Gabe's Gibsons Fiddle Camp 2024

Gabe's Gibsons Fiddle Camp is back for its fourth year! The 2024 camp is happening from Friday, July 26th to Sunday, July 28th at Chaster House on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Gibsons, BC.

Here's what's on offer:

• Friday, July 26th kicks off with a house concert at 7 pm in Bonniebrook.
  
• Saturday, July 27th and Sunday, July 28th will feature workshops at Chaster House, right by the waterfront across from scenic Chaster Park. These days will include classes and an open-to-all outdoor house concert.
  

The camp has three streams led by three instructors:

• Accompanists (guitar, piano, ukulele, etc)

• Intermediate/mixed ensemble (for melodic instrumentalists)

• Advanced ensemble (for melodic instrumentalists)

This camp welcomes musicians of all ages who are keen on ensemble playing and learning new fiddle tunes and sets. It's focused more on adults and teenagers, and while kids are allowed, they need a minimum of 2 years of playing experience and must be accompanied by a parent.

A word of advice: book accommodations and ferry reservations soon as they tend to fill up quickly. Ferry reservations for those dates are already filling fast!

Register Here

Let's meet the 2024 Camp Instructors:

Trish Horrocks

Trish draws on a wide variety of experience as a teacher, performer, and lifelong student of music. She has taught widely at music camps and workshops across Western Canada, and spent many years teaching at remote fly-in communities in the Northwest Territories. Trish believes that every decision made by an educator needs to be made with the student’s joyful success as the ultimate goal. This philosophy has shaped the way she writes arrangements for student ensembles: the end result is music that is fun to play, sounds great, and reinforces important musical skills. Trish holds a BMus from Western University in London, Ontario. She has also completed several units of Suzuki teacher training as well as as the Suzuki Principles in Action course.

Geoff Horrocks

Geoff has a special interest in the educational needs of the adult student, and is also widely known across Canada as a premier accompanist for fiddle players. Pianists can gather many interesting chord ideas by listening to his unique accompaniment style on the

recordings found on this site. Geoff’s exciting chord colours are often the foundation of the ensemble arrangements we create for string ensembles. He spent several years teaching piano and fiddle at music camps all over Canada and continues to be in demand as a clinician. In addition to piano, Geoff plays fiddle, mandolin, and guitar and sings.

Gabriel Dubreuil (violin)

Gabriel Dubreuil is a musical polymath: a fiddler, composer, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and more. Graduating from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Jazz performance and American Roots music, Gabriel's talent expanded further. He's not just a musician but a driving force behind Early Spirit, a Celtic-rock band. Their second studio album, "The Hollow Tree," showcases collaborative brilliance—lyrics by Knutson, fiery fiddle parts by Dubreuil, and engaging bass lines and percussion. While rooted in folk and tradition, this album delves into fresh influences and exciting collaborations.

Beyond his band commitments, Gabriel serves as the Executive Artistic Director for Vancouver’s North Shore Celtic Ensemble, nurturing the city's budding talents. His musical journey spans across North America, playing with renowned artists such as Burna Boy, X-Ambassadors and many more, performing with folk music's finest, and shaping the next generation of musical talents in Vancouver.

Camp fees:

Schedule:

Day 1 - Friday, July 26 (house in Bonniebrooke, Gibsons)

7:00 - House concert

Day 2 - Saturday July 27 (Chaster House, Gibsons)

10:30-12:30 - Classes

12:30-1:30 - Lunch

1:30-3:00 Class

3-3:30 Break

3:30-5 Class

5:30-late - Outdoor potluck picnic and Jam!

Day 3 - Sunday July 28  (Chaster House, Gibsons)

10-11 - Class

11:15-12:15 - Class

12:15-1:45 - Lunch at the beach

1:45-3:00 - Beach jam!

3:00 - pack up

Testimonials from 2023:

“Thanks for a great gathering of violin enthusiasts and for boosting my skills forward.”

“Gabriel brought fantastic energy and enthusiasm to this weekend camp on the Sunshine Coast. Together with instructors Daniel Lapp and Craig McGregor, he created a fun and relaxed atmosphere that put everyone at ease, providing both beginner players and advanced fiddlers and musicians with the opportunity to learn and grow musically.”

“I had lots of fun at this camp. Instructors were great and so was the group. I took away several useful learnings after the weekend, and enjoyed the jam sessions. Gabriel and Bobby were welcoming hosts. I'd recommend this camp for folks who love fiddle tunes and who can make it out to the Sunshine Coast.”

Register Here