Weekly Music Classes
From September 2009 Fèis Rois is changing to a new model of weekly classes in the following disciplines: Gaelic song, whistle, fiddle, accordion, guitar, clàrsach, and “beginning to play together”. This new model will take the form of three mini-fèisean every week, one in Easter Ross, one in Wester Ross, and one in the Black Isle. The Dingwall clàrsach class will continue at Dingwall Community Centre.
The new programme of classes will:
· Provide a clear ladder of progression for your child through the ability levels
· Increase opportunities for your child to collaborate with other young musicians
· Create a strong sense of community in each of the three locations and allow for end of term cèilidhs and sharing opportunities in each
· Allow new opportunities for our formal and informal education programmes to work together and complement each other. For example, your child might be learning whistle or Gaelic song in school through our Youth Music Initiative programme and this model now allows us to offer follow-on classes.
This new programme will see an increase in the number of classes taking place every week to 32.
The classes will run for 28 weeks between September 2009 and June 2010 over 3 terms as follows:
Term 1 Autumn-Winter 2009 12 weeks 31 August to 11 December.
No classes weeks beginning 12, 19 & 26 October.
Term 2 Spring 2010 8 weeks 18 January to 19 March.
No classes week beginning 15 February.
Term 3 Summer 2010 8 weeks 19 April to 19 June.
No classes week beginning 3 May.
Cost of Classes
Introduction to music classes £4 per week £48 in advance for Term 1
(Gaelic song & games or whistle)
Attend both of these classes for… £7 per week £84 in advance for Term 1
All other classes £6 per week £72 in advance for Term 1
Attend 2 classes each week £10 per week £120 in advance for Term 1
Attend 3 classes per week £15 per week £180 in advance for Term 1
Please note that discounts for booking two or three classes each week are available as follows:
1. For any one child choosing to attend two or three different classes each week. For example, at Kiltearn, a child might choose to take complete beginners tin whistle, beginning to play together and lower intermediate guitar for a total fee of £15 per week.
2. For a family with two or three children attending a class each. For example, you might have two children both wanting to attend complete beginners fiddle at Avoch each week for a total fee of £10 a week.
If you can pay the full fee but not as one lump sum contact us for opportunity to pay in instalments.
If you are experiencing financial hardship and are unable to pay the full fees please contact the office to discuss other options.
For information on any of the above please contact Ian Taylor, Education Officer (Informal Sector).
Attendance at classes
Regular attendance at classes is important for building up your skills and knowledge.
We ask all Parents/Guardians to please note that pupils should arrive on time for classes and must be picked up on time after the classes. Our tutors are only responsible for teaching during the appointed hours.
If you wish to stop coming to classes please contact Fèis Rois so that we can offer your place to someone on the waiting list. If you are unable to attend for one term please let us know and we can inform the tutor and keep the registers up to date. All participants should pay and register for each term of classes in advance. For current registration form please click here.
Practice Advice
We recommend that you practice for a minimum of 15 minutes a day. Let your friends and family hear how you are getting on and they can give you lots of praise and encouragement.
We also recommend that class participants purchase a chromatic electronic tuner, so that you can keep your instrument in tune, which will make practising easier, improve your skills and help to reduce time spent tuning instruments during class.
Bad Weather Policy
A lot of our classes are held in school buildings, so if schools are closed due to bad weather then our classes will be cancelled.
We will make every effort to let you know that the classes have been cancelled. If in any doubt, please put your own safety first.
SCRO Check Policy
It is Fèis Rois policy that all our tutors are registered with Disclosure Scotland.
Instrument donations
If you have any fiddles, accordions, harps, guitars, mandolins, small pipes that you are no longer using we welcome donations to our instrument bank throughout the year.
