Brenda Scearcy, Irish Whistle
Brenda Scearcy has been playing Irish music since the 1980's. Brenda's fascination with Irish music began because of a random act of kindness on her friend's part. She had visited England and Scotland in the early 1980s and had returned to the U.S. with spare British change, no more than a few pounds total. In 1987 her friend Catherine Hall planned a trip to Ireland, so Brenda gave her the bits of British coinage and a few pound notes to spend there. Catherine returned with a pennywhistle, a very sweet-sounding one, for Brenda, and a tape of the Bothy Band. That was all it took. Brenda was both fortunate to study with wonderful teachers, especially Joannie Madden on penny whistle.
Brenda teaches pennywhistle to all ages, children and adults. She leads pennywhistle classes through Stopmtown Studio and teaches individuals in her home. Many of her students have banded together to take very affordable small group classes, which she can help arrange. Her emphasis is on traditional Irish pennywhistle style, with attention to ornaments and clear rhythm.
She encourage her students to play by ear, for many reasons:
1) Once you learn a tune by ear, you never forget it--even if you want to! 2) You have to listen very hard to learn a tune by ear, and in the process you can't help but learn subtleties of style and ornaments as well. 3) It is these very subtleties that make the music you play sound Irish, and that is the sound they both love and are trying to pass on. AND.....4) You can play in the dark!
What you need to take lessons: your instrument (if pennywhistle, then it must be in D) and some method of recording parts of the lesson.
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