Acadia Trad School Workshop Instructors
Irish, Old-Time, Acadian week work shops
This list is preliminary
Since first picking up the squeezebox in 1997, Christian "Junior" Stevens has become a fixture in the Irish Traditional Music scene in America. Performing on Button Accordion and Anglo Concertina, he has honed his craft at the feet of some of the finest musicians at home and abroad, as an active promoter of traditional music, a highly sought after dance musician, an experienced teacher, and as a natural performer, gracing stages across the country with some of the genre's most talented artists. He combines a deep respect for the raw energy inherent in centuries old traditions, with a constantly evolving appreciation for modern musical sensibilities of all shapes and sizes. He regularly performs with Maine based ensembles The Press Gang, The Milliners, and Sylvain's Acadian Aces.
Danielle Paus has been playing the harp for over twenty years and teaching it for over ten. Classically trained, she has immersed herself in the celtic harp tradition and is a saught-after teacher of traditional harp music throughout the country. Danielle completed her album "Siren Song" in February and it is being called "beautiful and powerful" , "elemental" and "of and within nature" She enjoys performing and touring the United States and abroad. She was recently NPR’s “Thistle and Shamrock”.
Albert Alfonso is both a master bodhran player as well as one of the world's preimer bodhran makers. In December 1995, Albert set out to make the finest truly tunable full-range bodhrán that can be made. (It was easier said than done.) He stopped making drums for sale, and spent six months redesigning the drum and came up with ohe of the best designs on the market today.
Albert continues to lead the way in innovation, taking his drums to even greater heights. They are unmatched for sound, playability and ease of tuning. His distinctive drums can be found on the concert stage and in sessions around the world.
Chris Brinn came to the U. S. almost eighteen years ago from the small fishing port of Padstow on the North Cornish coast, in the South West of Great Britain. He now lives in Searsmont with his wife Carol and their son Declan. Chris, who is mostly self taught and does not read music particularly well, has been playing piano accordion for over almost thirty years specializing in Irish music, and the dance tunes and songs of his home. His connection with Ireland stems from his grandfather, born in Wicklow and raised in Dublin. Since coming to America, Chris has been able to immerse himself in traditional Irish and Irish-American music and is heavily influenced by such masters as Jimmy Keane, Phil Cunningham, Joe Derrane, and Sharon Shannon, to name a few. Before moving to Maine, he spent four years on the West Coast living in Seattle and Spokane, and gaining valuable experience in the traditional music scene within those cities. Since taking up residence on the East Coast, Chris has placed first in the All Ireland qualifier in NY, and been a part of a number of locally based Irish- American bands.
Lizza Backes' concertina and flute playing is rooted in the rich musical and dance traditions of her home in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire while reflecting the Irish heritage of her instruments. She is currently studying human ecology at College of the Atlantic in Maine, where she plays for local dances and with Celtic musician and director of the Acadia School of Traditional Music and Arts, Chuck Donnelly. Lizza is a member of the New Hampshire-based contra dance band Trip to Nelson.
Ray grew up in a musical family in a Franco-American community in Lewiston, Maine. His parents and grandparents all spoke French, and that was his first language. His mother used to rock him to sleep to the sound of his grandfather playing the fiddle and tapping his feet. His father played the guitar and harmonica, and he bought Ray his first harmonica when he was six years old. However, it wasn't until he was 50 that Ray seriously began playing Québécois fiddle and accordion tunes on the harmonica. Ray is now known locally as one of the best Québécois style harmonica players in the area. Ray co-authored a seminal book on Québécois music with Bruno Kowalczyk, one of the best practitioners of the art today. Ray's harmonica playing is influenced by many of the best Québécois players, including Bruno, Gabriel Labbe, and Louis-Simon Lemieux.
Pauleena MacDougall is the Director and Faculty Associate of The Maine Folklife Center at the University of Maine. Pauleena is also an avid Irish dancer and dance Instructor. She will be teaching Irish dance at the Acadia Trad School for the July 2013 Irish music week.
Chuck Whitney destroyed his first whistle in 1999, 2 days after purchasing it in an effort to "improve" its sound. Undaunted by early failed experiments, he has been making whistles and flutes ever since. His science teaching credentials gave him the courage to experiment on new designs; the years required to produce a good sounding instrument, humility. When he is not in his instrument shop, teaching, or working as a naturalist in Bar Harbor, he is playing in local Celtic sessions and with Celtic band MacLir.
Richard Backes is a multi instrumentalist and violin maker from Peterborough, New Hampshire. Rooted in the playing of Ken Perlman and Steve Jones, Richard’s banjo playing is highly melodic, and draws from the Old-time, Celtic, and New England traditions. Richard Also plays guitar and Mandolin in the band Trip to Nelson.
"Dancing" Bob McCormick
Bob McCormick has been Cape Breton step dancing for almost 20 years. He has presented numerous workshops to children and adults in many schools and events around the state of Maine & Vermont. He is often asked to step for many performers at different events from Scotland,Ireland and Canada. He has performed at such places as The American Folk Festival, The Skye Theater, The Maine Celtic Festival,The Maine Highland Games,and many more. He has stepped for groups such as The Boys of the Lough, Colin Grant, Sandy MacIntyre, Cynthia MacLeod, to name a few. His workshops will help people learn steps and short routines emphasizing Strathspeys, jigs and reels. The workshops are designed for beginners as well as intermediate step dancers. Most of all come and have fun.
More Instructors to be announced