What Will These Monthly Workshops Cover?

Join acclaimed musician and composer Hamish Napier for a series of engaging folk music workshops, designed for players who want to deepen their skills and explore traditional Scottish tunes in a welcoming group setting.

In 2025, the focus shifts from performance preparation to:
🎵 Expanding your trad tune repertoire
🎻 Exploring ornaments and variations to bring melodies to life
🎼 Learning how to arrange music for small folk ensembles

Who is this for?
These workshops are open to adult instrumentalists (ages 16+) with some experience in traditional music. Suitable for both by-ear players and readers (those who can read a little music). Players of all melody instruments (e.g. fiddle, flute, whistle, accordion, etc.) and accompaniment instruments (e.g. guitar, piano) are welcome!

Open to people age 16+ who play a folk instrument at intermediate to advanced level. If you are a beginner please get in touch with Hamish directly on hamishnapier@mac.com and he will try to connect you with a suitable music tutor.

Performance Option
You are free to sign up for performing at one of our Storylands Sessions Shows, which are a fantastic combination of spoken word, music and other creative arts, happening monthly in Kincraig.

📅 Workshop Dates 2025:
Tue 18 Feb Evening class: 7pm-9pm

Tue 18 Mar Evening class: 7pm-9pm

Tue 15 April Evening class: 7pm-9pm

Tue 20 May Evening class: 7pm-9pm

Tue 17 June Evening class: 7pm - 9pm

July No workshops

August No workshops

Tue 30 Sep Evening class: 7pm-9pm

Tue 21 Oct Evening class: 7pm-9pm

Tue 18 Nov Evening class: 7pm-9pm

🎶 Please note, there will also be a special 4-hour daytime workshop on Saturday 28th June. The link to that separate event is here. This event is in collaboration with Fèis Rois and we are very excited to invite many their adult learnersdown from Inverness and Rosshire to work along side us.

📌 Join us for a year of great music, learning, and community!

No need to commit to the whole series

If you would like to join at any point after the series has already started and would like to catch up on the materials from the previous workshops, just sign up to the next workshop, and email hamishnapier@mac.com to receive the relevant info of the previous sessions.

What do I need to bring along with me?

Please bring with you:

• your instrument(s)
• a recording device (e.g. the voice memos app on your phone or a handheld recorder)
• paper and a mechanical pencil (or pencil)
• a few quid cash for the money jar (for teas, biscuits and home-baking in the break)
• ...and a bit of enthusiasm and self- belief.

Workshop Series

Have you also spotted the Storylands Sessions 'Wordplay - Stories & Poetry' workshops run each month by writers like Merryn Glover, Andrea Turner, Karen Hodgson Pryce and Barbara Henderson? They take place in person at the Folk Museum in Newtonmore and Online, and there is even a workshop for Young Folk.

Storylands Sessions - Community Concert Events

These workshops are part of a wider programme of the Storylands Sessions. An initiative of Badenoch Heritage, the Sessions are a series of community music and story events celebrating the traditions and contemporary culture of Badenoch The Storylands.

The high point of the Storylands Sessions is the monthly Storylands Sessions Show, where interested workshop participants and the wider community come together in a celebratory and inclusive event. See this link for info and bookings.

Always teas, biscuits, banter and home baking at the interval! It's a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Storylands Sessions is proud to be funded by Creative Scotland and private sponsors. If you would like to sponsor us plese visit our sponsorship page here.