New Irish Camp in Portal, AZ, October 13-18 2011

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

Announcing the first ever Portal Irish Music Week in Portal, Arizona, this coming October.

Of special interest to mandolinists interested in Irish traditional music is the news that Marla Fibish, a terrific mandolin player from the CA Bay Area, will be teaching Irish mandolin at Portal. You can learn more about Marla and hear her music here: http://www.marlafibish.com/

Other faculty include:

Brian Conway - fiddle
Matt Heaton - guitar
Paddy O'Brien - accordion
Turlach Boylan - flute and whistle
Pete Strickler - tenor banjo
Dain Forsyth - bodhran
Will Harmon - fiddle

The Portal camp promises both intense immersion in the music and an utterly relaxing retreat in one of the more beautiful spots in the US Southwest.

Go to http://portalmusicweek.com/ for faculty bios, pix, lodging info, and online registration. PM me if you have any questions, or use the email address at the Portal Music Week website: info@portalmusicweek.com

Slainte,

Will

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Wow - Paddy O'Brien will be there too! Definitely a camp to watch.

[Mike Snyder]

Isn't that the same week as the one in Texas?

Nope, sorry. O'Flaherty , 22,23, a week later.

Cool, I could go from Winfield to Arizona, then to Texas.

Then to the poor farm.

[Jill McAuley]

If my financial situation improves I so want to go to this!!!

Cheers,
Jill

[Eddie Sheehy]

Dang, I've got a trip to Ireland with my son that week. Of all the luck...

[Mike Snyder]

Say hi to Jill.

[dmcginnis]

Wow - nice lineup - Will and Pete are really good players. If you did not go to the website for Marla yet, do so...some really nice sound clips from a CD about to be released...I know I want one.

[Jill McAuley]

Great sound clips and the new website looks the business as well!

Cheers,
Jill

[Loretta Callahan]

Oh balder-dash! Marla Fibish is one of my favorite mandolin players. This looks like a great music camp. I'll be there in spirit for sure! I have a friend who may be going and have asked her to bring back how to play those double stops in Gypsy Princess and the secret to triplets .... as Jill does so well.

[montana]

Seriously thinking of going. Even took a gig on Saturday to save for the camp instead of spending two nights in Cody. Could you have found a place a little less remote? Portal seems like it's at the end of the world!!!

[Kay Kirkpatrick]

Been to Portal once, and that's why I'll jump at the chance to attend this camp. I've never been to a music camp, but the combination of Marla Fibish and Portal AZ cannot be beaten.

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

Thanks all for the positive feedback--we're really happy with the cast of instructors for this inaugural year. Yes, Portal is remote, but incredibly beautiful. We think it's an ideal spot for total immersion in the music and total relaxation. What better way to enhance your musical abilities!

We're also featuring an innovative daily schedule. Each day will include two immersive class periods (2 hours each), plus a 1-hour learning session, and a 50-minute intensive workshop period. The learning sessions will focus on new tunes and playing well in sessions. The workshops will range all over the place, calling on the faculties' strengths and special interests. Likely workshop topics will include learning by ear, inventing variations, drilling into technique, developing personal style, etc. And of course there will be sessions every night for all abilities.

Registrations are already trickling in, so make your plans early. Space is limited so that we can keep class sizes small--more one-on-one time with the instructors!

[Eddie Sheehy]

Anyone go?