Shetland Arts is pleased to announce the tutors for Fiddle Frenzy 2012.

The fiddle tutors this year will include sisters Jenna and Bethany Reid, alongside Angela Fraser, Pauleen Wiseman, Lois Nicol, Cathy Geldard, Helen Whitham and Ross Couper. This year’s guitar tutor is John Hutchison. Jenny Bradley will be teaching knitting and Amy Fisher will once again be tutoring eager students in drawing and painting.

Fiddle Frenzy is a celebration of the music and the musicians that have made Shetland one of the world’s most highly acclaimed fiddle playing regions. A must for all fans of traditional music; each year students come from around the world to experience this event.

A marathon seven-day and night event, Fiddle Frenzy offers students the opportunity to learn and immerse themselves in Shetland-style fiddle music with some of our best tutors and musicians. There are courses suited to musicians just beginning to learn by ear, through to more experienced players, as well as tutoring in other skills such as guitar-playing, knitting, drawing and painting.

Photo by Richard Wemyss

Lisa Ward, Marketing Officer, said: “Fiddle Frenzy is an event unlike your average fiddle school. Not only do we deliver exceptional fiddle and guitar tutoring from local musicians, we also offer our students the best in a truly unique Shetland cultural experience. We pride ourselves in offering the flexibility of tailor made workshop packages so students can fully immerse themselves in all strands of a traditional Shetland experience, above and beyond their expectations.”

Fiddle Frenzy 2012 will run from Sunday 5 to Sunday 12 August. To register, you must pay a non-refundable deposit of £25 (£12.50 for >18s only). You can book for the full week or for part of the week – prices depend on the number of days or workshops you are attending (minimum charge £25 / £12.50). You can book now via Shetland Box Office at Islesburgh, online at www.shetlandboxoffice.org or by calling 01595 745 555.

The cost for the week is £400 (£200 for >18s). This covers the cost of workshops, trips and concerts, transport around the Isles and some meals. It doesn’t include accommodation or travel to Shetland. Prices for individual days/part weeks are available on application.

Please check Shetland Arts website, www.shetlandarts.org/fiddle-frenzy regularly for confirmation of acts, workshops, storytelling and trips as well as the full programme.