• Ryan McKasson & Eric McDonald Guitar and Fiddle Workshop

Guitarists and fiddlers will want to join us for this workshop with Ryan McKasson and Eric McDonald! Note: Ryan and Eric will also be performing in concert. Held at the beautiful and acoustically superb Littlefield Celtic Center in downtown Mount Vernon, students will enjoy both the high-level instruction and intimate, small class sizes the workshops have to offer. Students will appreciate instruction in guitar or fiddle with these talented musicians on Saturday, November 11th from 11:00AM-1:00PM. Space is limited, so we encourage students to sign up early. Ryan McKasson has gained a strong reputation as a performer, composer, collaborator and teacher. In 1994, he began attending Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School (VOM), which led him deep into the world of traditional music. In 1996 he became the youngest ever to win the US National Scottish Fiddle Championship and in 1997 he was awarded a Merit Scholarship for Viola Performance from the University of Southern California, where he studied with Donald McInnes. Ryan’s professional career took a step forward when in 2004 he spearheaded the formation and development of “The McKassons”. This group released two critically acclaimed albums, Tall Tales (2004) and Tripping Maggie (2006). Over the years Ryan has recorded with a number of influential artists, namely his playing appears on fellow Scottish fiddle champion Hanneke Cassel’s three albums Silver (2006), For Reasons Unseen (2009), and Dot the Dragon’s Eyes (2013), as well as Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas’s recording Highlander’s Farewell (2011). In addition to McKasson & McDonald, other current projects include MAC, Ensemble Galilei and The Syncopaths. Eric McDonald found his way to traditional music through the rich local music scene in his hometown Boston. Nearly a decade after studying at Berklee College of Music under world renowned musicians such as guitarist/mandolinist John McGann and cellist Eugene Friesene, he is now established as one of the USA’s premier accompanists in many styles. Eric cut his teeth playing for contra dances in New England, and can still often be seen from the dance floor. Nowadays he is an active session player, regularly recording and traveling with musicians of many stripes. Touring credits include The Outside Track, Andrea Beaton, Wendy MacIsaac and Katie McNally. In addition to McKasson & McDonald, he can currently be seen touring with the lively trio Daymark, Scottish powerhouse Cantrip, and award winning singer/songwriter Connor Garvey. In addition to guitar accompaniment, Eric’s debut solo album Rove features his unique style and approach to tunes on the mandolin, as well as carefully crafted deliveries of traditional ballads on voice and guitar. Lodging: We are pleased to be able to offer our workshop participants special rates at the Best Western Skagit Valley Inn in order to allow for quick and convenient travel to and from the Littlefield Celtic Center. Guests of the Best Western can enjoy a complimentary breakfast as part of their stay. For those workshop participants who will be traveling to Mount Vernon who would like to take advantage of this special promotional rate, please call the hotel directly at 360-428-5678 and inform them you are booking under the Celtic Arts Foundation Pipes & Fiddle Workshop rate. Information about cancellations, refunds, and exchanges can be found on our Ticket Policy page. To purchase tickets, please call 360-416-4934 or visit our website here: https://celticarts.org/celtic-events/mckasson-mcdonald-workshop/