Acadia Festival of Traditional Music and Dance
The Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance is a weeklong summer celebration of Acadian, Cape Breton, Irish, Québécois, Scottish and other Celtic-influenced traditions that contribute to the vibrant culture and authentic character of Downeast Maine.
Founded in 2013 and newly reimagined in 2023, the Festival gathers world-class performers, students and community members together at the beautiful oceanfront campus of College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor for awe-inspiring nightly concerts and dances, as well as daily classes and workshops. The flagship intensive program offers unparalleled instruction in Fiddle, Dance, Piano, Guitar, Flute, Community Song and much more.
Brighton Ceilidh Collective
– creators of Rant ceilidhs
Since 2014 Brighton Ceilidh Collective have been one of the lynchpins of the area’s ceilidh dancing scene, with our regular public ceilidhs, festivals and private events.
Callers Workshops
I run workshops for callers and prospective callers. We discuss things like calling philosophy, how to read a room, curating a satisfying and fun dance event, dance safety, working with musicians, collecting dances for your repertoire, and so on. I find the art (science?) of calling fascinating!
Intro to Calling – workshop notes from a beginner’s caller workshop in Brighton, 2024
Scotch and Sawdust
Scotch & Sawdust is Heather McAslan (UK – mandolin), Josiah Duhlstine (US – cello), and Claudia Edwards (US – fiddle). Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Scotch & Sawdust is diving headfirst into the musical roots of their Arizonan and Floridian cellist and fiddler, with McAslan on mandolin driving the group’s progressive Bluegrass and Americana sound. They draw influence from the Dillards, Pete Seeger, Béla Fleck, and contemporary Bluegrassers, while honing their own voice with fresh arrangements.