School Touring Program – Lomond Sound

Video Workshop Descriptions

* NOTE * - Links to each artist’s video workshops will be sent to your school upon confirmation of involvement in the School Touring Program.

Christina Smith (fiddle)

Christina Smith is offering four workshops on fiddling in Newfoundland. The first workshop explains the basics of moving the body to play the fiddle – how to make a bow go straight, where to place the fiddle on your shoulder, how to hold the bow, and the best way to move the bow to get a good sound.  Participants can use a pencil and ruler in place of a bow and fiddle if the actual instrument isn’t available. 

The second workshop explains three styles of fiddle music we have in divergent areas of Newfoundland and Labrador, and how different ornaments and rhythms give them all a unique sound.

Christina recorded two workshops for the 2021 Soundbone virtual school tour. The first (workshop 3), which follows up from where Workshop 1 (2020) left off, takes the learner through the steps of learning to use the left hand to make different notes on the fiddle. Students will need to have instruments for this workshop.

In Workshop 4 Christina explains the different kinds of dance tunes we have in Newfoundland and Labrador, the special words we use for them, and how to tell them apart. There is no requirement to have an instrument for this class. 

Resources: Christina includes a Teacher’s Supplement for her first two fiddle workshops; it includes the written music for the tunes she plays in the videos. Her instructional guide Inshore Fiddling (vol. 1 & 2) is an NLESD recommended resource and should already be in your school library.  Inshore Fiddling volume 1 is a resource for Workshop 3 and Inshore Fiddling volume 2 for Workshop 4.

Christina is available for a follow-up session on Tuesdays,  Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00AM – 12:00PM, April 27-May 31, 2021. Contact her at: nlfiddle@gmail.com 709-576-0359‬

Gerry Strong (tin whistle)

Gerry is offering four workshops in tin whistle. The first will be basic – how to hold the whistle and how to play a scale. He’ll also teach two simple tunes. The second workshop will be for more advanced players, consisting of two Newfoundland and Labrador dance tunes: one well-known tune, Mussels in the Corner, and one not quite as well known, Red Island Tune (also known as Gerald Campbell’s). In 2021 Gerry added two more workshop videos. His third workshop includes a tune for beginners (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star). In his fourth workshop, Gerry includes a tune for more advanced players ( I’se the B’y) – played simply first and then with added ornamentation. Each workshop touches on using ornamentation to ‘brighten up’ the tunes.

Resources: Gerry includes Introduction to the Tin Whistle (PDF) as a supplement to his workshops. His book 50 Tunes from Newfoundland and Labrador for the Tin Whistle is available from O’Briens Music Store in St John’s.

Gerry is available for follow-up sessions 9:00AM – 5:00PM, Monday-Friday, April 27-May 31. Contact him at: gerrystrong@gmail.com (709) ‭‭‭589-8238

Dave Panting (mandolin)

Dave will be offering four workshops on playing traditional music from Newfoundland and Labrador using the mandolin. The first two of these were recorded in 2020 while the third and fourth were recorded in 2021. His first workshop will consist of a description/history of the instrument as well as the basics – tuning, strumming, picking, and chording.  Dave illustrates these techniques with two simple tunes: a double (jig) and a Newfoundland single. His second workshop will expand on these ideas with more advanced techniques and additional tunes. In the third workshop, Dave introduces members of the mandolin family and describes each instrument’s features. In his fourth workshop, Dave plays some traditional Newfoundland and Labrador instrumental music with multi-tracked audio and video using the instruments that he introduced in the first video.  Workshop 4 shows some options for playing melody, chord accompaniment, and counterpoint, including some variations.

Resources: Dave includes Common Mandolin Chords (PDF) as a supplement to his workshops. His tune book Tanglecove – 30 new Canadian Fiddle Tunes (with Dan Rubin), has several of his original compositions for mandolin; it is an NLESD recommended resource and should already be in your school library.

Dave is available for follow-up sessions 9:00AM – 5:00PM, Monday-Friday, April 27-May 31. Contact him at: davepanting@hotmail.com ‭‭‭(709) 325-3112.

Eric West (ukulele)

Eric is offering four ukulele workshops –1 and 2 were recorded in 2020, 3 and 4 in 2021.  The first workshop is an introduction to the ukulele – holding the instrument, plucking strings and the chords C and F, as well as the songs ‘Brother John’ and ‘Merrily We Roll Along’. His second workshop introduces the C7 chord, accompanying ‘I’se the B’y’ and picking the melody of ‘Fish and Brewis’. Workshop 3 introduces the Dminor chord and accompanying the song ‘My Paddle’s Keen and Bright’. Workshop 4 teaches how to accompany the song ‘Drunken Sailor’ using different strum patterns. Note: Workshops 1 and 3 are suitable for beginning players; Workshops 2 and 4 for slightly more advanced players.

Resources: Introduction to the Ukulele (PDF booklet) is a supplement to the ukulele workshops; please download and print it before viewing the workshops. The Newfoundland Ukulele – 25 Favourite Songs is an NLESD recommended resource and should already be in your school library. Eric’s songbook  Ukulele for Christmas – 45 Festive Favouritesis available at most music stores or online. 

Eric is available for follow-up sessions 11:00AM – 4:00PM Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, April 27-May 31, 2021. You can contact him at: vinlandmusic@nf.sympatico.ca or ‭‭709-‭‭‭670-3377

Jean Hewson (guitar)

Jean is offering four workshops. Workshop 1 is an introduction to the guitar for those who have never played before – the parts of the instrument, names of the strings, proper playing position, how to use a guitar pick, some simple chords, and strumming techniques. And you’ll learn a simple one-chord song. In workshop 2 Jean explains reading chord diagrams, changing chords, and how to play the famous Newfoundland song Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor. In workshop 3 you will learn how to play I’se the B’y on the guitar, and in workshop 4 Jean demonstrates how to accompany an instrumental dance tune called Mussels in the Corner.

Resources: Jean’s Introduction to the Guitar is included as a supplement to workshops 1 and 2. Here are the lyrics and chords of I’se the B’y (traditional and COVID versions) for workshop 3; and here are the chords and melody of Mussels in the Corner for workshop 4.

Jean is available for follow-up sessions 9:00AM-Noon, Monday-Friday, April 27-May 31. Contact her at: jhewson@nf.sympatico.ca (709) 722-2863‬

Hugh Scott (songwriting)

Hugh is offering four songwriting workshops. In the first and second workshops (combined in one video) he discusses lyric writing, including song structure, rhyme schemes, metre, finding a subject, and developing the song’s style. Additionally, he covers basic music theory, time signatures, common chord structures, beat, and rhythm. You’ll also learn some songwriting games to help develop your creativity. These workshops will show you how to have fun writing a song together in a group. 

In his third songwriting workshop – designed for more musically advanced students – Hugh addresses more complex chord structure, bridges, and creating a ‘rhythmic groove’.

In his fourth video workshop, Hugh explains a technique for finding chord fingerings and melodies on the guitar, as well as using open tunings. He also gives some tips on writing parodies as a songwriting technique.

Resources: Songwriting Hand-out (PDF) and Songwriting Games (PDF) are included as supplements to his first two workshops.

Hugh is available for follow-up sessions 9:00AM-Noon, Monday-Friday, April 27-May 31. Contact him at: hughnkathyd@gmail.com 709-753-9236

Gary Green (storytelling)

Gary is offering four workshops. The first is an introduction to storytelling and its importance in our everyday lives. It includes examples of various types of stories as well as an exercise using personal stories to demonstrate that we all are natural storytellers with our own unique style. Students may complete the exercise in class or with family and friends. The second workshop introduces how to select, remember and practice stories from sources such as books and the internet.

Workshop three is on the storyteller’s most important tool, their voice, and vocalizations. Students are introduced to types of vocalizations used in stories, the components of vocalizations as well as the vocal track and ways to care for it. Students may complete the suggested exercises in class or with family and friends. Gary’s fourth workshop introduces the participants to another important tool – hand gestures. Students will learn about the connection between speech and hands, the importance of good hand gestures, and the types of hand gestures commonly used in storytelling. The suggested exercises may be done in class or with family and friends. 

Resources: Here is a list of suggested exercises and links to websites providing additional information for the first two workshops. This is a voice sheet for workshop 3 and here are some hand gestures exercises for workshop 4

Gary is available for follow-up sessions Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, April 27-May 31.  Contact him at jrpcnl@Yahoo.com or (709) 895-2005.

Jane Dennison (dance)

Jane Dennison will be offering two folk dance workshops suitable for students with no background in dance. 

The first session will tell the story of dance traditions in Newfoundland and Labrador that originally came from Europe several hundred years ago. Pictures and videos will be used to show how our dances have changed over time.

The second session will be an introduction to basic step dancing. This is designed for students to try the steps while watching the video. We will start with very easy and slow steps. Tips for practicing and creating your own steps will be included. Students will each need one square metre of space to dance and ideally the floor would not have carpet.  

Resources: Additional information and suggested activities are included in a pdf document for each workshop: History of Folk Dance and NL Step Dancing.  Jane is also the co-author of Traditional Dances of Newfoundland and Labrador – A Guide for Teachers which is an approved teaching resource by the NLESD and should be available in your school.

Jane is available for follow-up sessions Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, April 27-May 31.  She can be contacted at hellojanedennison@gmail.com or ‭(709) 765-0468‬.