Maine Fiddle Camp

Virtual Maine Fiddle Camp

Help Jeremiah McLane!

His house burned down. You can learn more here or donate.

August 15: Maestro Bistro Plus!

Starring MFC Favorites

Isa Burke • Glen Loper & Bethany Waickman • Ed Pearlman

Join us on Saturday, August 15th at 4:30 p.m. for an afternoon of workshops and an online Maestro Bistro concert! We are continuing to produce a special “taste” of Virtual MFC once a month on the third Saturday.

Register now to join the workshops!
($25 donation suggested, or $10 for just the concert.)

Workshops start at 4:30 p.m. Concert starts at 6:00 p.m. Registered campers can join the Zoom call for the concert. Everyone can watch the concert streamed live over Facebook and YouTube. (Links to follow.)

Isa Burke, Songwriting: Write Now, Edit Later

I often like to think about the songwriting process in two distinct parts that require two very different approaches: writing and editing. It often helps to write freely without worrying about whether it’s perfect, or even good — you can save the worrying for the editing phase. In this workshop, we’ll start by exploring generative techniques and exercises designed to get you generating lots of ideas. Then, once we’ve got some raw material, we’ll switch into editing mode and talk about how to refine those ideas into a song. We’ll even look at some writing exercises that will get you writing while also making the editing process easier for your future self!

Glen Loper:
Learn a jig: Cavers of Kircudbright (intermediate)

Like the key of F? Enjoy funny-sounding place names that you’ll never remember how to spell? This workshop is for you! We’ll learn the melody and chords to a beautiful and unique jig by Mike Vass. There will be jig picking tips and chord options for mandolin players and We’ll also cover double stop chords for fiddle players to use as accompaniment. Open to all who are interested in the tune.

Ed Pearlman, Power of a Tune Title

This workshop will focus on learning a haunting, four-part, D minor reel called “Seann Truibhas Uilleachann” but will also discuss how that tune is related to three other tunes and a dance, which, because of their titles, came to be viewed as coded messages about the powers that be. One of the related tunes even caused a man to be brought to trial for asking a piper to play it while there was a minister present (the title of that version was directed against ministers). All levels are welcome to choose how they’d like to participate, whether to learn the tune or participate in the discussion. Sheet music and audio will be made available online.

Get a T-Shirt!

The 2020 Virtual Maine Fiddle Camp T-Shirt is now available! Follow this link to the online store to order yours.

Order now!

V-MFC 2020 was virtually the best ever! We had hundreds of campers and thousands of viewers online.

When everyone brings their love and energy to MFC, it becomes a magical place—whether it happens in-person or online. Thanks to you, in good times and bad, MFC is here to stay.

We were proud to offer V-MFC by donation to campers. If you would like to donate to the camp to support our future efforts, you can do so here via PayPal:

Donate!

If you didn’t get a chance to watch it, check out the first ever Virtual Variety Show that premiered Saturday, June 20, 2020:

Virtual Nests

At Maine Fiddle Camp, we name each workshop after a bird you might see or hear around camp. Each workshop group meets at its own nest.

We are leaving the nest pages online after Virtual MFC. You can view instructor materials on these pages.