Pre-Recorded Workshops Available July 1

If you purchased a Limited Time Online Ticket, A Very In Person (VIP) Ticket, or an All Access Online Ticket, you will have access to workshops starting July 1. The workshops will be available for replay until the end of your subscription.

Limited Time Online Ticket: July 1 - July 31 (with the option to upgrade your ticket at any time)

All Access Online Ticket: July 1 - October 31

Very In Person (VIP) Ticket*: July 1 - October 31

*The VIP ticket is the best of both worlds, you can join us in-person AND have access to recordings of classes.

Here are the workshops that will be available on July 1:

Erik Ask-Upmark (Sweden)

Early music for the Folk Harp | Type: Hands-on | Level: Int.-Adv. | When: On Video Starting July 1

750 years of music history crammed into one workshop! This will be a headlong dive into the wonderful world of early music, meaning European music from the span 1000-1750 AD. Needless to say, we will be a bit pressed for time to include every single tune written during this period (duh...), but you will come out at the other end with at least a few tunes from each era - the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque! Historical harps are welcome but certainly not necessary – the tunes will work equally well on all types of harps!

Nordic Traditional Dance Music | Type: Hands-on | Level: Any | When: On Video Starting July 1

One central aspect of Swedish folk music is that it is a tradition where playing for dancing is really important, and the harp is ideally suited for playing dance music! Here you will learn some polskas, slängpolskas, waltzes and schottisches and how to make them really "swing" so people listening will want to get up from their seats and start moving to the music!

Debbie Brewin-Wilson. Beginner Bootcamp

Beginner's Boost 1: Exercises 1 | Type: Hands-on | Level: Nov.-Beg | When: On Video Starting July 1

If you've just started to play the harp, this video workshop is from a series Debbie created for the Beginners' Boot Camp in 2020. If you already know how to tune the harp, sit at the harp and your basic hand positions, start this video! Now start learning the notes and how to pluck! Thumbs up! Get comfortable with the instrument and yourself! Music-reading ability is not necessary. Video 4 from the 2020 Series.

Beginner's Boost 1: Exercises 2 | Type: Hands-on | Level: Nov.-Beg | When: On Video Starting July 1

If you've just started to play the harp, this video workshop is from a series Debbie created for the Beginners' Boot Camp in 2020. This segment continues on from Beginner's Boost Exercises 1 and here you're learning how to position and playing using more fingers. Practice plucking and playing scales. Thumbs up! Use both hands and practice cross-overs.Music-reading ability is not necessary. Video 5 from the 2020 Series.

Beginner's Boost 1: Sitting at the Harp | Type: Hands-on | Level: Nov.-Beg | When: On Video Starting July 1

Debbie gets you off to a good start with some solid foundation in learning how to position and sit at the harp and how to work on hand position. Review these "basics" videos as often as needed to establish good habits. Video 3 from the 2020 series.

Beginner's Boost 1: Using a Tuner | Type: Hands-on | Level: Nov.-Beg | When: On Video Starting July 1

If you've just gotten your harp and want to start building a solid foundation for learning and playing it, the first step is actually learning how to tune it! Debbie explains how to use a tuner to do that. Video 2 from the 2020 series

Beginner's Boost 2: Cookie Cutters | Type: Hands-on | Level: Nov.-Beg | When: On Video Starting July 1

We've brought back 3 videos from Debbie's Beginners Boost 2 series. View these videos and refer back to them when you need to before our 'live' festival and your sessions with Debbie. In this segment, Debbie gets to showing you 3-finger chords, starting with triads, and explains how these chord patterns easily translate to every key. Learn to place, then play. Placing is important.

Beginner's Boost 2: Finger Conventions | Type: Hands-on | Level: Nov.-Beg | When: On Video Starting July 1

We've brought back 3 videos from Debbie's Beginners Boost 2 series. View these videos and refer back to them when you need to before our 'live' festival and your sessions with Debbie. In this segment, Shapes of chords, Debbie calls them cookie cutters, become all-important and once you learn the shapes it will make your playing clean and beautiful. Consistency is key. Place, then play, is the harp mantra. Learn which finger to play for which intervals.

Beginner's Boost 2: Octave Patterns | Type: Hands-on | Level: Nov.-Beg | When: On Video Starting July 1

We've brought back 3 videos from Debbie's Beginners Boost 2 series. View these videos and refer back to them when you need to before our 'live' festival and your sessions with Debbie. In this segment, you'll learn the most common "big" chord patterns or "cookie cutters" as Debbie calls them. Be sure to place, then play! Thumbs up!

Màiri Chaimbeul (Scotland)

Patterns for ease and dexterity throughout the harp | Type: Hands-on | Level: Any. | When: On Video Starting July 1

Explore patterns that will help promote fluidity and ease as well as speed and accuracy throughout the whole range of the harp. Màiri will show you examples that will develop your finger independence and dexterity, while focusing on reducing tension to help you play with greater comfort and flow. You’ll learn how to incorporate these patterns into your practice and talk about using these as a jumping off point for your own particular needs.

Tools for Right Hand Melodic Expression | Type: Hands-on | Level: Any | When: On Video Starting July 1

Get excited about the depth that even the simplest melodies can hold. Màiri will show you a variety of tools and exercises to help enhance your melody playing. Work on creating small variations to help make tunes fit more easily under the fingers; adding counterpoint; and different ways of creating excitement and momentum with phrasing. These are tools that you can apply to melodies in many different genres.

Aisling Lyons (Ireland)

Funky Accompaniment! with Aisling Lyons | Type: Hands-on | Level: Any | When: On Video Starting July 1

Are you stuck in a rut with right and left hand accompaniment in sessions? Are you hoping to find some tricks to spice up your chords? This workshop might be for you! This workshop will help you 'funk up' your accompaniment to dance tunes! There will be a focus on numbers & syncopated rhythms.

Tunes played by Rose Mooney & collected by Edward Bunting at the Belfast Harp Festival with Aisling Lyons| Type: Hands-on | Level: Any | When: On Video Starting July 1

In this workshop you will learn 2 tunes brought to the Belfast Harp Festival in 1792 by harper Rose Mooney; Sir Charles Coote & Planxty Miss Burke.