The Minnesota Irish Music Weekend offers a selection of workshops, lectures, a demonstration and fascinating interviews with the visiting artists. There is something for everyone, musicians and non-musicians alike. Instrument-specific workshops with the visiting artists are available throughout the weekend.
ADULT WORKSHOP PROGRAMMING NOTES
- All workshops, lectures and interviews are available IN-PERSON and VIRTUALLY.
- LEVEL: All workshops are geared towards intermediate/advanced students unless otherwise noted.
- LECTURES and INTERVIEWS are open to all Irish music and history enthusiasts! You don't need to bring an instrument to these.
- TUNES workshops are a wonderful way to meet our visiting artists and learn about their music. These workshops are open to all classic Irish melody instruments (accordion, concertina, flute, whistle, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, harp etc). Tunes will be taught by ear.
Adult Workshops By Date
| Time | Instructor | Workshop Title | Instrument & Level |
9:00am-10:20am | Kathleen Conneely | Tin Whistle Tunes & Technique | Whistle |
| Sean Clohessy | Concertina Tunes & Technique | Concertina - advanced beginner/intermediate level | |
| John Coyne | Great Session Songs | Song - all levels | |
| Eimear Arkins | Fiddle Tunes & Technique | Fiddle | |
| Natasha Sheehy | Accordion Tunes & Technique | Accordion | |
| 10:20am-10:40am | Break | ||
| 10:40am-12:00pm | Kathleen Conneely | Whistle Tunes & Technique cont'd | Whistle |
| John Coyne | Songs of Frank Harte | Song - all levels | |
| Eimear Arkins | Fiddle Tunes & Technique cont'd | Fiddle | |
| Sky Kelsey | Top-Down Contemporary Bodhrán Style | Bodhrán | |
| 12:00pm-1:00pm | Lunch Break | ||
| 1:00pm-2:20pm | Sean Clohessy | Fiddle Slow Airs | Fiddle |
| Eimear Arkins | Traditional Irish Songs from Clare | Song - all levels | |
| Ivan Goff | Playing Flute with Strong Tone & Rhythm | Flute | |
| Natasha Sheehy | Banjo Tunes & Technique | Banjo | |
| Sky Kelsey | Tunes with Sky Kelsey & Brian Miller | All Instruments Welcome | |
| 2:20pm-2:40pm | Break | ||
| 2:40pm-4:00pm | Ivan Goff | Lecture: Iconography of Uilleann Pipers | Lecture - All Are Welcome! |
| Sky Kelsey | Rhythm Fundamentals | All Instruments & Bodhrán | |
| 7:30pm-9:30pm | Concert | Minnesota Irish Music Weekend Master Artists Concert |
| Time | Instructor | Workshop Title | Instrument |
| 10:00-10:30am | Danielle Enblom | Seán Nós Dance Steps with Danielle Enblom (FREE!) | All Are Welcome! |
10:40am-12:00pm
| Kathleen Conneely | Variations in Irish Tunes | All Melody Instruments |
| Sean Clohessy | Fiddle Phrasing & Musicality | Fiddle | |
| John Coyne | Bouzouki & Guitar Accompaniment | Bouzouki & Guitar | |
| Eimear Arkins | Traditional Songs in English & Irish | Song - all levels | |
| Ivan Goff | Flute Tunes & Technique | Flute | |
| 12:00pm-1:00pm | Lunch Break | ||
| 1:00pm-2:20pm | Kathleen Conneely | Interview by Dáithí Sproule | All are Welcome! |
| Sean Clohessy | Fiddle Phrasing & Musicality cont'd | Fiddle | |
| John Coyne | Bouzouki & Guitar Accompaniment cont'd | Guitar and Bouzouki | |
| Ivan Goff | Flute Tunes & Technique cont'd | Flute | |
| Natasha Sheehy | Accordion: Tunes & Technique cont'd | Accordion | |
| 2:20pm-2:40pm | Break | ||
| 2:40pm-4:00pm | Eimear Arkins | Compositions of Clare Fiddlers | Fiddle |
| Ivan Goff | Uilleann Pipes Tunes & Technique | Uilleann Pipes | |
| Natasha Sheehy | Slides & Polkas | All Instruments | |
| Sky Kelsey | Banjo Tunes & Technique | Banjo | |
| Dáithí Sproule | Lecture: The Poetry of Irish Song Song and poetry have long been the same thing in Irish Gaelic culture. In this talk, Dáithí Sproule will outline the very special position of the poet and poetry in Irish culture from the earliest times to the present day and illuminate how in the great Irish songs the interaction of beautiful melody, the rich soundscape of complex meter and the very textured nature of the Irish language itself create a powerful magic that continues to enchant. | All Are Welcome! |
Adult Workshops By Instrument
Saturday
9:00am - Great Session Songs with John Coyne
10:40am - Songs of Frank Harte with John Coyne
1:00pm - Traditional Irish Songs with Eimear Arkins
Sunday
10:40am - Irish Traditional Songs in English and Irish with Eimear Arkins, or Bouzouki and Guitar Accompaniment with John Coyne
1:00pm - Bouzouki and Guitar Accompaniment cont’d (John Coyne)
2:40pm - The Poetry of Irish Song with Dáithí Sproule
Saturday
9:00am Fiddle Tunes & Technique with Eimear Arkins
10:40am - Fiddle Tunes & Technique cont’d with Eimear Arkins
1:00pm - Fiddle Slow Airs with Sean Clohessy, or Tunes with Sky and Brian Miller
2:40pm - LECTURE: Iconography of Uilleann Pipers with Ivan Goff, or Rhythm Fundamentals (all instruments & bodhrán) with Sky Kelsey
Sunday
10:40am - Fiddle Phrasing & Musicality with Sean Clohessy, or Variations in Irish Tunes (all instruments) with Kathleen Conneely
1:00pm - Fiddle Phrasing & Musicality cont’d with Sean Clohessy
2:40pm - Compositions of Clare Fiddlers with Eimear Arkins, or Slides and Polkas with Natasha Sheehy (all instruments)
Saturday
9:00am - Tin Whistle Tunes & Technique with Kathleen Conneely
10:40am - Tin Whistle Tunes & Technique cont’d with Kathleen Conneely
1:00pm - Playing Flute with Strong Tone & Rhythm with Ivan Goff, or Tunes with Sky and Brian Miller
2:40pm - LECTURE: Iconography of Uilleann Pipers with Ivan Goff, or Rhythm Fundamentals (all instruments & bodhrán) with Sky Kelsey
Sunday
10:40am - Flute Tunes & Techniques with Ivan Goff, or Variations in Irish Tunes (all instruments) with Kathleen
1:00pm - Flute Tunes & Technique cont’d (Goff), or Kathleen Conneely Interview with Dáithí Sproule
2:40pm - Slides and Polkas with Natasha Sheehy (all instruments), or Compositions of Clare Fiddlers with Eimear Arkins
Saturday
2:40pm - Rhythm Fundamentals (all instruments & bodhrán)
Sunday
10:40am - Bouzouki and Guitar Accompaniment with John Coyne
12:00pm - Bouzouki and Guitar Accompaniment cont’d (John Coyne)
Saturday
9:00am - Concertina Tunes & Technique with Sean Clohessy
Saturday
10:40am - Top-down Contemporary Bodhrán Style with Sky Kelsey
Saturday
1:00pm - Banjo tunes & Technique with Natasha Sheehy
2:40pm - Rhythm Fundamentals (all instruments & bodhrán) with Sky Kelsey
Sunday
2:40pm - Banjo Tunes & Technique with Sky Kelsey
Sunday
2:40pm - Uilleann Pipes Tunes & Technique with Ivan Goff
*Pipers, check out this additional workshop on Saturday, June 4th at 3:00pm with Colm Broderick
Saturday
Saturday 1:00pm - Tunes with Sky (and Brian Miller)
Saturday 2:40pm: LECTURE: Iconography of Uilleann Pipers with Ivan Goff, or Rhythm Fundamentals (all instruments & bodhrán) with Sky Kelsey
Sunday
Sunday 10:40am - Variations in Irish Tunes (all instruments) with Kathleen
Sunday 1:00pm - Kathleen Conneely Interview with Dáithí Sproule
Sunday 2:40pm - Slides and Polkas with Natasha Sheehy (all instruments)
Saturday
2:40pm: LECTURE: Iconography of Uilleann Pipers with Ivan Goff
Sunday
1:00pm - INTERVIEW: Kathleen Conneely, with Dáithí Sproule
2:40pm - LECTURE: The Poetry of Irish Song with Dáithí Sproule