Teacher’s presentation : Starting as a young child picking up the fiddle for the first time, Cortese has used these strings to tie herself to others, forging connections across age, genre, and identity. After a Californian childhood filled with Celtic music camps, Cortese went on to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston and formed her first band, Halali, in 2000. When graduation rolled around, the band dissipated onto their own individual paths–which for Cortese meant investing in herself as a solo artist. She began to record and tour under her own name in 2004, soon followed by the start of a career as a songwriter in her own right. Solo, she reveled in the freedom to explore new collaborations as opportunities came to her. “I always had the mindset of, when I meet someone and we enjoy playing together, we take advantage of that moment for however long it lasts,” she says, noting that these moments always wind into and out of her own projects. Her early career explorations didn’t end with performance though. Cortese also adopted the philosophy of learning by teaching, co-founding a music camp from which to grow community and artistry. Alongside Shannon Heaton, Cortese co-founded the Boston Celtic Music Festival in 2003, which she describes as “kind of a thank you to the community that had nurtured me and that I grew up in.” To this day, this festival celebrates and uplifts the deep Celtic folk music traditions that exist within Boston’s music scene, honoring the shared repertoire and musical vocabulary of the artists that perform and jam there. Conversely, in 2011, she partnered with Kristin Andreassen to found Miles of Music Camp, which brings together repertoire-based folk musicians with contemporary songwriters.
Who is this workshop for: Open to intermediate and advanced fiddlers. Viola’s and cellos are also welcome!
Description: For fiddlers who always wanted to try fiddling and singing at the same time. In this workshop, we zoom in on 2 or 3 songs from the North American repertoire: songs from the Appalachian Mountains, Cape Breton or New England and from Québec… traditional ones and newly composed ones. We will learn the basic chords, ways to vary the chord colors and several grooves for each song.
In addition to the core curriculum, participants will have the opportunity to participate in optional public activities during the festival. Details of these activities will be announced on June 1st.
Learning material: Student should bring their instrument and something to record.
Location: Village of Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Québec (address to be announced)
SCHEDULE :
Friday
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Workshop
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Lunch*
2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Workshop
*Depends of choosen options
