Education/Courses
Click on the courses below to find out more
“Getting Started” Northumbrian Smallpipes Course
Cloudstreet - A Weekend of Singing Workshops
‘Northumbria’ Pipe Week Course
Social Media for Musicians - an introduction
‘..thanks to Susan Craven and her team for improving the general standard of piping beyond recognition.‘
Jim Bryan, President Northumbrian Pipers Society. Jan 09
This will take place between Saturday 2nd and Thursday 7th June 2012 (Queen’s Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend/half term), for fiddle players of ‘beginner’ to ‘advanced’ level.
Tutors will include Emma Nixon
Winner of the 2011 Australasian Golden Fiddle Award, for the 2nd year in succession, in the best fiddle teacher category, Emma Nixon began playing violin when she was 9 years old. She played classical violin in chamber groups and community and youth orchestras and completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts in performance and studio teaching. She worked as a strings teacher while completing an Arts degree in music and English and then a teaching diploma. In 2000 she heard a CD by Alasdair Fraserand decided
that she wanted to play Scottish fiddle. So began her worldwide journey, learning from some of the great Scottish fiddle players.
In 2008 Emma graduated from Newcastle University in the UK. She was awarded a Newcastle University scholarship to complete a Master of Music specialising in Scottish fiddle performance and research into transmission of Scottish fiddling. Back in Australia. Emma is continuing to perform, teach and research. Emma established the Brisbane Celtic Fiddle Club to teach and play mostly Scottish repertoire with others. It is a community group which performs regularly at festivals and concerts.
All days will be suitable for all ability levels, however emphasis will be as follows
Saturday 2nd - focus on beginner level
Sun 3rd—Tues 5th - focus on intermediate level
Wed 6th—Thurs 7th - focus on advanced level
Provisional Programme
0930-1000 Registration/Coffee and biscuits
1000-1115 Group Tuition
1115-1145 Coffee and biscuits
1145-1300 Group Tuition
1300 -1400 Lunch
1400-1515 Themed session/Master Class/Free time
1515-1545 Tea and cake
1545-1700 Themed Session
To register your interest for this course please email Susan@NorthumbrianSandpipers.com
Non Residential Courses at Sandpipers
“Getting Started” Northumbrian Smallpipes Course
Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th May 2012
These are 2 day courses designed to allow new pipe owners, or neglected pipe owners the opportunity to as it says, ‘get started’. It is also an opportunity for anyone who might be interested in trying the pipes to ‘come and have a go – no pipes required’.
Courses will generally run with a group of 3 – 6 participants and can be arranged at various times throughout the year to suit the participants.
The course content will vary depending on the experience and progress of the participants but will generally contain the following elements: Picking up your Northumbrian Pipes, Putting on the bellows, Drone tuning, Notes on the chanter, Safe handling of
pipes, Basic maintenance - you can do it!, Brief ‘History of the NSP’.
Provisional Programme
Day One
10:30 Registration / Coffee
11:00 Getting strapped in —Bellows and Drones
11:30 Safe handling and pipe check
12:00 Getting started / Drone practice
12:30 Lunch
14:00 Pipe anatomy and basic maintenance
15:30 Tea
16:00 Chanter fingering
18:00 Dinner
19:30 Session with invited guests
Day Two
10:30 Coffee
11:00 ‘My First Tune’
12:00 Brief history of the pipes
13:00 Lunch
14:30 Individual practice / tuition
15:30 Final session
To download our Getting Started Information Leaflet Click Here
To download our Getting Started Application Form Click Here
Based in Queensland, Australia, Nicole Murray and John Thompson have carved themselves a niche internationally as outstanding performers of acoustic folk music. With vocal harmonies reminiscent of Steeleye Span and the Seekers, powerful arrangements of Australian classics and a repertoire that spans the Anglo-Celtic world, Cloudstreet's exciting performances entertain and delight. They deliver a powerful and moving musical experience, based on entrancing musicality, stunning use of vocal harmony and above all, a compelling sense of fun. Workshop content has not been finalised, so please tell us what you would like included; solo singing, singing in harmony are just a couple of suggestions.
To download our information leaflet and application form Click Here
Residential Course
This is a 5 day residential Northumbrian Smallpipe course for players of all abilities, which will take place from Sunday 14th to Friday 19th October 2012, in the Northumbria School of English. The cost of the course will be £260 per piper. This will include tuition and activities from Sunday afternoon (14th Oct) to Friday (19th Oct) 5pm, and lunches Monday to Friday. Accommodation costs are extra and will depend on type of facilities chosen. Evening meals are at participants expense.
Tutors will include Pauline Cato, Chris Ormston, Andrew Watchorn, Andy May and Margaret Watchorn.
The course is designed to be a fairly intensive learning experience on the Northumbrian pipes, spread over 5 days. It allows an opportunity to mix with local pipers, both non-residential participants, and others, at sessions and concert events. It is hinged between the annual NPS concert, and the NPS competitions.
It is based in a licensed language school near the centre of Whitley Bay. This is 2 minutes walk from the nearest Metro station (which connects most of Tyneside, and gives access to trains and planes), on a quiet road leading to the sea. There is limited car parking at, or very near, the hotel.
Teaching will be in “pipers pitch” (‘F-ish). We aim to have several group sessions on most days, with a number of tutors available. There will also be a shorter, self programming themed, session every day in which participants will study two or three tunes, that they are interested in, in more depth, working towards a performance on the final evening.
There are likely to be sessions on maintenance and reed making, history and tradition, repertoire, duet and playing with other instruments, some graded and some suitable for all comers. There will also be outings and evening events, both on the premises and elsewhere in the region.
When appropriate, lunch and the evening meal will be in the hotel, otherwise we will seek a range of fairly economical options, allowing choice and variety. There will be some free time for participants and non-piping partners can be provided with information on local attractions as required.
To download our information leaflet and application form Click Here
Full Day or Evening Workshops
Social Media for Musicians - an introduction
Flabbergasted by Facebook?
Terrified by Twitter?
Worried by Wordpress?
Frightened by flickr?
A lot of musicians and performers have found a new way of reaching existing and potential audiences through use of social media such as Facebook or Twitter but there are probably even more ( maybe you?) who have dabbled in it but only erratically or would like to know more but don't know who to ask.
Well - then maybe this workshop is for you.
Over the course of a short introductory morning, Simon James, Northumbrian Piper and Composer and owner of Twitsociates (in association with Susan and Malcolm of Northumbrians and Pipers) will take you though the basics of social media, how they work, what they are, whether they're for you, how to set them up - and how you can keep your public up to date with what you're doing without spending too much valuable playing time online...
The main things we'll cover will be:
· Facebook
· Twitter
. Flickr
. Blogs/Websites
but there's so much more - and to a degree, the content will be dictated by participants. We also promise that it'll be very informal. There will also be the opportunity to book a follow up individual session with Simon either by phone or face to face should you wish.
Date: Monday 1st October 2012 : 10am
Venue: Sandpipers, North Broomhill, NE65 9UL
Cost : £10 ( inc lunch)
To download our Social Media Workshop Information Leaflet/Application form Click Here
Is there an instrument you would like to try? We are looking to hold a series of ‘taster sessions’ for different instruments. Let us know what you fancy and we’ll see if we can arrange it.
Should you be interested in any of the above workshops please contact us. Further information will be posted to the Website as soon as it is available.