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PETE'S FIDDLE WEEKS

SPRING 2025: May 12-16

AUTUMN 2025: September 8-12

at Birnam Arts, Birnam, Perthshire

Worthwhile coming?  See the students' comments below ....

Fiddle Weeks in Dunkeld

Twice a year, in May and September at the Birnam Arts (aka the Birnam Institute), Birnam (a 5-minute walk from the train station!)  Limited to 15 students on a first come first served basis.

Fiddle Week highlights include rehearsals with the Strathspey & Reel Society and Mid-Atholl Strings & Things and the regular Thursday night sessions at the Taybank and at Erigmore (the chalet park in Birnam). 

I offer tuition online via Skype and ZOOM, and occasionally have places available.  Please do get in touch if interested.

Feedback from Fiddle Week participants:

Quality throughout! / the course was just right - developing musicianship rather than learning tunes, tunes, tunes / Superb and inspiring / The excursions were fantastic / Super-friendly atmosphere / Highlights? Too many to list! / Good size of group / Love the history aspects of Perthshire fiddling / Relaxed environment / Lots of thanks for the best ever weeks tuition / Was a lot more than just a fiddle week! / Loved the outings, as they very much put the music in context / Will highly recommend this week to other back home / It's been an outstanding week! / Loved the whole week!  Going home for a rest! - Great - always something for every level of experience / goes by too quickly /  It’s hard to say what was the highlight – there were so many! / Just what I was looking for! /I really enjoyed the relaxed, informal nature of Fiddle Week days / I wouldn’t want it to change / this has been an incredibly rich experience! / The evening sessions were wonderful! / The week was all I had hoped for / I thought it was perfect / the atmosphere was brilliant! / It’s been a fantastic week! / Dunkeld is a very welcoming place for musicians / Every day was filled with highlights / A very well-balanced course / Absolutely wonderful week, learned so much / Best yet / … meeting lovely people / It was a fantastic week / I learned a huge amount / Dunkeld is an amazing place!

The Course:

Aimed at players of intermediate / advanced ability levels, the class size is 15 students max.  

Begins 10am on the Monday and ends Friday lunchtime.  Each day there are 4x1-hour classes (except on Friday, when classes end at 12.30pm).

During the week, aspects of technique, style and performance are addressed via a comprehensive range of repertoire.  Students are encouraged to work without sheet music in the first instance, BUT every student is given a course book containing "dots" for the tunes covered during the course.

Students are invited to suggest in advance areas of technique or repertoire on which they would like to focus.

After-lunch excursions provide visitors with opportunities to see something of Dunkeld, its surroundings and its wildlife.

Evening activities may include sitting in on a Strathspey & Reel Society rehearsal, a session in the pub, a meal out in one of our many excellent local restaurants (fly fishing and watercolour painting also possible!).

Private lessons may be arranged by appointment.  They may be on a weekly, fortnightly or ad hoc basis - whatever suits you!  

Bespoke Fiddle Weeks for groups, tailored to specific repertoire or aspects of technique and performance as requested.

If you'd like to know more, please do leave a message in my guestbook and I will get back to you!

ACCOMMODATION

Places to stay during Fiddle Week include:

Rooms at The Merryburn (Birnam)

The Royal Dunkeld Hotel

Tay House (Dunkeld)

The Atholl Arms (Dunkeld)

Invermill Caravan Park (vans and camping)

JessieMac's Guest House is no more, and

THE BIRNAM HOTEL is under new management, and will be closed for refurbishment during 2025.