2022 tutors
Fèis Thatha
Tutors : Liam Ross - Guitar Steve Fivey - Percussion Fiona MacAskill - Fiddle Martainn Skene - Accordian
Fèis Bheag
Run by the fabulous and fun Carrie Afrin and Monica Neelin
Steve Fivey
Percussion
Originally from Central Scotland but now a resident of Glasgow, Stevie attained Grade 1 competition level at only 15 with World Pipe Band Champions Denny & Dunipace Pipes & Drums. A graduate of revered Edinburgh music college Jewel & Esk, Stevie is in great demand as a leading Scottish percussion teacher at major Scottish youth festivals.Throughout the past ten years, Stevie has toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe with a variety of bands and shows. This has included performances for Billy Connolly and Prince Charles in prestigious venues such as The Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh Castle.
Martainn Skene
Accordion
Martainn is an accordion player, pianist and cellist, originally from Brae Lochaber and now involved in Glasgow's thriving traditional music and dance scene. He plays all over the UK and further afield with the Martainn Skene dance band, as well as writing tunes and tutoring at a number of Fèisean. The Fèis is a great way to have fun and learn about our rich culture.
Liam Ross
Guitar
Liam is one of the foremost fingerstyle guitarists in the Scottish Highlands. A highly versatile and qualified musician Liam has recently gained an MA in Music and the Environment. His unique approach to guitar and live performance ensures he never fails to captivate and engage a wide range of audiences. He seamlessly blends his humor, emotion and commanding stage presence through his songs and classic covers which showcase his lighting fast, fingerpicking style. This was seen in performances at the Celtic Connections Festival and sell-out Under Canvas performances at Eden Court. His influences include Mark Knopfler, Tommy Emmanuel, Bert Jansch and John Martyn. He was also the Musician In Residence for the Fèis Rois and Dandelion Unexpected Garden in Alness.
Fiona MacAskill
Fiddle
Fiona is a native of the Isle of Skye but is now based in Glasgow.
She was a pupil at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music and went on to graduate with a BA First Class Honours from the Royal Scottish Academy in Music and Drama. Fiona is also a Gaelic Primary Teacher at Condorrat Primary School, Cumbernauld.
Being a multi-instrumentalist allowed Fiona to colour many projects and bands, but it was her drive, power and style on the fiddle that brought her to the forefront of the Scottish folk and traditional scene. Her playing, compositions and arrangements can be heard throughout many of the most influential and appreciated bands out there at present. Both her fierce fiddle playing, and tasteful string arrangements have been sought after and feature on various records in the current limelight. Fiona's most prevalent work and creativity can be heard in the music of ground breaking bands Niteworks and Kinnaris Quintet – the latter of which Fiona is a founding and integral member of.
Carrie Afrin & Monica Neelin
Fèis Bheag
Carrie Afrin is a Gaelic Singer, Music tutor and Voice Over Artist based in Tain
Previous tutors have included
Findlay Napier
Guitar
As well as calling himself a folk singer, Napier simultaneously aspires to another,likewise timeless role: “I do love that old-fashioned, all-round idea of an ‘entertainer’-I think it’s a brilliant thing,” he says. “But then that’s totally what the best folksingers are; they’ll have you in absolute hysterics in between punching you in the gut-people like Loudon Wainwright, John Prine, Michael Marra: that’s the absolutepinnacle, as far as I’m concerned.”
Patsy Reid
Groupwork
Since stepping back from super-folk-group Breabach in 2011, Patsy has been in constant demand as a session player and arranger, animating others’ projects with her unique blend of fiddle and violin playing.
A one-woman string quartet, Patsy has contributed violin, viola and cello to recordings by the likes of Zakir Hussain, Donald Shaw, Flook, Kathryn Tickell, and Duncan Chisholm; whilst on stage, she can be found performing with the who’s who of the Scottish folk scene, including Julie Fowlis, Donald Shaw, Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton, and Hamish Napier.
She is also a popular fiddle tutor, appearing year-round at camps and courses such as Blazin’ in Beauly, Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Ceòlas, the Scots Fiddle Festival, Black Isle Fiddle Weekend and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Known for getting down to the technical nitty gritty, Patsy combines her experience as a busy fiddle/viola player with her classical training to provide in-depth and practical tuition, aimed at those who really want to improve their sound, style and confidence.
A trained string and classroom teacher, Patsy’s qualifications include a 1st Class Honours Degree in Applied Music, a Post Graduate Diploma in Violin Performance and a Post Graduate Certificate of Education with Specialist Strings, both of the latter from the Royal Northern College of Music.
Callum Douglas
Whistle, Pipes and Chanter
Callum is from Coupar Angus in Perthshire. Aswell as solo competition, he is a heavily active traditional music player, playing Highland, Lowland pipes and the Irish Whistle. With this genre of music he has travelled the world with his own band, and others. Playing alongside such bands and performers as Ross Ainslie, Fred Morrison, Dougie Maclean, Ally Bain and Phil Cunningham.
In terms of pipe bands, Callum has played with the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland for a number of years and the Grade 1 Inveraray and District Pipe Band under Pipe Major Stuart Liddell. He is currently Pipe Major of the Coupar Angus and district Pipe Band that his father Kevin, started 20 years ago.
Callum also studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland studying traditional music - piping degree.
More recently, Callum started up his own business “The Bagpipe Maintenance Co.” wherein deal with a vast selection of bagpipe refurbishment jobs.
Maeve Mackinnon
Even amid the wealth of gifted musicians thronging today’s Scottish folk scene, singer Maeve Mackinnon stands out as an exceptional young talent. With a repertoire spanning Gaelic and English-language material, both traditional and contemporary, she’s won acclaim equally for the eloquent emotional connection she forges with every song, communicated in a bewitchingly honeyed, husky yet vibrantly earthy voice, and for her music’s dynamic interplay of boldness and sensitivity.
Karys Watt
Fiddle
Karys is a professional freelance musician and fiddle tutor based in Perthshire. She began taking violin lessons at the age of 6 turning to traditional Scottish fiddle in her teenage years which she has pursued since then. Karys plays with various bands and enjoys developing and encouraging her students through their own musical experiences'