Music Class Groups

In the Music Program, your day begins with two 75-minute class periods dedicated to the major discipline of your choosing (i.e. fiddle, piano, community singing, etc). To best serve the diverse family of musicians who come to participate, these morning classes are grouped by experience, and there is a group that will excite and challenge everyone! If you’re interested in our Community Singing program, you’ll find that information here.

The AFTMD morning class groups are:

• Moose — From the Ground Up
• Seals — Skill Building
• Bears — Nuance and Detail
• Eagles — Intensive Artistic Development

You’ll notice that we don’t define the groups by level (i.e. how “advanced” are the students in the class), but by what kind of things each group will be focused on learning. This means you get to pick the group that is working on the skills and material —and at the pace! — that is most valuable for you at this point in your musical journey.

Groups are self-selecting, and students are welcome to switch freely between the different groups during the camp — though please note that class material is progressive throughout the week, so it will be to your benefit to choose the group that is best for you as close to the outset as possible. (If you are uncertain which level will be the best match for your musical goals and skill set, we are happy to help advise you. Click here for more info).

Moose

Offered for fiddle & guitar

This program is designed specifically for students who are relatively new to their discipline, returning after a hiatus, OR simply wanting to focus on strengthening their foundations on their instrument – a full-immersion week of fun music!

Over the course of the week, you’ll learn how to play some super fun tunes from a variety of different traditional styles. You can expect a gently-paced class in a fun, supportive environment. You’ll get a clear break-down of tunes, plenty of repetition, slower tempos, and some historical and cultural context for the traditional material you’re exploring. Along the way, your teachers will show you tricks and techniques that will make it even easier to learn more tunes, such as hand shapes and finger patterns, essential bowing (fiddle) or strumming (guitar) patterns, tips for better sound production, form and patterning in traditional music, and many other skills that will help you start to develop ease and comfort in your playing.

To get the most out of this class, we recommend that potential Moose students be able to play at least 3 songs on your instrument BEFORE coming to camp — any style / genre / tempo is great. And yes, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (or similar) counts as a song! We can’t wait to make music with you!

Fiddle — While the entire Moose Fiddle class will work together as one group throughout the week, at registration, we will ask you to indicate your playing experience (0-1 years or 1+ years). This will help your instructor plan ahead for the best possible class for the group over the course of the camp! Your class will meet with the same instructor every morning for both periods, and will also periodically team up with the Moose Guitar class so you can practice playing together and develop your ensemble skills.

Guitar — The Moose Guitar class will work together as one group throughout the week, and will also periodically team up with the Moose Fiddle class so you can practice playing together and develop your ensemble skills. Your class will meet with the same instructor every morning for both periods.

Seals

Offered for all instruments

These groups are specially tailored to folks who want to develop both their knowledge of traditional music AND their individual instrumental technique, all while learning some of the best repertoire each style has to offer.

The Seal classes will be a great match for you if you want to spend the week improving on your instrument while playing lots of great music. You’ll build your repertoire of fabulous traditional tunes, and you’ll also work on how to learn the tunes by ear (so you can learn more quickly and easily in the future!), focusing on the form, patterns, and distinctive musical gestures found in each musical style. Along the way, your teachers will help you build your comfort and fluidity on your instrument, and show you the steps needed to produce the signature rhythms, sounds, ornamentation, and bowing / breathing / chording / strumming patterns that define each genre you explore. This will help you develop the technical facility needed to start taking your playing to the next level, and give you lots of tools to continue your musical explorations long after camp comes to a close!

To get the most out of this class, we recommend that potential Seal students have a basic fluency in getting around your instrument and at least some experience with learning by ear. Prior experience with any traditional musical style is useful, but by no means required to have a great time!

For fiddlers only — The Seal Fiddle classes will rotate to a different instructor each morning in a system we call “The Fiddler’s Shuffle.” Each instructor will focus on a different style of traditional fiddling, so you’ll get to explore each genre and start developing sound and repertoire distinctive to that region, e.g. Scottish, Irish, etc. depending on the teacher. To help excite and challenge everyone in the fiddle community at AFTMD, the Seal Fiddle class will be divided into three sub-groups, each offering a different class experience.

• Relaxed Seals
  In this class, you can expect to learn 2-3 tunes each morning, in a fun and relaxed environment. All tunes will be taught by ear, but your instructors will help you learn how to break down the tune, so your ear-learning skills will improve over the course of the week. You can expect many repetitions of each tune section and skill you explore, and clear guidance from your teachers on exactly how to produce specific kinds of sound, bowing, and ornamentation needed in each fiddle style. We’ll also take plenty of time to focus on some foundational fiddle technique that can help you find more ease and comfort on your instrument.
• Fast-paced Seals
  This class will explore the fundamental skills of stylistic bowing, and ornamentation, and sound production in different fiddle genres, moving at a notably faster, more intensive pace. You can expect to learn 3-5 (maybe more?) tunes by ear each morning (often with fewer repetitions of each part), as you deepen your understanding of how to start developing an “authentic traditional accent” in each style. Your teachers will help you hone the core techniques needed for attaining ease and “groove” at the real tempos played in a dance or jam session, and show you how to really up the ante on the quality of your playing. Make no mistake: this class is going to MOVE!!
• New-to-Trad Seals
  This is a group designed especially for experienced “classical” or note-reading players who have always wanted to explore the world of fiddling and learning by ear! Here, you’ll discover how to harness the technical facility and musical knowledge you already have and use it to inject an authentic “traditional fiddle sound” into your playing. You can expect to learn 2-4 tunes each morning – mostly from the core repertoire of tunes that will be played regularly at jam sessions, and gain comfort learning by ear as you do. Your teachers will guide you in exploring how to shape your tone, ornament your left-hand, and pattern your bowing in a traditional manner for different fiddle styles. No prior experience with any traditional fiddle style is required to have a great time. Come in curious, leave ready to “jam” with the fiddlers!
  NOTE: Though this class will be taught from the fiddle, experienced viola or cello players are also welcome to attend and become “fiddlers” in their own right!

Bears

Offered for all instruments

This group is an intensive, fast-paced experience that will cover a LOT of material and dig deep into the essence of what makes each style of traditional music distinct and unique in its own right.

In the Bear classes, you’ll experience a joyful and intensive exploration deep into the nuances of different styles of traditional music! You’ll visit an abundance of repertoire (expect to learn 3-6 or more tunes by ear each morning) in order to highlight and master the musical details that make each genre distinctive — intricacies of tone color, rhythmic groove, ornamentation, melodic treatment, and more. Your teachers will challenge you to start developing your own authentic voice within each genre, and ground this evolution in a deepening understanding of the history, musical lineage, and context behind each tradition. You’ll look at multiple ways to approach each tune, develop variation and improvisation skills within the genre, and generally work towards the goal of true fluency in each traditional music language. Don’t be surprised if a teacher sometimes asks you to play something by yourself during class (i.e. a mini “master class” where you can get some direct and personalized feedback!). This is a fast-paced class and your teachers will cover a great deal of material, giving you exciting ideas to work on both during the week of camp AND throughout the year after you leave!

NOTE: Experienced players of any instrument are welcome to join the dedicated Bear Fiddle class, or the multi-instrumental Eagle class, if you feel that class is a better match for you.

To get the most out of this class, we recommend that potential Bear students already enjoy learning quickly and fluently by ear, are comfortable coming up with their own stylistic bowing and ornaments, and have no problems performing tunes comfortably at dance tempo.

Eagles

Offered for all instruments and dance

This exciting multi-instrumental program is focused on helping experienced players and dancers develop their artistry at the very highest level, and develop the skills they will need to become the next generation of “musical ambassadors” in traditional music!

Read about this unique program here.

All Animal Groups Combined

Offered for Community Singing

This class is open to everyone, regardless of previous vocal experience, and will explore the joys of singing traditional songs together!

Click here to read more about the Community Singing program.

While these are the “major” instruments that each group is focused on, there are situations where players of other “alternative” instruments are welcome to join in as well. For instance, whistle players are welcome to join the flute groups. Technically proficient viola or cello players might join in the fiddle group (especially in the New-to-Trad Seals). Just keep in mind that each group will be taught from the major instrument listed, and while some teachers may be able to offer pointers for how you can adapt the material to your particular instrument, most probably won’t play that instrument themselves and it will ultimately be up to you to figure out how to translate the material covered to your own instrument. If you have any questions about whether a particular group may be appropriate for you to take, please get in touch (here); we’re happy to help advise!

Dance Class Groups

The Dance Program in 2026 will offer core instruction each morning from two dance teachers from different traditions, plus a wide variety of electives from dance instructors and others on our music faculty each afternoon. We will also offer a dedicated “From the Ground Up” track for those who want to focus on the foundations. Each day will begin with a dance-specific 30-minute warm-up class, followed by two 60-minute core classes. Afternoons will include optional enrichment workshops, sessions, ensembles, and social dances. Classes will incorporate a combination of recorded music and live music from our talented Artistic Work Study students.

This year we are offering three group experiences:

• Moose — From the Ground Up
• Seals — Skill Building
• Bears — Nuance and Detail
• Eagles — Intensive Artistic Development

Class content from each teacher will include: technique, repertoire, musicality, improvisation, as well as social dance. The material will be progressive, so you are encouraged to select the group that allows you to have your best dance experience when you register, or at the beginning of the week. (If you are uncertain which group will be the best match for your goals and skill set, we are happy to help advise you — click here for more info.)

Moose

From the Ground Up

This track is for students who are new to dance, or those returning to dance after a hiatus. A gently-paced class, with clear break-down of footwork, plenty of repetition, slower tempos, as well as exploration of the musical structures, history, and cultural context for the dance traditions. Students will work with the same faculty member for a double morning period all week.

Seals

Skill Building

This track is for students who have some percussive dance experience in at least one style, who are comfortable dancing at moderate tempos, and ready to build clarity, musicality, and confidence in their dancing. Dancers can expect to move thoroughly through technical details while building a repertoire of steps. This group will rotate between two different dance teachers in the mornings.

Bears

Nuance and Detail

This track is for experienced dancers who are comfortable dancing solo, and creating and improvising, with a solid understanding of musical structures. This class is intended for dancers who are seeking new repertoire, improved stamina, fluency, and technique, as well as in developing a personal style. This group will rotate between two different dance teachers in the mornings.

Eagles

Intensive Artistic Development

The Eagles program is open to dancers as well! This exciting multi-discipline program is focused on helping experienced players and dancers develop their artistry at the very highest level, and develop the skills they will need to become the next generation of “musical ambassadors” in traditional music and dance performance!

Learn more here

Community Singing Program

Our Community Singing class is open to everyone, regardless of previous vocal experience, and will explore the joys of singing traditional songs together! It’s great fun, and all you need to have a fabulous week is the desire to joyfully add your voice to the group!

This is a great option if we don’t offer the Moose class you were hoping for, and for those who are brand new to trad or not used to thinking of themselves as “singers”or don’t consider themselves musicians or dancers.

In this class, we’ll learn songs from a wide variety of traditions and the rich stories behind them. This may include anything from call-and-response songs, work songs, traditional ballads, multi-part harmony singing, and more. You will work with your singing teachers for both morning periods and have the opportunity to work with additional teachers in the afternoons. Class material will be progressive across both periods and throughout the week.

This exciting multi-instrumental program is focused on helping experienced players and dancers develop their artistry at the very highest level, and develop the skills they will need to become the next generation of “musical ambassadors” in traditional music and dance!

Important to note

The Eagles are NOT “more advanced” students than the Bears! The difference is that students in the Bears class are working on honing their own individual playing or dancing, while students in the Eagles classes are exploring how their playing or dancing can contribute to the larger world of trad.  If you want to focus on YOU and YOUR playing/dancing, you’re a Bear. If you want to focus on how you can be of SERVICE in trad, you’re an Eagle.

The Eagle class is a dynamic, intensive, artistic immersion experience. This class is designed to be a close-knit, multi-instrument and multi-disciplinary cohort, and will function as a collaborative team. Throughout the week, you will work on strengthening your performance skills, deepening your connection to essential dance and rhythmic elements, expanding your knowledge of underlying history and tradition, and more clearly communicating the “essence” of different styles and tune types. In addition to exploring new repertoire and artistic ideas, you can expect to engage in performing for your colleagues, exchanging thoughtful constructive feedback, honing more fluent musician/dancer collaboration, developing skills on the “business” side of the arts, workshopping ensemble and arranging ideas, improving your communication with audiences (both artistically and verbally), and other high-level collaborative pursuits.

As a multi-instrumental cohort, the Eagle class welcomes players of any instrument in traditional music, as well as percussive dancers. As long as you have the technical and stylistic proficiency — as well as the desire! — to be comfortable working on deep artistic concepts, you are most welcome to join this class no matter what instrument you play.

New this year

The Eagles class will study in Period 1 with a dedicated “Head Coach” for the whole week, and in Period 2 with a daily rotating roster of “Master Class” instructors from different genres and instruments, so students can benefit from the diverse knowledge and perspectives that come from working with coaches in different artistic roles (i.e. melody players, backers, composers, dancers, etc).