6th May 2015
Caithness Gigs, Pibrochs & Poppies and Music Plus are delighted to present a youth music workshop in ‘e Shed (off Naver Road, KW14 7QA) in Thurso in the afternoon of Sunday 17th May. Coinciding with their concert at Y-not in the evening, the workshop will feature Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson, with their guitarist Ali Hutton. Described as "two stupendous young musicians" by Mojo, and "ridiculously talented" by the Herald newspaper, this duo have fast become one of the most talked about combinations on the circuit.
The afternoon will kick-off with a Q&A session with the band, to give the participants an insight into the life of a working musician, and will be followed by a performance workshop where Ross, Jarlath and Ali will teach some tunes identified by the Pibrochs and Poppies project. Rounding off the workshop element of the afternoon will be a brief introduction to the business side of the music industry, highlighting some of the basic principles of how the music industry operates and some of the key roles and organisations within the industry.
After the afternoon session at ‘e Shed (1:30pm to 5pm), participants will move to Y-not, where, over dinner, they will be able to watch the band set up and soundcheck, to gain an insight into the workings of a professional show, and then watch the concert, which will finish by 10pm.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of Pibrochs & Poppies and Music Plus, participation (including a meal and concert ticket for Y-not) is absolutely free - spaces are, however, limited and are open to young musicians between the ages of 12 and 18 (inclusive). To register a place at the workshop, please e-mail info[AT]caithnessgigs.com with your name, date of birth and your instrument of choice. The event will supervised by Feis air an Oir.
Pibrochs & Poppies, funded through Heritage Lottery and Museum and Galleries, aims to explore the role of musicians, music (particularly bagpipes), and musical compositions from Strathnaver within the military and social setting just previous to, during and the legacy from WW1 and the traditions on military music as it exists in today's armed forces.
Music Plus is a mentoring scheme run by the Scottish Music Centre and supported by Creative Scotland's Youth Music Initiative and the Robertson Trust. The aim of the project is to offer one-to-one experience with music industry professionals who will offer guidance, encouragement, skills and knowledge across a range of industry roles from performance to event promotion. There are currently two such mentors in Caithness - Andy Williamson in Thurso, and Ally Gray in Wick.