Please note that class size is LIMITED and may fill before the registration deadline.
All Students are expected to bring their own instrument.
The OSAS Fiddle class will include the following topics throughout the week:
• Learning lots of fun new tunes in the Scottish style
• Building technical comfort and fluency on the instrument
• Improving learn-by-ear skills
• Developing groove and rhythmic feel
• Expanding your Scottish style “toolbox”: bowings patterns, ornamentation, etc.
• Deepening your relationship with the tunes by learning about the relevant historical context, related dance forms and steps, underlying music theory, the composers/performers behind the tunes, and more
• Exploring fun ways to use your repertoire of tunes: different kinds of set building (performance sets, competition sets, dance sets), learning how to “comp” (accompany) tunes on the fiddle, creating variations, etc.
• Additional topics, as the class is interested!
All levels of experience are welcome, though you will get the most out of the class if you can already play 5 songs (any style!) on your instrument. With two instructors, we will divide the class into two groups: “Foundations”, which will work on strengthening your facility on the instrument through exploring tunes, and “Evolutions”, which will dive into more nuanced stylistic and artistic development suitable for folks wanting to develop their playing and Scottish style towards performance. Each group will work with both teachers every day.
The morning classes will integrate many of the above topics as we explore new repertoire. The afternoon classes will involve “special topics” projects, listening sessions, collaborations with the harp and small pipes classes, masterclass performance opportunities, and practice/self-enrichment time. There will be opportunities to play in evening sessions and apply the week’s repertoire and topics. We will also learn a “Tune of the Week”, in collaboration with the harp and small pipes classes to help develop our shared repertoire across instruments.
About our 2026 Fiddle Instructors
Instructor(s) are subject to change based on enrollment.
A 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion and a Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion of Scotland, Mari Black’s passion for sharing traditional fiddling has led her around the globe in an effort to preserve and celebrate Celtic music. In addition to performing across the United States, her concerts have taken her to Canada, Scotland, Brazil, China, Korea, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, and France…and she can’t wait for the next stop! Mari has been honored to appear with fiddlers from many different traditions, including Scottish fiddle master Dr. John Turner, virtuoso Irish fiddler Liz Carroll, and Americana violinist Mark O’Connor. After completing her studies at both the Yale School of Music and Columbia University, Mari released two albums, “Flight” and “Unscripted”, a collaboration with 3-time world accordion champion Cory Pesaturo. Mari’s devotion to sharing traditional Scottish music extends far beyond the concert stage, as reflected in her work as a teacher, award-winning composer, dancer, competition judge, and musical ambassador committed to connecting people through music. Her ear-catching original compositions draw on a broad range of stylistic influences, and have won several awards, including prizes at the Highland & Islands Festival in Oban, Scotland, and a Gold Medal from the MASC International Songwriting Competition. Having earned her Doctorate in Education from Columbia University, Mari is a master teacher who is dedicated to helping students of all ages and levels explore the joy of making music. She currently serves as the Music Director of the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance, and she teaches regularly at prestigious camps and workshops around the country, including appearances at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Jink & Diddle School of Scottish Fiddling, the Tanglewood Festival, the Yale School of Music, and more. Currently touring nationally with her acoustic trio, Mari’s favorite thing to do is sweep audiences away on a spirited musical adventure, celebrating tradition and exploring possibility in the dance-driven music of the Celtic regions: Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and more! Follow her musical adventures on her website: www.MariBlack.com
U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion Elke Baker‘s distinctive, dance-driven fiddle style has made her one of the most sought-after Scottish fiddlers of our time. Performing solo and with Ken Kolodner, Robin Bullock, bands Terpsichore, Sugar Beat, and others, Elke has both a range and depth of skill surpassed by very few. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Birchmere, Honolulu Academy of Arts, in most of the fifty States, and on four continents. She is world-renowned as a Scottish country dance musician, bandleader, and arranger, and recently headlined the RSCDS International Branch Event in Italy. A scholar of Scottish music, Elke taught for many years at the Washington Conservatory of Music, as Artist-in-Residence at Montgomery College, and as a panelist at Harvard University. Elke directs the Potomac Valley Scottish Fiddle Club, a non-profit Scottish music educational organization now in its 30th year. She has recorded nine albums, including recent releases On a Cold Winter’s Day with Ken Kolodner and Wait ’til You Hear This One! with Sugar Beat, and a world-premiere single, The Fingerlock, an ancient fiddle pibroch. Elke’s new release Better Days features waltzes, tangos, and other couple dances from around the world played with four of her ensembles. www.elkebaker.com