The Maine Fiddle Camp presents Accordion Courses during their August event taking place from August 6-11, The sessions include August week I – Aug 6-11, 2017 and August week II – Aug 13-18, 2017.

The Maine Fiddle Camp is a multi-generational, lakeside, weekend (June) or week-long (June & August) music camp for all ages and levels of ability. Families welcome. Dance music in Scots-Irish, French Canadian, Canadian Maritime & Scandinavian traditions as they’ve evolved in Maine. Learn by ear, learn to play in an ensemble. Staff of scores of traditional musicians giving fiddle, piano, guitar, mandolin, banjo, cello, accordion, ukulele, flute and pennywhistle, mountain dulcimer, harmonica, bass and other classes and workshops with performances, jams, singing, dancing, and swimming.

Maine Fiddle Camp is about playing music and learning tunes, and being able to play and enjoy those tunes with other people whatever your level of experience or ability. Before camp, each camper receives access to the year’s collection of tunes that are posted on Tunes page on their Web site. The collection includes a variety of tunes chosen by MFC staff members and played by them in the audio files (downloadable mp3 format). Also included are sheet music of the tunes in pdf format. Learning some or all of these tunes is a great way for campers to expand their repertoire. It also assures that when you arrive at camp there will be at least some tunes that you will know in common.

You do not have to be a fiddle player in order to participate. Accordions have been a part of Maine Fiddle Camp since the very beginning, but as Camp has expanded, so have the opportunities to learn accordion. As in the past, this year, they have top teachers on piano accordion for both August weeks. Sylvia Miskoe, from NH, will again be on staff for the first August week, August 6-11, and Jeremiah McLane, from VT, will be on staff once again for the second week, August 13-18. The June session included Sabin Jacques from Quebec, Jim Joseph and Junior Stevens from Maine who taught button accordion in several styles including Cajun, Irish, Quebecois and New England.

The accordion staff includes:
August Week I (August 6-11)
Sylvia Miskoe: A new Hampshire native, Sylvia has been playing her accordion since college where she began playing for square and contra dancing. Today she plays for contra dancing but also Scottish and English Country Dance. Sylvia was one of the founders of the Strathspey & Reel Society of New Hampshire, a group devoted to learning about and playing Scottish music, open to all ages and abilities and was their music director for 7 years. She says the one thing better than sitting on stage and playing for dancing is helping others learn how to play for dancing.

Julie Vallimont: She performs nationwide on piano and accordion with the bands Buddy System and Nor’easter and other collaborations. She plays for contra, English, and French dancing. A former classical pianist and organist, she fell in love with traditional music and dance, and since then has gone on to perform at numerous festivals and music camps. Drawing on teaching skills developed over fifteen years as a natural science educator, Julie enjoys teaching and leading workshops.

August Week II (August 13-18) Accordion Instructors
Jeremiah McLane: The music of composer, accordionist, and pianist Jeremiah McLane is a unique blend of Franco-American, Celtic, jazz, and roots influenced music. In 1980 Jeremiah started studying Celtic music and began playing the accordion, influenced largely by the Bothy Band and Dedanann. He studied with Chicago accordionist Jimmy Keane and Cape Breton pianist Doug McPhee. In the early 1990s he helped start two bands with strong traditional New England roots: The Clayfoot Strutters and Nightingale, both of which are active today. In 2003 he formed Le Bon Vent, a sextet specializing in Breton and French music. He has recorded nine CDs with these and other musicians. www.jeremiahmclane.com

For further information:
Doug Protsik
116 Pleasant Cove Drive
Woolwich ME, 04579
207-443-5411
director@mainefiddlecamp.org

Maine Fiddle Camp is held at
Camp NEOFA,
219 Trotting Park Rd.
Montville, ME 04941

Maine Fiddle Camp is a 501(c)(3) organization, donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS rules.