Eagles Program
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.
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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).
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. This class will rotate through The Fiddler’s Shuffle, working with a different instructor for a double period each morning to explore each of the core traditional styles featured at Acadia in any given year, e.g. Scottish, Irish, etc. depending on the teacher(s).
The Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance is governed by Friends of the Acadia Trad Festival, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) Maine nonprofit corporation. Website art by Anabelle Keimach and Annelise Papinsick.