Join us over four days, as renowned instrument makers Andy Rigby and John Madin conduct musical instrument-making workshops for children and adults in Victory Park.

The Festival welcomes the participation of all lovers of music, whether accomplished or simply inspired. In these free after-school workshops, you will have the rare opportunity to create your own panpipes, hand drums, boing pipes and okarinas.

Then, following each session, Victory Park’s autumn twilight hours will be acoustically lit up with community jams led by local percussionist and musical director Justin Marshall, who, together with amateur and professional musicians, will explore Klezmer, Celtic, Latin and African musical genres.

Building on the Castlemaine Festival’s historic tradition of a Children’s Parade, the 2011 Schools Program and after-school instrument-making workshops will culminate in the Children’s Day Parade and Picnic on Saturday 9 April in Victory Park, at which instruments created and pieces learnt at the community jams will be performed.

Download Jam Music here:
Jam Music in B flat
Jam Music in C
Jam Music in E flat

IRISH CELTIC — Monday 4 April
Allan Evans is an exciting young musician from Taradale who is at the forefront of the young Celtic music scene in Victoria. He plays Irish flute and Celtic harp and is a member of the award-winning band Shanachie. Allan has chosen a couple of traditional Irish tunes for the jam session and parade. Bring your fiddle, whistle, flute, guitar and mandolin. There will also be parts for horns and percussion.
The Lark’s March (Ireland)

SOUTH AFRICAN KWELA — Tuesday 5 April
Andy Rigby will lead the jam session with this swinging Southern African style of township jive. The lead instruments are often pennywhistles, but all instruments are welcome. Horns, guitars and percussion set this style up as great parade music. Andy leads the Kwela Street Band at the National Folk Festival, Canberra. Kwela Medley – (S.A)

KLEZMER — Wednesday 6 April
The Castlemaine Klezmer Kollective will lead us through a couple of tunes from this popular Eastern European style of Jewish cultural music. Violins, clarinets, accordions, mandolins, guitars, percussion, horns; all are welcome. Happy Nigun – (Klezmer)

BRAZILIAN SAMBA — Thursday 7 April
Wendy Rowlands from Newstead has led many Latin music ensembles and brings a classic Brazilian song to this community jam experience. From the home of samba street percussion, this is bound to have a big energy. Parts available for all instruments. Asa Branca (Brazil)