Planetary paths around the fiddle in Galicia
Lecture
The Galicia Fiddle Cultural Association initiated its summer courses in July 2012 with the first edition of San Simón Fiddle Camp on San Simón Island (Redondela, Galicia). The course started as a summer fiddle camp for students aged 8-18, focusing on Galician traditional music and fiddle techniques. A few years later, in 2015, Encordass, a summer fiddle course for adults, was introduced. In these courses, the approach to learning music emphasizes collaboration and playfulness, aiming to foster motivation and musical self-esteem. Additionally, students have the opportunity to spend a week in a natural environment where they can engage in musical, artistic, and recreational activities designed from an ecological perspective.
In 2016, these courses expanded onto a global stage. The Galicia Fiddle Cultural Association embarked on a journey marked by transnational and mobility processes, involving students and prominent musicians from the Spanish and international music scenes. This journey created an expansive route from Galicia to Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. This presentation is oriented through the fields of ethnomusicology and pedagogy. To conduct this study, the researchers utilized the quasi-experimental case study and ethnographic methods, including participant observation at concerts, festivals, courses, and conferences focused on the fiddle in Galicia, Barcelona, Madrid, and Scotland.
About the speakers
María Rosa Pampillo Retana / Susanna Blanco Novoa, Violin/Cello
Rosa Pampillo, originally from Costa Rica, has been residing in Spain since 2004. As a violinist and ethnomusicologist, she played a pivotal role as a founder, violin teacher, and Artistic Director of the Tropical Fiddle course in Costa Rica. Beyond her classical violin studies, she has delved into fiddle, Galician tambourine, and Celtic harp. She was a member of the 2019 Cohort of the Global Leaders Program, using music as a tool to address social issues in communities in Chile and Brazil. Currently, she is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Ethnomusicology at Aveiro University (Portugal) and also works as a violin, ensemble, and music theory teacher in Galicia (Spain).
Susana Blanco, nurtured in an artistic environment, developed a keen sensitivity to music and the arts. Graduating in violoncello, she actively engages in orchestral and chamber music performances. Her multidisciplinary background extends to connecting music with other art forms such as poetry and theatre. Holding a Master’s degree in Performing Arts and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Vigo, she explores research areas in motivation, musical self-concept, and learning disorders. Currently, she serves as a professor of cello and chamber music at the Higher Conservatory of Music of Vigo (Spain).