Welcome to my teaching website
Focus and Goals
My focus is largely acoustic, traditional music of Ireland, Scotland and England. My goal is to help others learn about this enduring, influential form of music. If you are a musician, I hope the information on this site will help you to expand your skills. If you are a listener, I hope you will find that some of the information of this site will enhance your listening experience.
Content
This site contains handouts from the courses I teach, a link to my blog on music theory and many links to various music resources. The courses are aimed at both players and those who can’t sing a note or play a scale. There’s something here for everyone interested in the music.
Audio Files
Oh yes, capitalism! This site also contains audio files from my trio, 3 Sheets, and my solo recordings. Music is always free. You pay to get the musician to the stage or into the recording studio. When you enjoy music on this site, or anywhere, buy it. That modest expense keeps the music flowing for all of us.
My focus is largely acoustic, traditional music of Ireland, Scotland and England. My goal is to help others learn about this enduring, influential form of music. If you are a musician, I hope the information on this site will help you to expand your skills. If you are a listener, I hope you will find that some of the information of this site will enhance your listening experience.
Content
This site contains handouts from the courses I teach, a link to my blog on music theory and many links to various music resources. The courses are aimed at both players and those who can’t sing a note or play a scale. There’s something here for everyone interested in the music.
Audio Files
Oh yes, capitalism! This site also contains audio files from my trio, 3 Sheets, and my solo recordings. Music is always free. You pay to get the musician to the stage or into the recording studio. When you enjoy music on this site, or anywhere, buy it. That modest expense keeps the music flowing for all of us.
My Classes & Workshops
Scroll down to read previews of the classes and workshops I teach. If you plan to take a workshop from me, download the handouts before class. If you'd like me to present some of these workshops or classes, let me know billtroxler@gmail.com
Arranging and Introduction to Harmony Theory
Although this course is focused on the hammer dulcimer, the harmony theory offered here is applicable to any acoustic instrument. This is a basic course and does not cover ensemble arranging. Think of it as a "Just Enough Theory" course and you'll understand the content better. The course can be offered in a weekend format over several hours or a week long format extending to fifteen hours or more. For intermediate and experienced players
Art of the Cadenza
Cadenza is all about improvisation. It’s tough to write about improvisation and even tougher to read about it. The workshop will clarify the subject and get you going on the path of creating beautiful openers, closers and transitions. The act of performing a cadenza is not nearly as demanding as trying to notate one! Come to the workshop!!!! For intermediate players who know chords
Art of the Funny Song
Humor in song is created by understanding context, contrast and timing. The class will explore the techniques used by masters of the art to rattle our funny bones and raise our awareness about significant contemporary issues. The class is project-oriented and will include writing songs.
Beginning Hammer Dulcimer
A day long beginning workshop for those getting started on the hammer dulcimer. Student need to have their own instruments. The course is offered at Common Ground on the Hill over a five day period for three hours each day. I teach with an assistant. It's THE best way to get started. To see the course description, click here.
Bodhran for Beginners
A course in the fine points of "goat whacking"! I teach grip, holding the drum, reel and jig rhythms, head care, making a cheap drum sound great. It's loads of fun.
Bodhran Intermediate
Chops and Grooves. Reel, Jig, hornpipe, slip jig, slide patterns. Rim shots. Tonality on the drum. Specialized tippers. Compound meters and speciality grooves. This class is the gateway to becoming the indispensable session player.
Celtic Laments, Airs and Ballads
A repertoire class for all traditional instruments. For advanced beginners and those with higher level skills
The Common Ground of Music
This class begins with an examination of neolithic society's use of cave art for ritual and the musical instruments the archeological record reveals that were used in those rituals. The class ties together the traditional music of Europe with the art music of the concert hall during the Baroque and Impressionists periods. The class also examines how folk styles and folk melodies helped to create the musical form of opera.
Composition
Five tools to write your own music For intermediate and experienced players
Contemporary Tunes
A repertoire class of tunes not usually found on dulcimer play lists, such as Harlem Nocturne, Eleanor Rigby, Stand By Me, Over the Rainbow, etc. For advanced beginners and those with higher level skills
The Death of Romanticism
This class examines the music of Debussy and Ravel to show how their art ended the Romantic period in music and paved the way for jazz and the music of the cinema.
Demystifying the Modes
This workshop can cover the six useful modes or focus on just one mode of interest. Sample tunes. Chords that work in the modes. Lots of specifics that will get you comfortable with the modes of the diatonic scale. The focus is the keys of D and G. The workshop can be as short as about an hour or as long as 7 1/2 hours depending upon the depth desired and time available.
Drones
For advanced beginners and those with higher level skills
Ensemble Playing and Arranging
How to Listen for Music
The goal for How to Listen for Music is two-fold. First, the lectures should broaden the listening horizon of students. During the seven and one-half hours of class time, music from many centuries, cultures and continents will be heard. The intention is to expand the types of music that students seek to hear. The second goal is to provide students with a system by which music can be judged. That is not to say that the course is about a set of rigid benchmarks of what defines quality in music. Rather, the course will provide the tools by which students can make informed judgments about the quality and value of the music they hear. At the end of this course, students will have a detailed template showing the structure of a quality critique of a live musical performance. Class time will provide the listening and analytical experiences needed to apply the template to a live performance.
Overcoming the Din of a Dulcimer Classroom
All of us who have attended workshops and festivals have experienced the difficulty of hearing our own playing within a group setting. The inability to segregate the tune or passage we are playing from the din of the group sound can be frustrating and detrimental to learning.
Music of the Baroque - the Oddly Shaped Pearl
This class examines the musical period from 1600, the birth date of opera to the death of J.S. Bach. Focus will be placed on the three major musical forms of the period: fugue, concerto grosso and the baroque suite. Handel, Corelli and Bach will be center of the presentation. The provenance of the violin and piano will be discussed.
Page to Stage
Untapped and moving traditional music is readily available through many sources including Internet data bases, magazines, books and field recordings. The task of the musician is to make this powerful and largely unknown music accessible and understandable for contemporary audiences.
Polyrhythms
Tin Whislte
This is a 2nd level course. It assumes you already know the finger positions on the whistle and probably know a tune or tune. The focus is on ornamentation.
Arranging and Introduction to Harmony Theory
Although this course is focused on the hammer dulcimer, the harmony theory offered here is applicable to any acoustic instrument. This is a basic course and does not cover ensemble arranging. Think of it as a "Just Enough Theory" course and you'll understand the content better. The course can be offered in a weekend format over several hours or a week long format extending to fifteen hours or more. For intermediate and experienced players
Art of the Cadenza
Cadenza is all about improvisation. It’s tough to write about improvisation and even tougher to read about it. The workshop will clarify the subject and get you going on the path of creating beautiful openers, closers and transitions. The act of performing a cadenza is not nearly as demanding as trying to notate one! Come to the workshop!!!! For intermediate players who know chords
Art of the Funny Song
Humor in song is created by understanding context, contrast and timing. The class will explore the techniques used by masters of the art to rattle our funny bones and raise our awareness about significant contemporary issues. The class is project-oriented and will include writing songs.
Beginning Hammer Dulcimer
A day long beginning workshop for those getting started on the hammer dulcimer. Student need to have their own instruments. The course is offered at Common Ground on the Hill over a five day period for three hours each day. I teach with an assistant. It's THE best way to get started. To see the course description, click here.
Bodhran for Beginners
A course in the fine points of "goat whacking"! I teach grip, holding the drum, reel and jig rhythms, head care, making a cheap drum sound great. It's loads of fun.
Bodhran Intermediate
Chops and Grooves. Reel, Jig, hornpipe, slip jig, slide patterns. Rim shots. Tonality on the drum. Specialized tippers. Compound meters and speciality grooves. This class is the gateway to becoming the indispensable session player.
Celtic Laments, Airs and Ballads
A repertoire class for all traditional instruments. For advanced beginners and those with higher level skills
The Common Ground of Music
This class begins with an examination of neolithic society's use of cave art for ritual and the musical instruments the archeological record reveals that were used in those rituals. The class ties together the traditional music of Europe with the art music of the concert hall during the Baroque and Impressionists periods. The class also examines how folk styles and folk melodies helped to create the musical form of opera.
Composition
Five tools to write your own music For intermediate and experienced players
Contemporary Tunes
A repertoire class of tunes not usually found on dulcimer play lists, such as Harlem Nocturne, Eleanor Rigby, Stand By Me, Over the Rainbow, etc. For advanced beginners and those with higher level skills
The Death of Romanticism
This class examines the music of Debussy and Ravel to show how their art ended the Romantic period in music and paved the way for jazz and the music of the cinema.
Demystifying the Modes
This workshop can cover the six useful modes or focus on just one mode of interest. Sample tunes. Chords that work in the modes. Lots of specifics that will get you comfortable with the modes of the diatonic scale. The focus is the keys of D and G. The workshop can be as short as about an hour or as long as 7 1/2 hours depending upon the depth desired and time available.
Drones
For advanced beginners and those with higher level skills
Ensemble Playing and Arranging
How to Listen for Music
The goal for How to Listen for Music is two-fold. First, the lectures should broaden the listening horizon of students. During the seven and one-half hours of class time, music from many centuries, cultures and continents will be heard. The intention is to expand the types of music that students seek to hear. The second goal is to provide students with a system by which music can be judged. That is not to say that the course is about a set of rigid benchmarks of what defines quality in music. Rather, the course will provide the tools by which students can make informed judgments about the quality and value of the music they hear. At the end of this course, students will have a detailed template showing the structure of a quality critique of a live musical performance. Class time will provide the listening and analytical experiences needed to apply the template to a live performance.
Overcoming the Din of a Dulcimer Classroom
All of us who have attended workshops and festivals have experienced the difficulty of hearing our own playing within a group setting. The inability to segregate the tune or passage we are playing from the din of the group sound can be frustrating and detrimental to learning.
Music of the Baroque - the Oddly Shaped Pearl
This class examines the musical period from 1600, the birth date of opera to the death of J.S. Bach. Focus will be placed on the three major musical forms of the period: fugue, concerto grosso and the baroque suite. Handel, Corelli and Bach will be center of the presentation. The provenance of the violin and piano will be discussed.
Page to Stage
Untapped and moving traditional music is readily available through many sources including Internet data bases, magazines, books and field recordings. The task of the musician is to make this powerful and largely unknown music accessible and understandable for contemporary audiences.
Polyrhythms
Tin Whislte
This is a 2nd level course. It assumes you already know the finger positions on the whistle and probably know a tune or tune. The focus is on ornamentation.
