The Noel Hill Web Site - NHICS Ohio 2003 Report

Noel Hill Irish Concertina School
Ohio, 2003

Report by Jack L. Mullen

I am a beginner player and started on a 20 key at Noel's camp. He arranged for me to borrow a 30 key instrument because it was better suited to the direction he was taking the class.

Noel Hill certainly took me way beyond my expectations. I wanted to learn how to play for my own amusement and others amazement and expected to pick up useful hints. My one week adventure at Noel's camp turned out to be not only a splendid, exhausting, satisfying and memorable experience with the concertina, it was a truly cultural event beyond the music.

Noel has a remarkable instinct for dealing with students at every level from extreme novice (my case) to professional musicians (several of my fellow students). He helped us become acquainted with the instrument in such a way that we could make errors uninhibited and enjoy improving with even a little progress each day. I always had plenty to "chew on," as he says, after each lesson, and the time between sessions melted away with practice for all of us.

We went to sleep at night with the harmony of concertina practice in our ears, and that welcome sound was the second awareness in the morning after the alarm clock. All day long concertina practice leaked into hallways through doorways to student rooms and many players could be seen scattered around the grounds working to memorize, perfect or just get familiar with Noel's daily issue of Irish music selections.

My wife and I attended together, she as an observer. We both had an unforgettable week of music, lore, and fellowship with a truly eclectic group of concertina folks. We went there as concertina owners and left as "concertina people." We particularly enjoyed Noel's concert on the fourth evening of the camp. Never has so much music come from such a small box in the magical hands of a single professional musician!!

I strongly recommend that anyone who is interested in the concertina from mild curiosity to professional improvement look for an opportunity to attend a Noel Hill camp.

To give you an idea of how strongly Noel creates an atmosphere for learning, self study, fellowship and identification with the concertina, one in our midst is publishing a newsletter that shares ideas and experiences of camp members since we departed August 1st for compass points all over the US and Canada. We are already exchanging e-mail, contributing to the newsletter, and looking forward to knowing what folks are doing. Of course some of these people knew each other from previous years at camp. We were perfect strangers this summer and feel like family members today.