smith College, and frequently appears in and around the region with the band Banish Misfortune and her newly formed trio, Last Night’s Fun.
