We're offering a series of four workshops on Saturday, April 20, starting at 11am and going right til suppertime at Lloyd Hall. Here's the schedule and details:

10:30 AM : Cajun Tunes with Nadine Landry and Sammy Lind. Nadine and Sammy will teach some classic Cajun tunes, and incorporate fiddles, guitar, and even a dancing aspect if people feel like it!

1:00 PM : Bones with Mary Beth Carty Participants will practice rhythm bones they can take home and they will learn the technique of how to play them. There were also be some Gaelic and Acadian mouth music taught to sing along to the rhythm of the bones.

2:30 PM Scottish Gaelic Milling Frolic Song Workshop with Robyn Carrigan "Gabh Oran! Suas i! I Give a Song! Driv'er!" Come join our Bean an Taighe (host), Robyn Carrigan, at the table for a good old Cape Breton Milling Frolic. Gather around, learn a few easy phrases and choruses, then join Robyn in a real community song session. Instruction is provided! All are welcome to participate with the simple choruses or just come to watch the fun. Tha fäilte oirbh (All are welcome!)

Gaelic language and culture enjoys a rich and continuous history in Cape Breton - Unama'ki from the 1700's to the present day. Gaelic culture is famous for accompanying most every work activity with song. Woven tweeds need to shrink and tighten before wearing. Traditionally we soaked the cloth, then beat it in rhythm on a table top as a party of singers, raising our voices to the milling songs, accompanied by a sip of tea or other suitable refreshments to sustain the action. Milling Frolics are still popular as a joyous social activity in Cape Breton today.

4:00 PM - Introductory workshop to flatfooting: Appalachian step dance. Flatfooting is a close-to-the-floor style of step dance for making rhythms that accompany old-time music. The most basic steps are very simple and accessible. In this workshop you will learn some basic steps and explore how they fit within the music. We will finish with some examples of how you can build upon the foundation steps to creatively make new rhythms and melodies!

Live music will be provided by Ellen Kearney and Amy Lounder of the Old Beef Stringband