ArtBeat at School

All That is Irish and More

Overview:

This unit explores the history of Irish and American folk music as heard through violin and fiddle music. Activities will teach students how to deferentiate the different styles through discussion and writing exercises.

Featured Artist: Kevin Burke

Video Description: Kevin Burke is an Irish fiddler who lives in Portland. Although most of the music is Irish he also plays a beautiful Yiddish tune he learned from a Scandinavian band. On the video he plays a series of tunes and answers questions such as how he got to Portland and the difference between a fiddle and a violin.

Clip Length: 6:11 minutes

Themes Explored in this Unit:

  • What is the difference between fiddle and violin?
  • What is the similarity and differences between Irish and American folk music as heard through violin and fiddle music?

Notes to Teachers About this Lesson Plan:

In order to help children understand the relationship between Irish and American folk music the teacher should be familiar with Irish immigration, similarities between Irish and Scottish culture, and the settling of the Appalachians.

ACTIVITY 1: Violin vs. Fiddle

Objectives:

  • To differentiate between fiddle and violin.

Estimated Time Needed for Activity:

One 30-minute class

Notes:

The violin and fiddle are the same instrument. The terms violin and fiddle are stylistic terms. The difference is in the way they are played and in the music that is played.
Don’t determine right or wrong answers. At least two of the suggestions have strong arguments for either fiddle or violin.

Addressing Cultural Diversity in the Learning Environment:

  • Perhaps a musical influence that may effect differences between Irish and American fiddlers is the African American influence. African American music is heavily syncopated and has influenced American forms such as jazz, blues, and rock and roll. The Irish were not influenced because of the absence of Africans in Ireland. Discuss these ideas with your students and develop lists of multicultural influences in American music.

Materials Needed for this Activity:

  • Examples of violin music such as: “The Lark Ascending” by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
  • Examples of fiddle music such as: This Side by Nickel Creek.
  • Examples of hybrids (could be either) such as: Appalachian Waltz by Mark O’Connor.

Additional Resources:

  • See: “Irish Fiddle” at www.IrishFiddle.com and “Fiddle, Violin and Alternative Strings” at www.fiddleforum.com

Procedure:

  1. Listen to the full videotape then repeat several times the section noting Kevin Burke’s distinction between fiddle and violin.
  2. Listen to three pieces of music illustrating the difference in musical styles (such as those listed above).
  3. Have the students write a paragraph on each selection including the style they think it is and why they chose that style.
  4. Have a class discussion on their conclusions.

Assessment

Extensions and Adaptations

  • Find violin players in the school orchestra. Have them make a tape of three or four of their orchestra’s selection. Label the pieces as fiddle or violin.

ACTIVITY 2: American Fiddle vs. Irish Fiddle

Objectives:

  • To note the similarities between Irish and American folk music.

Estimated Time Needed for Activity:

One 30-minute class

Notes:

Don’t determine right or wrong answers.

Addressing Cultural Diversity in the Learning Environment:

  • Compare Burkes playing in an informal style with a tape from Suzuki violin. Note how strict and structured the Suzuki is as apposed to Burke’s freewheeling style. Is this a representation of the traditions of the respective Irish and Japanese cultures?
  • Because of the remoteness of the Appalachian Mountains, settlers there were largely uninfluenced by other cultural phenomena hitting other parts of America. Many of the descendents of the early settlers came down from the Appalachian Mountains for the first time about 200 years later during the Civil War. http://philnorf.tripod.com/scotch-i.htm

Materials Needed for this Activity:

  • Kevin Burke video clip
  • This Side by Nickel Creek or similar pieces
  • Appalachian Waltz by Mark O’Connor or similar pieces

Additional Resources:

Procedure:

  1. Explain to the class how early Scot and Irish colonists settled in the Appalachian mountains, which at the time were considered remote.
  2. As a class, listen to Kevin Burke’s Irish Fiddle, and compare it to Mark O’Connor’s Appalachian Waltz and Nickel Creek’s This Side.
  3. Discuss similarities and differences in their music, noting these in two columns on a flip chart or white board.

Assessment

Extensions and Adaptations

  • Find Itzahk Perlman’s Ragtime album. Look for similarities and differences in the Ragtime fiddle music compared to the Kevin Burke’s music.

About the Author: Pete Roth

Pete is a noted teacher and composer/arranger who has served as the Music Specialist for the North Santiam School District in Stayton, Oregon, until retiring in 2003 after 32 years. He taught general music and pioneered the development of "Folk Ensemble" incorporating traditional American instruments into a public school music program. He is currently working on a collection of original childrenís songs for Folk Ensemble.

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