Closed for MLK Day
The Center for Irish Music is closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF CALENDAR OF 2024-25 CIM IMPORTANT DATES
The Center for Irish Music is closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Make-up week for missed or rescheduled lessons, Fall Term.
*In-Person Class*
Join Alisa and other families to learn the Fall collection of Celtic Cuties rhymes, finger plays, and songs! Each student will receive their Winter book and CD on their first day of class. The cost for these materials ($20) is included in the tuition fee. This 8 week class is a great way to introduce your little ones to Irish music and movement. Please wear comfortable clothing and be ready to sit, stand and move around.Sibling Discounts: Siblings under 6 months old are free and do not need to register. Siblings 6 months and up automatically receive 50% off their class fee. Please contact Lily if you need any additional assistance with discounts.
*In-Person Class*
Join Alisa and other families to learn the Fall collection of Celtic Cuties rhymes, finger plays, and songs! Each student will receive their Winter book and CD on their first day of class. The cost for these materials ($20) is included in the tuition fee. This 8 week class is a great way to introduce your little ones to Irish music and movement. Please wear comfortable clothing and be ready to sit, stand and move around.Sibling Discounts: Siblings under 6 months old are free and do not need to register. Siblings 6 months and up automatically receive 50% off their class fee. Please contact Lily if you need any additional assistance with discounts.
*In-Person Class*
Join Alisa and other families to learn the Fall collection of Celtic Cuties rhymes, finger plays, and songs! Each student will receive their Winter book and CD on their first day of class. The cost for these materials ($20) is included in the tuition fee. This 8 week class is a great way to introduce your little ones to Irish music and movement. Please wear comfortable clothing and be ready to sit, stand and move around.Sibling Discounts: Siblings under 6 months old are free and do not need to register. Siblings 6 months and up automatically receive 50% off their class fee. Please contact Lily if you need any additional assistance with discounts.
First Day of Spring Term at the Center for Irish Music.
*In-Person Class*
Open Sky Ensemble celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022! We have a great variety of instruments right now but are always happy to add more. If you know many tunes and have a fair amount of CIM instruction under your belt, come join this fun Monday evening adult ensemble!
New and interested students, please contact Brian Miller at dadgadguy@gmail.com before enrolling.
*Online Class*
This is the period in which Irish history begins, a dazzling and complex world, quite unlike ours, of many competing kingdoms and dynasties whose place in society was built through force, but bolstered by mythology and the learned orders of poets, historians and judges. It was a Christian period of monasteries overlaying deep pre-Christian Celtic tradition where great art, beautiful poetry and a rich a varied literature were fostered, and also the era when the Viking invasions came, which destroyed much but contributed much as well. Dáithí Sproule will provide a window into this fascinating world.
Join Norah Rendell for a continuation of last year's Introduction to Tin Whistle for Kids class. The tin whistle is a rewarding Irish instrument and a great fit for young musicians with small hands.
Norah will continue to build your child's skills (adding an ornament or two) as you learn a few new tunes this fall: polkas, marches, jigs and songs. Hands-on parental support is needed for regular practice at home.
This class is not open to new students. Check out Introduction to Tin Whistle for Kids, Year 1 on Thursdays with Carmen Pasquerella if you're new to tin whistle!
*In-Person Class*
Directed by Hannah Flowers with support from Carmen Pasquerella, the Swallowtail Ensemble class is a unique opportunity for you to learn new tunes, practice old ones, learn how to lead a full set of tunes, and to experience arranging Irish music in a group of intermediate-level musicians (mixed instruments).
New members are welcome, but should contact us at admin@centerforirishmusic.org to be sure the ensemble is a good fit. Also, consider joining Redwing Ensemble with Brian Miller.
*Hybrid Class*
This Spring, we will offer two sections of this class so students can participate remotely and in person at CIM. Please check the location ("Online" or "MULT" for in person) before registering.
Pub songs are raucous, tuneful, and above all, fun! But like the most intricate reel, you need skill and a concentrated approach to play and sing them well. Todd will teach the vocal techniques and rhythmic strategies needed to help you stand and deliver these wonderful ballads and drinking songs. All instruments encouraged.
*In-Person Class*
Are you interested in playing with others in an informal setting, also known as a session, but aren't sure where to start? You are not alone! This class is a great, safe way to experience a weekly session and build your confidence around showing up to other sessions in the future. We will build on your existing repertoire of tunes by learning from each other, while also working on some Twin Cities session classics you can bring to any session around town!
This Spring, we're offering two Session Playing classes. Sign up for one, or both!
This class will focus on melody players, but accompanists are welcome as well!
*In-Person Class*
Starling Ensemble is a fun and challenging class for intermediate-advanced musicians who are well on their way with Irish music. Starling Ensemble students know lots of tunes and can play them with solid rhythm and groove.
For Spring term, save the date for Saint Patrick's Day Weekend (March 16 or 17) and the Midwest Fleadh in Chicago (April 26-28).
New members are very welcome, and should contact us at admin@centerforirishmusic.org to discuss.
*In-Person Class*
The Center for Irish Music Advanced Youth Ensemble (AYE) is a year-round program for experienced youth musicians who love to play with others, arrange music and perform. Musicians in this ensemble have a large repertoire of tunes, learn quickly by ear and have the skills to play Irish traditional music with great rhythm and style. Throughout the year, musicians from this group will perform at local festivals and events while developing unique and beautiful repertoire (and working on it in a group of mixed instruments), including the Irish Fair of Minnesota.
Save these dates for Spring Term 2024:
February 24: Éigse CIM, A Gaela Event
March 16 & 17: Saint Patrick's Day Weekend performances
April 26-28: Midwest Fleadh in Chicago
In 2023-24, Advanced Youth Ensemble musicians will be working with Norah Rendell directly, with artistic support from other CIM instructors through the year.
*In-Person Class*
The tin whistle is a rewarding Irish instrument and a great fit for young musicians with small hands. Join Carmen Pasquerella for a continuation of the Introduction to Tin Whistle for Kids class, designed for musicians going into Kindergarten to grade 2.
Carmen will teach your child how to play polkas, marches, and jigs. Hands-on parental support is needed for regular practice at home. New students should contact Carmen (cpasquerella@centerforirishmusic.org) before enrolling.
*In-Person Class*
The Redwing Ensemble class is an intermediate level mixed-instrument ensemble. Directed by Hannah Flowers, students will learn tunes and arrange them in sets to perform together as a group. This class has a strong focus on building ensemble skills including playing fluently, adding variations, listening to each other, maintaining excellent rhythm, using simple harmonies, preparing for performance, increasing knowledge of traditional Irish music, and having fun with each other and the music!
New members are very welcome, but should contact us at admin@centerforirishmusic.org to be sure the ensemble is a good fit. Also, consider the Beginning ensemble on Thursdays with Brian Miller.
*In-Person Class*
Irish music is most fun when it is played with friends! Directed by Hannah Flowers with support from Carmen Pasquerella, this new mixed-instrument ensemble is open to young musicians who know about 10 full-length Irish tunes (jigs, reels, or polkas). This class is a great opportunity to meet new Irish music friends while working on music skills such as playing with others, learning music by ear, rhythm, and building some repertoire!
*In-Person Class*
Dáithí Sproule looks forward to another in-person gathering in which he will share and teach some great traditional songs in English and Irish with an emphasis on singing them together. Everyone can and should sing — and singing and enjoying lovely songs together in a judgment free environment is what this class is all about.
*In-Person Class*
An Luan has been together for many years, and is always on the lookout for new members - especially melody players on fiddle, concertina or accordion! This experienced group of musicians has a history of performing regularly around the Twin Cities with a large repertoire of session tunes and not-so-well-known tunes since 2010. They strive to play great music together and have fun while they are at it.
New and interested students, please contact Brian Miller at dadgadguy@gmail.com before enrolling.
*In Person Class*
Are you ready to take the leap and learn a lovely collection of Irish tunes entirely by ear?
This class will be geared towards beginner to early intermediate level students and will include exercises to help you gain a basic understanding of your instrument. The goal is to be able to sit down with your instrument and play any tune you have in your head!