Brendan Taaffe: Workshops




Workshops

I offer both harmony workshops and school residencies: using music and dance to strengthen our sense of connection to one another and to nourish our own sense of purpose is, to me, an essential call for an artist. Making a difference in the world through art and community. . . in the end, as a friend said to me recently, that’s all we really have.

Residencies

“Brendan’s presence in a school lights up the entire building. He captured the imaginations of all our students with his mesmerizing stories and captivating music.”

Bob Mahler, Principal
Shutesbury Elementary School.

Photo of Brendan Taaffe with a group of young musicians.

In my work with children, I am striving towards three main goals: teaching us all how to listen, how to work together as a group, and how to have FUN with music and dance.

Story, songs, and dance all work towards these goals: story puts us in a listening place, receptive to the lessons of the tales: singing brings us together; and dancing brings out a spirit of cooperation.

The dance traditions of North America and the British Isles are fun, joyous, and build community. Using circle dances, play party games and contras, I work with children on cooperating while having fun, instilling a love of movement and traditional music. As the culmination of a multi-day residency, a community dance with live music is a fantastic way to bring people together in a spirit of celebration and respect.

I tailor each residency to the needs of the individual school, so please be in touch with any questions. You can download a brochure about my school work here. (1.68 MB Adobe pdf file)

“Brendan’s show at the Greenfield Public Library was one of the most entrancing storytelling events we have ever held. He delighted childrens and adults alike with the journey he took them on, and our library was lucky to have him on that sweet spring day.”

Kay Lyons, Children’s Librarian
Greenfield Public Library.

Harmony Workshops

“I really enjoyed the workshop and was close to crying sometimes, I was so happy to be singing again. You have the gift of creating a beautiful atmosphere and bringing out everyone's talents. Long may you run.”

- Andrew B.

My singing workshops are open to everyone, because I make sure to teach in such a way that the material is accessible to all, regardless of musical background. I teach mostly from the “American Vernacular”—shape note hymns, Appalachian ballads, gospel quartets, and such. I find these songs to be deeply engaging, fun to sing, and think they show a far-more varied and interesting America than the one most often portrayed to the world. I also have an abiding interest in the harmony of sub-Saharan Africa, and use a liberal sprinkling of my own compositions and arrangements. I do many of these workshops with Turtle Dove, an organization that I founded in 2006, and also with other groups.

“Your personal qualities of being open, uncompetitive, caring and genuine created the environment that allowed many of the other wonderful moments to happen. That is very unusual--to be a leader who, by example, encourages everyone to connect, not compete, through the music.”

- Cindy D.

Past Appearances and Workshops

Village Harmony
The Hollywood singers, Co. Wicklow
CREATE community choir, Dublin
Fleadh na gCuach (the Cuckoo Fleadh), Kinvara, Co. Galway
The Cobblestone Pub, Smithfield, Dublin
Canistota Elementary School, South Dakota
Maple Street School Manchester, Vermont
Tinmouth Elementary School, Vermont
Middletown Springs Elementary School, Vermont
Wells Village School, Vermont
Shrewsbury Elementary School, Vermont
Shrewsbury Library

Testimonials

“In my 25 years of working in schools, I’d never seen a music teacher with such an impact on kids of all ages. You could see in their eyes the ecstasy of a new discovery Brendan was bringing to them. His gift is a rare treasure, indeed.”

- Jon Gailmor

“Brendan Taaffe is an excellent singer, fiddler and guitarist who is deeply grounded in New England dance traditions. I played for a community dance Brendan called for the Wells, Vermont elementary school students, parents and teachers in May, 2002.

Brendan led a wonderful evening of dance including some original contra dances that had been created by the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Brendan has achieved what I consider to be the highest goal of any dance teacher; that is imparting the love of dance to his students.”

- Peter Amidon
Dance caller and teacher
Vermont Arts Council teaching/performing artist

“In over twenty years of teaching and administrative experience I can recall few who were able to create such a rash of enthusiasm over music class in a kindergarten through grade six elementary school. As a person who has a deep appreciation for music and who values the arts, I was thrilled to see Brendan instilling a love of music in my students that I hope will last a lifetime.”

- Linda O’Leary, Principal
Wells Village School

“Brendan is both low-key and unflappable. He has a disarmingly easy way of getting a gym-full of two hundred highly sociable small-town kids and their equally chatty parents to have even more fun - by dancing!”

- Pete Sutherland

“My son has never liked music. He’s always complained about class being boring; but since Brendan arrived at our school, Scotty actually looks forward to music class and sings Brendan’s songs at home.”

- Rita Hansen

“I love music so much. I can’t wait to see you again.”

- Claire Schmelzenbach, grade K

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