Congratulations to David Vesey who successfully completed the TTCT Teacher Training Course from Comhaltas. David is part of the music teacher staff at Spink Comhaltas.
David is a former junior member of Spink Comhaltas and is now in his final year completing a B.Mus. degree in CIT Cork School of Music. David has been coaching younger musicians over the last number of years and his recent qualification has built on his own experience with teachers over the last number of years. David is passionate about teaching and has experience in teaching all levels from beginners to advanced musicians. David’s own specialist instruments are flute, tin whistle and piano. However, through his leadership work with céilí bands and grupa cheoils, as well as his experience of orchestra’s in a classical music setting, David has significant experience working with musicians on other instruments too.
David is very appreciative of sponsorship support from Leinster Comhaltas who awarded him a scholarship to complete the TTCT training. He looks forward to repaying this investment by helping to develop young musicians throughout Leinster in the future.
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s TTCT Teacher Training Course has over 800 graduates throughout Ireland and overseas. The course which has been in existence since 1980 has been specifically designed to equip teachers of Irish traditional music to teach more effectively in a wide variety of community settings.
Amongst the subject areas included in this intensive course are: Irish traditional music and traditional music education and pedagogy, instrument methodology, musical literacy and analysis, accompaniment, general preparation, the SCT as a teaching / learning framework and slow airs as part of the traditional repository.
There are stringent application requirements for anyone wishing to undertake the TTCT qualification: only traditional musicians of the highest calibre and those with attested skills as teachers with a minimum of 100 hours of teaching experience (from beginners to advanced levels) are accepted for entry. Applicants must be 20 years of age or over at the time of taking the course.
The course includes practical teaching practice sessions, which are monitored. The ratio of assessors / tutors to candidate allows for very significant levels of support. The course has been specifically designed to equip teachers of Irish traditional music to teach more effectively in a wide variety of formal and informal community settings.
TTCT Candidates are also advised on best practice in relation to CCÉ child protection guidelines by Tomás Ó’ Maoldomhnaigh, Ardrúnaí CCÉ, and all candidates are facilitated re CCÉ vetting. The TTCT 2019 will also include a new module designed to equip candidates with the necessary skills to work in conjunction with local CCÉ Branch Committees in the planning, preparing and organisation involved in the various educational activities and initiatives and performances undertaken at local level. This will include e.g. developing appropriate ‘branch core repertoire’ across the different instruments and age groups, performance repertoire for different occasions etc.
