Course Director: Dr Janet Harbison

IRISH HARP CENTRE
The Old Schoolhouse, Chapel Hill, Castleconnell, Co. Limerick
Tel. +353 (0) 61 372777
info@irishharpcentre.com

Term: Mid September to End July
(Flexibility and modular options also available)

The Apprentice Harper will acquire:

Individual harp training and qualification
Group & Solo Stage Performance training and experience
Membership of the Irish Harp Orchestra and inclusion on:

• National and International Concert Tours
• Media (TV and radio) and Studio Recording experience
• Professional Entertainer Training
• Palliative Music Therapy training
• Music in Community programme
• Music in Church
• Teacher Training
• Personal Development, Team Training and
Leadership Skills
• Traditional Session Playing and Preparation
• Business Training at the Irish Harp Centre
• Managing your Full or Part-time Music Career

Individual harp training, examination and qualification

General training in solo performance, accompaniment and arrangement toward a level of ‘competency’ precedes specialist training in the areas of the IHC Arts of Harping. These are:

1) Historical Repertoire;
2) Lamentations and Slow Airs;
3) Classical Period Repertoire (17th and 18th C, time of O'Carolan);
4) Romantic and Popular Irish Repertoire (19th and 20th C); 5) Entertainer (Background Music) Repertoire (including international folk music);
6) Traditional Dance Music;
7) Song and Accompaniment;
8) Religious Music;
9) Palliative Therapy;
10) Composition;
11) Arrangement; and
12) Accompaniment. (See IHC Syllabus for full elaboration).

Performance Experience (Solo, Duo and Group)

National and International Stage Performance with the Irish Harp Orchestra and other performance groups
Solo Performance (arranged recitals) in private and public situations; Duo Performance with violinists/fiddlers, flautists/fluters and others Competition experience in local, national and international competitions. Performance experience in radio, tv and recording studios;
Solo performance opportunities in concert locations and various festivals with the IHO and other stage productions.

Entertainer Training

This aspect of the apprentice prepares for professional engagements, primarily for weddings and Corporate Entertainment engagements. In the months of September to November there is intensive training in this and general performance improvement so as the apprentice will confidently be able to undertake professional work. The specific Entertainer Repertoire involves learning a wide variety of popular Irish music (trad, folk, parlour, stage). The course also includes staging preparation, performance and professional etiquette and placement in a variety of hotel, tourism & commercial locations.

Palliative Music Therapy

The power of music to be able to relax or energise is well-known, but can also have a direct impact on body rhythms, pain relief, stress control and general well-being. Here the skills of improvisation are trained to benefit people with Special Needs, the sick and terminally ill in a day centre, hospital and hospice environment.

Music in Community programme

This entails music involvement at every level in community, from playing in nursing homes to mini-recitals in primary schools, Special Needs centres, and at local arts occasions etc...

Music in Church

Training for and being regularly involved in playing during mass and Sunday service, and other occasions such as funerals, baptisms, retreats etc; choosing an appropriate music programme for different denominations, and accompanying the standard choir, a folk group and various soloists (including the priest).

Teacher Training

There are three levels of teacher course and qualification:

AIHC (Associate) Diploma course is an introductory course to teaching comprising 20 modules each involving a 1½ hour lecture. The full course can be taken over a course of a term or intensively over a 5 day period (see appendix 1 for syllabus). The examination on the sixth day involves 2 x 2 hour papers and a viva.

LIHC (Licentiate) Diploma course is a one-year training programme with 3 residential 4-day courses at the Harp Centre. Course participants need to be catering to at least 8 students and undertaking at least 5 hours teaching weekly (as student assessment is orientated to the teacher’s own students) and the final examination comprises 2x2 hour exam papers, project work and a viva.

FIHC (Fellowship) Diploma is awarded to a teacher who has taken the teacher qualification examinations in all 12 specialism areas in the Arts of Harping.

Personal Development, Team Training and Leadership

The opportunity for personal development, building of self confidence, team training and leadership is exceptional in the IHC apprenticeship experience. The apprentice will also meet, mix and collaborate with numerous significant personalities from the worlds of music (pop and traditional) and world politics in the course of their year. With the Harp Orchestras and various other groups and workshops, they will enjoy working in a collaborative team with many possibilities for honing their leadership skills as they work with adults as well as young people in lessons, workshops and concert performance.

Traditional Session Playing and Preparation

Participating in the traditional ‘session’ or ‘seisiún’ is how many of the older generation of traditional musician learned their music. Today in the culture of ‘class’ learning, the experience of participating in a session can be daunting. Apprentices are prepared and encouraged to join the local session in Castleconnell for social as well as musical interest.

Business Training

This involves basic training in training and experience in the Harp Centre office – including telephone reception and PR skills; meeting and greeting visitors to the centre; assisting the public with general enquiries; sales training; stock display and management; schedule and travel organisation; database management and indexing and cataloguing in the Harp Centre sound and book library.

Managing your own business

Laying the foundation for professional activity as a self employed musician undertaking engagements independently or through an agent/agency. The course includes workshops on personal appearance (costume, grooming); stage presentation; staging arrangement; professional and performance etiquette; contracts and copyright personal business organisation: diary, engagement arrangement, accounting, budgeting, insurance and tax

Afterwards…

After the Harp Year, graduates of the Harper’s Apprentice Programme will be invited to join the panel of Professional Harpers at the Harp Centre; Harp orchestras (and other group) membership encouraged and assisted with:

• Setting up of their own harp school
• Access to Harp Centre harps
• Access to teaching support materials at wholesale price
(so they can be sold on to students with teacher’s commission)
• Access to Harp Centre starter harps at discount prices
• Assisted in any aspect of career guidance, portfolio preparation, introduction to recording companies, booking agencies etc.

** COST FOR 2005 **

Apprenticeship fee: € 4,000

This fee is charged at 50% at the start of the apprenticeship. Since the apprentice will be undertaking some fee earning professional work, this is lodged to the apprentice’s account at the harp centre and will be deducted from the second fee payment (or profit payed at the end of the year).

Accommodation and full board at the Harp Centre: € 3,600
(payable in three fees of € 1,200 on October 1st; February 1st and May 1st.)

Term of Apprenticeship:

Mid September 2002 to End July 2003

Working Week:

11 am Wednesday morning to Sunday afternoon with flexibility for weekend concert/festival/rehearsal time when time in lieu may be arranged.

Holidays:

Christmas Eve to first Wednesday in January, Easter Saturday and Sunday
2 single weeks (or 10 working days) on arrangement with the centre.

Outside engagements:

While apprentices may of course perform their own engagements on time off, their first call in the course of their apprenticeship will be with the Harp Centre. The protocol will be to discuss any engagements in advance with Dr Harbison or Mr. Gullis at the centre.

N.B.

There are opportunities for competent players to earn an income while resident through the Centre.

Click here to download the 2005 Irish Harp Centre Summer School Flyer printout.

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