Traditional Music Tuition in Schools
 
 
Established 1998
   
 
 
 
My name is Dick Glasgow & for the past eight years, I have taught Traditional Music, both Irish & Scottish, in many Maintained, Controlled and Integrated Schools during the school day, throughout the Causeway Coast & Glens of Antrim. If, after reading this page, you have any questions on how my tuition could musically benefit the children in your school, please do not hesitate to contact me, either by E-mail or use the phone numbers below.
   
 
Playing the traditional music of Ireland & Scotland, for more than thirty years now I launched my own music school in 1995. As a Scot, living in North Antrim, I am in the unique position of having a huge amount of experience in both Irish & Ulster-Scots music. As a former member of 'Comhaltas', I entered the annual national music competitions & gained a 2nd prize medal at the All Ireland Fleadh & I was also awarded my T T C T Traditional Music Teaching Diploma with Comhlatas. As a former member of the 'Ulster-Scots Folk Orchestra' I toured throughout Ulster & Ireland promoting Scots-Irish music.
   
 
Believing wholeheartedly in the cross community benefits of children learning to share & enjoy traditional music I, with my wife Sabine who is a musician too, offer a musical presentation to schools which demonstrates the history & development of all the traditional instruments of Ulster. Using over 50 different musical instruments we, as members of the 'War of the Three Kingdoms Society' give these presentations in authentic period costume, more usually in a cross community context to a mixed group of children from Maintained & Controlled schools. a1 Over the past three years around thirty schools have made use of this service.
   
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For the past few years I have written a weekly column for the Ballymoney Times, 'Traditional Notes' which promotes all manner of traditional aspects of both Irish & Ulster-Scots culture. a2

I am also the Director of the new 'Causeway Dulcimer Festival' which promotes all the traditional music & instruments of Ulster. a1

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In Ulster, traditional music has always been a mix of Scottish & Irish Tunes, each sharing tunes from the other's tradition, so it seems very natural to be giving children an appreciation of both musical traditions.
   
 
My methods don't involve the dreaded 'ear test' & the singling out of children who I might feel are musical, but rather, I prefer to offer musical tuition to anyone who is interested, that way no child feels rejected, or worse, that they are not musical. I don't demand that children be musically gifted, I just like them to be interested, keen & enthusiastic, & to that end, I try & make their weekly lesson fun, that way I find they look forward to it, & are more likely to practise, and stick at it.
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I don't put pressure on my students to sit tests or exams, I reckon they have enough of those in school already, so the only incentive I use is the opportunity to play in front of their own class, or the whole school, usually at the end of term, with informal concerts. The thought of playing in front of their peers usually brings about the necessary levels of practise to see real improvement, but in a fun way.
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If you would like to find out more about this service, please feel free to contact me by E-mail a1

Or phone - 028 207 51746

or - 07913075848

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To demonstrate that this idea of my promoting the two musical traditions of Ulster is not all just talk, here are three quotes from reviews of CDs I have produced the music for:

“Dick is a Scot and lives in Co. Antrim. He is a man who's happy and contented in two music traditions, and this is reflected in the tunes he has composed.”

Aidan O'Hara

"It’s a magnificent cd from the great Scotsman living in Co. Antrim. A wonderful mixture between Irish and Scottish traditions."

by Mich Nielsen

"Musically this album is a little treat, & don't be put off by the "Scottish Traditional Music" in the title, the tunes here have a definite Irish accent."

"They also point to the wealth of the musical tradition we share across the two communities."

Sean Laffey

Find out more about my recordings at a1

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'Horizon Project'
  
     
 
I recently carried out a Whistle/Bodhran Workshop for a group of teenage school children.

They were a mixed group from the North & the South & afterwards, the organisers, HORIZON, sent me a very kind thank you letter:
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"On behalf of the team at Horizon, I would like to thank you for your wonderful contribution to our Annual Gathering last weekend, in Ballycastle. All of the students who participated in the Traditional Music were thoroughly inspired by the whole session, and it was so encouraging to see their enthusiasm throughout the day, and indeed their keenness to perform in front of their peers. Music is such a great medium to reach out to young people, and I know those students have been touched by the whole experience."

W George Simms, Horizon Co-ordinator, The Horizon Project (Ireland) LTD

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Foreign Student - 'Nanna Lingegård'
 
     
 

Nanna, a 17 year old Swedish student, came to live with us for three months, to learn some of our Music and improve her English. Each day she accompanied me on my weekly trips to various local Primary Schools, assisting me with my Fiddle, Whistle and Bodhran students, and in the evenings came along to play her Fiddle at the various Pub Sessions we attend each week.

Nanna also played with us, and our friends, at a number of Gigs in this neighbourhood, plus a Medieval Costume event in the National Museum of Ireland, in Dublin. While here, she learned the basics of Whistle and Bodhran playing and in her spare time, looked after a horse, 'Finn', from a Co. Down rescue centre, putting some manners on it and riding it around the local back roads, in the company of my wife Sabine, and her Horse 'Blue'.

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Photograph by Ciaran Kelly
 
   
 
For details of our schools presentation, on the history & development of the musical instruments of Ulster, go to 'Lyre to Laptop' - a1
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