Fiddleheads Ensemble

This band is open to players of all instruments and is aimed at teens, although younger applicants will be considered. If you want to play by ear (without notation), if you love rhythm, if you like the sound of traditional or folk music, then come and join Fiddleheads! We’ll explore traditional music from England, France, Scotland, Ireland, Quebec and New England!

The focus is on exploring ensemble playing and developing creativity in traditional music. Learn great tunes and how to accompany them, make harmonies and build a groove! We’ll work in both small and large groups; there will be simpler and more complex lines to learn, accommodating a range of abilities.

Open to all instruments, from violin, accordion and cello, to flute, clarinet, guitar and saxophone. You don’t need any experience playing traditional music, or playing by ear. You DO need reasonable proficiency on your instrument (able to play concert pitch scales of D, G, C or play chords C, G, D, A, Em, Am, Bm). We will have parts working at a variety of levels, suiting a mixture of abilities. Between sessions there are resources: recordings and notation to help you remember and practice the material at home.”

Dates: Sept 27; Oct 4, 18, 25; Nov 1, 8, 15
Time: Sundays, 3:00-4:30pm
Location: Brattleboro Music Center, 72 Blanche Moyse Way, Brattleboro, VT
Ages: 12-18
Cost: $220. This registration fee pays for entire semester.

Registration
https://www.vtfolklife.org/calendar/fiddleheads-ensemble-with-laurel-swift-fall-2026

About the Instructor: Laurel Swift plays fiddle and double bass and dances Clog and Morris. Laurel is a musician and composer, an inspiring instigator of creative new projects and performances rooted in the folk arts. She also teaches folk music, with particular focus on helping people find their own ownership of our shared traditions through creative approaches to variation, ensemble skills and simply having a good time!