Curriculum

Though the focus of the school is on youth, the academy and its staff of accomplished teachers offers weekly lessons to students of all ages on the

• Fiddle
• Cello
• Flute
• Bodhran
• Whistle

The youth program, which can begin as young as age five and continues through their late teens, emphasizes group playing and is grounded in what is generally thought of as the Suzuki method. In fact the Irish tradition of teaching music “by ear” has, for generations, incorporated similar methods: listening, imitation and repetition.

The school supports three or more youth ensemble groups depending on the academy’s current age ranges. Regular weekly practice and a program of workshops and summer schools prepares the students for annual competitions and performances in the US and Ireland. The school year culminates with a summer school conducted in Milwaukee prior to the Milwaukee Irish Fest.

Teachers

• Colette Byrne - Fiddle
• Kiera Byrne - Bodhran
• Maggie Cusick - Fiddle
• Roberta Frasier - Cello
• Kathy Goodkin Whistle
• Liz Knowles - Fiddle/Viola
• Esther Krause - Violin/Viola
• Kati Maloney - Flute/Whistle
• Alexa Ramirez - Cello
• Kevin Rice - Bodhran
• Noel Rice, Director - Flute/Group