Today was the first official day of Fiddle Frenzy. It was worrying to see how many people were knackered by the time the evening concert came along. LOL, doesn't bide well for the rest of the week.
Once again I find myself stuck between two ability groups. They've renamed the slow group to 'improvers'. There's a HUGE gap between that and the intermediate. I tried both, and could almost keep up with the intermediate. I've been burned too many times though, so am being conservative and sticking with improvers. Another lady sitting across from me feels the same way. She was laughing at break time and telling me that she could see my eyes literally glaze over after the umpteenth repeat of the same phrase. I'd rather walk away with a few tunes though, than frustrated with a bunch of half learned tunes I never get around to learning properly. Next year...
I was surprised at just how many familiar faces I saw today! I recognise almost everyone! Even Kate came back, which was a GREAT surprise as we get along so well. Knowing people takes a certain strain off the whole experience. I don't think I'll find this year nearly as overwhelming as last. Not dealing with jet lag or culture shock might make a difference too ;)
After the concert we headed to the dance. Unfortunately it was held in a different location this year, so the majority of people disappeared somewhere in between. At around 11, we heard that there was a session going on in the hostel lounge, so I ran up to the dorm to grab my fiddle (and PJs), and joined them. So if this entry is a little disjointed, it's because it's nearly 1am and I've had an eventful day.
Sunday 5 August 2012
Saturday 4 August 2012
HOW do you pronounce that?!?
I finally made it to Jarlshof! It was a great way to get back into the Shetland 'groove'.
The Shetlands are a bit of an intriguing mix. Even though it's technically part of Scotland, it's not very long ago that it belonged to Norway. The Vikings and Norse have left a strong influence, which melds with the Pict and Celtic heritage.
Jarlshof is a small site, but the way they've excavated it is fascinating. They've peeled away different layers, so that you can see the evolution of the buildings and archeological influences through history. I know it may not SOUND that interesting, but it really is when it's used as a backdrop to paint the daily lives of the people.
I love how most sites in the UK have free audio guides, so that your eyes are free to roam as you walk along, and you can use all your senses to soak it all in. The smell of the sea air, the magnificent landscape, the rolling brogue of the commentator interspersed with wild and unusual music.
The Shetlands are a bit of an intriguing mix. Even though it's technically part of Scotland, it's not very long ago that it belonged to Norway. The Vikings and Norse have left a strong influence, which melds with the Pict and Celtic heritage.
Jarlshof is a small site, but the way they've excavated it is fascinating. They've peeled away different layers, so that you can see the evolution of the buildings and archeological influences through history. I know it may not SOUND that interesting, but it really is when it's used as a backdrop to paint the daily lives of the people.
I love how most sites in the UK have free audio guides, so that your eyes are free to roam as you walk along, and you can use all your senses to soak it all in. The smell of the sea air, the magnificent landscape, the rolling brogue of the commentator interspersed with wild and unusual music.
Free Fiddle Instruction
So the guy who used my distraction to get onto the airplane with his violin unimpeded turned out to be really nice. He's the musical director for the Melbourne Scottish Music Club. Very passionate about making fiddling accessible to all. He made sure that there was an overhead compartment free for my fiddle.
Because our flight had been delayed, we all missed the bus. For some reason, the inter-community buses on this remote island only run every so many hours. Luckily there were also people here for a Shetland Sheep conference trying to get to Lerwick, and we all shared a taxi.
Later that evening, Matthew (Ozzie) tracked me down and put me through my paces with the concert sets we'd been emailed in prep for Fiddle Frenzy. Thank you Sinan for convincing me to work on them when I would have stayed FAR away, or I would have been REALLY embarrassed! I just might be able to participate in the concert after all, as long as we start off nice and slow.
Because our flight had been delayed, we all missed the bus. For some reason, the inter-community buses on this remote island only run every so many hours. Luckily there were also people here for a Shetland Sheep conference trying to get to Lerwick, and we all shared a taxi.
Later that evening, Matthew (Ozzie) tracked me down and put me through my paces with the concert sets we'd been emailed in prep for Fiddle Frenzy. Thank you Sinan for convincing me to work on them when I would have stayed FAR away, or I would have been REALLY embarrassed! I just might be able to participate in the concert after all, as long as we start off nice and slow.
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