Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth

Subject: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 05:23 PM

Not only can he do it; he can teach it, too!

I've just returned from Sam's first residential weekend accordion course. It was excellent. Seven punters, of widely varying experience and ability, all brought together and taught one-to-one, in groups, and in masterclass type sessions, with each one taking away a huge leap in their ability to play the accordion, and so many ideas to develop different playing styles.

I would recommend this low student:teacher ratio to anyone who plays, or wants to play the piano accordion, over any of the larger workshops, as I came away more fulfilled from this weekend than any previous learning session, and I've been to some good'uns.

Mudcat interest included Helen J, (serious party girl), who dragged three unwilling males on a pub-crawl around Goole, and a couple of the Mudcat Foreign Legion from the Jug.

Gill, Sam's mum, required each delegate to consume at least 5,000 calories of the most delicious home cooked grub at every sitting, and the informal, friendly atmosphere was helped by the cross pollination of ideas from all present.

Seriously, if you play the stomach Steinway, and you aren't Phil Cunningham, Karen Tweed or Ian Lowthian, get your name on Sam's books for the next weekend course.

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: MMario
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 08:51 PM

Why do I have this vision of CarolC trying to figure either a) how to get to the UK or B) how to have Sam shipped to the US?

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: CarolC
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 09:01 PM

I'm jealous, alright. Hey Skipjack, how about making another tape, so I can hear the improvement? (Not that you weren't pretty damn good before... )

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: SINSULL
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 10:01 PM

Twenty years from now, we "old timers" will be boring the world with "I knew Sam Pirt when...". AREN'T WE LUCKY?

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 07:42 AM

Talented - nice guy - happy - and...........aha.... young
I think we got him on one count **BG**

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: John J
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 01:38 PM

I collected my mum (Helen J) from Sam's yesterday evening after the accordion weekend. She had a great big grin on her face, Sam looked knackered but pleased, Gill also looked pleased with the way things had gone. Mum just needs to go on a crash diet now! The class seemed to have been very successfull thanks to Sam and Gill, and all (7) of those who attended. How about a melodeon weekend Sam?

John

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: GUEST,The bloke in the corner
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 02:23 PM

Well, if Mr. Pirt really can get Skipjack to play ALL the notes in 'Pinch of Snuff', he'll really have worked a miracle!. Any good classes for guitar/banjo?

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 02:26 PM

Hopefully Ian Stevenson also from 422 will do a guitar class!

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Noreen
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 02:44 PM

That sounds such fun!

Skippy, I should have warned you about Helen... did she lead you astray, you poor lad? *grin*

Good on you, Sam, and Gill. Here's to many more great weekends!

Noreen

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Noreen
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 03:34 PM

So, bloke in the corner, that's why he programmed his mobile phone to play Pinch of Snuff- to cover all the notes?

(though I didn't hear any missing!)

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Sam Pirt
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 03:59 PM

Hi

Yes I was very tired after the weekend but REALLY HAPPY. I thought all 7 students worked REALLY hard with good results. I am in the process of getting dates for the next two Piano Accordion workshop weekends sorted out.

If you want to get any more info and find out when I will be running the next courses send your name, address, telephone number and e-mail to me at - [e-mail] and I will get in touch.

Cheers, Sam

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: GUEST,HelenJ.
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 04:16 PM

What do you two mean (Skipjack and Noreen) Leading grown men astray? Wow - what a weekend - not down to earth yet. Lovely to make your acquintance Skipjack - nice to put faces to names, (as I mentioned after Llanstock) Gill is the bee's knees - what she can do with food is magic and what her son does - and imparts - with music is nobody's business. A fantastic experience with some of the lovliest people on the planet. Skipjack - John was miffed to have missed you AGAIN! Are you considering the Manchester Gathering? Great to see you again - if you come be sure to borrow the fiddle again, it really 'made' the session on Saturday night (before I got you all drunk!!)

HelenJ.

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Noreen
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 04:36 PM

Click to e-mail Sam

Aha... so you admit it, Helen!

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Noreen
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 04:41 PM

Oops, try again...

Click to e-mail Sam

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 07:13 PM

I have volunteered if Gill is away, to take over the catering for Sam on a workshop weekend -I'm very good provided it goes 'ping' after three minutes. Prospective menu
Breakfast Saturday
Bread & Lard
Lunch Saturday
Buffet (put your own lard on your own bread)
Tea
Spam, lard and Spam
Sunday
Leftovers from Saturday
Its not haute cuisine, but it keeps the costs down-bring your own cutlery.

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 07:34 PM

Er sorry Spam's off.........

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Noreen
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 07:52 PM

Ickle, why does lard go 'ping' after 3 minutes?

*very big grin*

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: John Routledge
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 07:57 PM

Worth taking up the accordian just to sample Linda's cooking!!

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 09:46 PM

Bill S had mentioned Sam's classes to Pip (my mother) who was thinking of taking up the piano accordian and I thought the package looked excellent in all ways. I'm glad to hear it went so well.

As for Pip, it looks like the music project is to become learning vamping accompanyment on the piano instead. She has something like a grade 7 or 8 in piano but is very written music orientated. I would imagine that learning an ear for chords will be challenging... I hope she gets it though as I think that a piano can be a fantastic instrument for accompanying the dance music.

Jon

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 11:17 PM

awwww. Sounds like you all had just as good a time as the Quality Chicken Ranch Band in Cheyenne this weekend. (don't microwave ovens go "ping"?? I am sitting here thinking about microwaved lard...........shudder.)

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 02:34 AM

Is there any other way to cook lard BUT the microwave????

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Noreen
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 06:54 AM

The best pancakes are cooked in lard, and they take less than 3 minutes. Most other worthwhile things take a bit longer- and don't necessarily utilise lard (in my experience- or am I wrong there, Ickle...?)

Jon, if I can be of any help to Pip, I'd be glad to. Not too easy at a distance, though.

Noreen

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: MMario
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 09:55 AM

the best pancakes are cooked in bacon grease - which is sorta lard - but not.

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 11:03 AM

Is posh lard called Lardidah? Actually, I have a wide variety of menus that I can conjure up -all of them utilising Marmite which is the key ingredient in my life Besides which if IKEA can persuade the great british public to eat swedish meatballs and roll mop herring in its cafeteria then I am sure persuading 7 accordionists, locked in the small cupboard under the stairs in Sam's house, to sample my culinary masterpieces in exchange for their freedom!

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 11:07 AM

Thanks Noreen, we will get in touch if/when help is needed. BTW, I didn't know you played piano.

Jon

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Noreen
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 01:34 PM

Jon, what do you think I was doing on the stage at Llanstock 1 when you came up to greet me for the first time? (Playing keyboard, I grant you, not piano.)

(If Cobble got his finger out and sent some of the German pics to the mudcat resources, I could link to a pic of me playing a grand piano whilst a-sailing on the high seas... did I tell anyone about that? *grin*)

Subject: RE: Sam Pirt Masterclass - The Truth
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 01:41 PM

If you didn't Noreen (I can't imagine that you didn't) You be able to tell them again after the Belgium trip next May!