News
August Pulst School
01.09.2011
August Pulst School which spreads knowledge and improves skills related to traditional music starts its fifth season in September and invites people to register for their courses.
According to the Head of the school, Sofia Joons, the non-formal education centre under Estonian Traditional Music Center continues on the path it has taken during the last four years, concentrating on different target groups which range from families with children to advanced instrument players.
The descriptions of the courses and the registration forms are available here.
"I want to emphasise that our events are not only directed to people who know how to play an instrument. Everyone who feels that they do not want to remain in the audience, who wants to sing and play an instrument is welcome," says Joons. "The spirit of traditional music lies in immediate involvement and cooperation and we want as many people as possible to understand and enjoy this."
As dances, songs and games form a large part of traditional music, August Pulst School invites people to attend several courses which do not require anything else from the participants but a genuine interest in traditional music. For example, one of these courses introduces newer folk songs which use end-rhyme.
Those of you who already know how to play an instrument and have acquired a small repertoire are welcome to attend the diatonic accordion and violin courses. In addition to that, there are courses for learning the playing techniques of the Jew's harp and the guitar.
Family sessions where you can sing, dance and listen to different instruments are suitable for families with pre-school children. Students can improve their musical skills in the song and game sessions and in the zither lessons. The youngsters who are interested in university education can visit Young Musician's School which introduces the learning opportunities in the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy.
On every second Saturday of the month at 11:00, Annika Mändmaa and a traditional musician guest introduce traditional instruments, songs and games to children and their families in the cosy Chamber Hall of the Traditional Music Center.
In the beginning of the next summer, all the light-footed men have the change to discover the mystical world of men's traditional solo dancing with the help of Tarmo Noormaa, Juhan Suits, Silver Sepp and Gyurka R Fįbiįn. The school has also designed programmes for instrument teachers in music and hobby schools but also for teachers who work in kindergartens and general education schools. "In order to make traditional music part of our everyday lives, it is necessary to educate the teachers and motivate them to become brave enough to use traditional music in their lessons to illustrate what they are saying. It should not be considered strange if a physics teacher played the Jew's harp in one of his lessons to illustrate how a physical process takes place," says Joons.
August Pulst Schol is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund.