North Texas Celtic Strings.
Youth class.
String Ensemble in DFW
North Texas Celtic Strings is educational music program for kids of all ages! We started at the fall of 2022, currently on our spring semester and we are happy to announce our Spring semester 2024! We need more students! If your kid plays violin or how we call it fiddle, viola or cello you might be interested to sign up for Celtic String Ensemble this Fall!
Please check our FAQ section. Here is our Facebook page.
If you are current student please check our current semester information page
We are learning Irish, Scottish, Canadian and American tunes * in different genres with special technique like rolls, triplets, grace notes and much more. We are not limited to learn only tunes, but groove and chords to be able to support each other and accompany melody! We will learn by ear and it’s great opportunity for ear training!
* Some of the tunes we learn adopted into American Traditional Music.
Requirements:
-Instrument – violin, viola or cello
-Intermediate instrumental skills
-Willing to learn music by ear!
-A Video recording or Free zoom session is required to determine your level.
Information about the class
Location and date of the recital will be posted soon!
North Texas Celtic Strings Spring Semester will start
on January 13, 2024, and will continue on Saturdays from 11am to 12pm.
There will be no classes during Spring break March 9 and 16. May 4th will be the last class and Recital will be on May 6 week (TBA), which will be the end of the Spring semester.
Location for classes – Community Unitarian Universalist Church (Plano, TX)
Location for recital – TBA
Fees:
Spring semester, 16 weeks (including recital) – $400
Monthly option – $100 (varies, depends on the month)
Please contact KeyReel Music with those buttons below.
If you choose video submission – please submit piece/tune of your choice in a medium to fast tempo (Youtube link, Google drive or DropBox). Click orange button below.
If you want to schedule the appointment online via ZOOM or ask any other questions you can either use the form (orange button below) or WhatsApp button (green button)
North Texas Celtic Strings history:
FAQ. Frequently asked questions
KeyReel Raskolenko has the Artist Diploma from Texas Christian University (2018). He earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Gnesin’s Russian Academy of Music (2005).
KeyReel has started his pre college education in 1989 and later has been performing across North America, Europe and Asia for nearly 30 years. His musical experience is vast and includes classical solo, chamber, symphony orchestra, Celtic, swing, and improvisational music. His experience in teaching started in 2007 with Classical and then Celtic music. Besides this program, KeyReel gives private violin, fiddle, and viola lessons, which include not only playing the instrument, but also a basic theory and other things helping to grow as a musician.
Check more at www.key-reel.com
We are happy to announce recruiting of NTCS adult division, a separate class for the same program! Click here to check our NTCS adult class
Unfortunately we don’t offer anything for Double Bass for now.
We could open enrollment for basses later, but not at this time.
It is what we call Celtic Music, common term for Irish, Scottish and Canadian Traditional Music. Some of the tunes are adopted into American Traditional Music as well.
So it is instrumental compositions, tunes, historically mostly played for dances and nowadays can be played as concert pieces! Slow tunes though, more like songs played on instrument.
Tunes are usually grouped in the set of same genre, sometimes mixed genres.
And then usually played as the set, not each tune individually. Separate tune composition is common for slow tunes or special music arrangement.
Most of the time it could be very confusing and stressful to be in the program if you are the beginner. Maybe instead we can start private lessons first, focusing on proper holding and playing simple tunes, learning basics.
Absolutely! We have different options:
- You can always use one of our social media buttons, for example WhatsApp to contact KeyReel
- You can use the form and fill in only required fields marked * and ask anything about the program, including help with uploading
- You can use the form to schedule Zoom appointment for quick online audition
Short answer – NO.*
The goal is to teach kids to play by ear. So we don’t use music, instead we train our ears in the class. In this way it is better to hear and reproduce all the details needed for Traditional music.
* Sheet music could be provided later in the program if needed. Just keep in mind that in this kind of music it’s just a skeleton, reminder of the notes and rhythm without any further details. Here is an example:
We usually cover about three sets of music. Sometimes more. It is about from 7 to 10 tunes.
We play recital at the end of each semester. Location is different for each semester (north part of DFW area. Richardson, Plano, Allen or McKinney). It’s being recorded and you will have your copy as well. Also it is supported by the band, so kids can experience the real feel of traditional music community on the stage!
We have different options. Zelle, PayPal, checks and cash.