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 ACADIA SCHOOL OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC & ARTS
29 Cleftstone Road * Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
Chuck Donnelly * Jennifer Donnelly * 207-288-5196
www.acadiatradschool.com
For Immediate Release Contact: Chuck Donnelly, Director of Acadia Trad School chuck@acadiatradschool.com, 207.904.7579 ACADIA TRAD FESTIVAL TURNS THREE! th
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Acadia Trad School’s 2015 Summer Music program in Bar Harbor (June 29 – July 3 ) is a full week of classes, workshops, public concerts, and music sessions. The school’s mission is to promote education and appreciation of traditional music, dance, art, and instrument crafts. “The school is for serious musicians of all levels and all ages,” says Chuck Donnelly, the school’s director. “People come from all over the world to study with our high-­‐profile faculty. We offer intensive instruction in several styles of dance, numerous instruments, and instrument making.” This year, Acadia Trad School will focus on Irish, Old-­‐Time, Acadian, Cajun, and Cape Breton music and dance styles. The weeklong festival also includes 10 public concerts (2 each day) at music venues around Mount Desert Island. The school’s faculty come from Ireland, Canada, and around the US. Several Acadia Trad School’s faculty are Grammy Award nominees. Irish music legends Liz Carroll, John Doyle, and Karen Tweed will be teaching along with New England Irish musicians, Nicole Rabata and Matt Heaton. Appalachian Old-­‐Time music great, Bruce Molsky will be working with Vermont recording artist, Pete Sutherland teaching fiddle, banjo, guitar, and songs. All the way from Louisiana, four-­‐time Grammy award nominee, David Greely leads the Cajun music instruction working with Katie Trautz (director of the Summit School in Montpelier VT) teaching Cajun fiddle and songs. From Cape Breton, Kimberley Fraser, will be teaching fiddle, piano, and dance. Kimberley represents the young generation of Cape Breton musicians. She is a recent graduate of the Berklee school of music in Boston and is considered one Cape Breton’s finest talents. Joining Kimberley teaching Cape Breton style will be Jenna Moynihan from Boston. Jenna attended Berklee with Kimberley and is master of Cape Breton Style. Acadian music is brought to the school by the powerhouse band from Prince Edward Island, Vishtèn, Pascal Miousse, Pastelle LeBlanc, and Emmanuelle LeBlanc. Members of this band will be teaching dance, piano, accordion, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and song. One of the Maine’s premier contradance bands, Velocipede, Julia Plumb and Baron Collins-­‐Hill, will also be at the school this year teaching fiddle, mandolin, and tenor guitar. The week is totally packed with talent and music. This year Acadia Trad School will accept about 100 full-­‐time students and about 50 students who just come for afternoon workshops. Ten public concerts are expected to attract about 1500 people. 2015 marks the opening year of the Acadia Halls Concert Series. Acadia Trad School celebrates the intimate community venues on Mount Desert Island by hosting musical events at five different small halls: St John Church, in Southwest Harbor, the MDI Historical Society’s old school house in Sound Maine, the Hall at Otter Creek, the Northeast Harbor Library, and the Jesup Library in Bar Harbor. Five concerts will also be held at the Gates Community Center on the College of the Atlantic (COA) Campus in Bar Harbor. Acadia Trad School’s classes are held at the beautiful COA campus on Frenchman Bay. Students from away can stay on campus or at nearby hotels. For more information about Acadia Trad School and the music festival, visit www.acadiatradschool.com. 2015 CONCERT SCHEDULE MONDAY JUNE 29 Scottish Roots
4:00PM, St. John’s Church, Southwest Harbor, $8
This afternoon’s Acadia Halls performance will kick off the Acadia Halls series. This dynamic trio of recording
artists has roots in Scottish music with a touch of the Irish and Canadian Maritime styles to keep it lively. The
audience will be treated to fiddles, bagpipes, whistles, and more. Cynthia MacLeod and Ward MacDonald both
hail from Prince Edward Island, but more often than not, can be found performing around the US and Europe.
Chris Gray is an instructor with Acadia Trad School and lives on Mount Desert Island. ($8)
From Ireland to Cape Breton
7:00PM, Gates Auditorium at the College of the Atlantic, $22 advance, $25 at door
Music from two islands deeply rooted in Celtic music traditions. Featuring John Doyle, Nuala Kennedy and
Eamon O’Leary (The Alt), Kimberley Fraser, Jenna Moynihan, Matt Heaton and Nicole Rabata.
TUESDAY, JUNE 30 The Heart of the Irish
4:00PM, MDI Historical Society, $8
Danielle Paus explores the traditional sounds of the Celtic harp in modern and dynamic arrangements. Expect to
hear traditional and new sounds as Danielle takes you on a journey through the Celtic heartlands. Aunt/nephew
duo Head Over Heely’s (Seán and Susan Heely) hail from Portsmouth, VA and have excited audiences at
concert halls and pubs along the east coast. ($8)
Appalachian Old-Time Night
7:00PM, Gates Auditorium at the College of the Atlantic, $22 advance, $25 at door
Some of the best performers in the Appalachian-Old time traditions with a mix of Irish and other Celtic styles.
Performing are Bruce Molsky, Pete Sutherland and Velocipede.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 Music of the Generations
4:00PM, The Hall at Otter Creek, $8
Father and son duo The Fiddling Thomsons will perform a blend of Celtic styles on twin fiddles, wooden
spoons, zydeco rubboard, jaw harp, cajon boxdrum, rhythm bones, mandolin, banjo, accordion, flute, foot
percussion, piano, cajun triangle, pennywhistle, and other folk instruments. Fiddler Gus LaCasse plays
traditional music with a real love for the Cape Breton, Acadian and Québecoise genres. He was the 2014 student
in residence at The Acadia School of Traditional Music and Arts during which he performed in the Acadian
music duo Août Gris (with Chris Gray), appearing in a Canadian international television broadcast from the
Congrès Mondial Acadian 2014. He will be a featured performer at Lafayette’s Hermione Voyage 2015 events
this summer, and is currently working on his second CD. ($8)
Irish Meets Cajun Music Night
7:00PM, Gates Auditorium at the College of the Atlantic, $22 advance, $25 at door
Music from the emerald island and Louisiana blend for a perfect evening celebrating the Celtic background of
both music styles. Liz Carroll, Karen Tweed, David Greely, Green Mountain Playboys.
THURSDAY, JULY 2 Did you say Cajun?
July 2, 4:00, Northeast Harbor Library, $8
The Green Mountain Playboys are warming up the Northeast with the music of Louisiana. Alec Ellsworth,
Katie Trautz, Noah Hahn, Lee Blackwell, and Jay Ekis got their start after singer and fiddler, Katie Trautz, and
guitarist, Jay Ekis, made a pilgrimage to the South Louisiana Blackpot Festival & Cookoff last October. They
brought back some Cajun tunes and set out to bring the Cajun sounds to Vermont! Ken Karpowicz,
Quebecois‑style accordion player, has had a diverse performing history: a member of the Galicia Polish Song &
Dance Group of Detroit and a performer and actor and composer with The Protean Theatre of Hartford, CT. He
currently accompanies fiddler, Daniel Boucher. Ken loves French Québecois style and his music melds nicely
with the French Cajun music of this afternoon’s show.
Vishtèn
7:00PM, Gates Auditorium at the College of the Atlantic, $22 advance, $25 at door
After touring extensively on three continents, the name Vishtèn is now synonymous with Acadian music
worldwide. This super band from Canada brings the crowd to their feet with their hot Celtic tunes and French
Canadian songs.
FRIDAY, JULY 3 Scottish Roots Grand Finale
4:00, Jessup Library, Bar Harbor, $5 suggested donation
Bookends of our festival, the grand finale show features the trio that opened this year’s Acadia Halls Series.
This dynamic trio of recording artists all have roots in Scottish music with a touch of the Irish and Canadian
Maritime styles to keep it lively. The audience will be treated to fiddles, bag pipes, whistles, and more. Cynthia
MacLeod and Ward MacDonald both hail from Prince Edward Island, but more often than not, can be found
performing around the US and Europe. Chris Gray is and instructor with Acadia Trad School and lives on
Mount Desert Island.
Acadia Trad School Student Concert Night 6:30PM, Gates Auditorium at the College of the Atlantic, $5
A fun evening of great music and a few unpolished sets... what traditional music is all about! ($5 adults, under
16 free)