NWKE Presents: Play Parties, Folk Songs and Dulcimers with Jill Trinka

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026 at 06:30 pm to Sat, 28 Mar, 2026 at 03:00 pm UTC-07:00

Assumption-St. Bridget School | Seattle

Northwest Kod\u00e1ly Educators
Publisher/HostNorthwest Kodály Educators
NWKE Presents: Play Parties, Folk Songs and Dulcimers with Jill Trinka
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NWKE Presents: Play Parties, Folk Songs and Dulcimers with Jill Trinka! This two day workshop features three mini-sessions.
About this Event

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Friday PM: "It's Friday, Let's Dance!"

Nationally known musician-educator, recording artist and singer, Jill Trinka, Ph. D., will lead us in a dancing, singing games and play-party session bringing to new life the musical and cultural treasures of American Folk Music such as, "Cedar Swamp,” “Paw-Paw Patch,” “Skip to My Lou,” and many more! Jill sings and plays guitar, autoharp, dulcimer and banjo and has entertained audiences throughout the United States and Canada with her captivating voice and many years of experience teaching singing games, action songs, line dances and play-party mixers. No dancing experience is necessary! You'll learn it all in a few minutes with an enthusiastic community of music teachers and dancers.

Saturday AM: "English Language Folksong Performance Style, Transcription, Analysis, and Indexing

In addition to being a master performer, Jill Trinka has selected folk songs from around the country and published four volumes of folk songs, singing games and play parties for kids of all ages. She will ground us in English Language Folk Song Performance Style and then compare notations of the same folk song emphasizing descriptive transcription, prescriptive transcription, and the abstract notation as we investigate the question of purpose in notations and subsequent analysis. Analytical discussion will center on melodic and rhythmic analysis as well as form. If you are considering attending a Kodály Certification program in the future or have completed a Kodály Level, this workshop on folk song analysis will be indispensable.

Saturday PM: "Learning to Play the Appalachian Dulcimer"

The sweet, peaceful sound of the Appalachian dulcimer has multiple tuning options and is a perfect folk instrument for storytelling and engaging a classroom of students. Jill will expertly lead us in learning how to play the Appalachian dulcimer using several traditional folk songs. You'll learn strumming patterns, how to play the melody or harmony with a "noter" and have instructional booklets on hand to purchase to improve your playing.


PRICING

Workshop Pre-Registration (by March 25)

Both Friday & Saturday March 27 & 28

  • OAKE Members: $85
  • Non-Members: $120
  • University Students & 1st-Year Teachers - FREE!
  • New Teacher Discount (2-5 Years) $20 off use code NewTeacher at checkout!

Friday, March 27 only (6:30 - 9:30 PM)

  • OAKE Members $45
  • Non-Members $65

Saturday, March 28 only (9 AM - 3 PM)

  • OAKE Members $65
  • Non-Members $85

Walk-In Rates - Day of Workshop - Add $10 for all pricing levels


MORE DETAILS

We are Pre-Selling Backyard Music Dulcimers at a Discount

NWKE is partnering with Backyard Music Instruments and will be ordering a set of 12 “Simplicity Dulcimers” for the workshop and covering the shipping cost. If you would like to pre-purchase one or more instruments and have it just the way you want it, here are the discounted rates.

1 Dulcimer $85

2 Dulcimers $160

3 Dulcimers $235

4 Dulcimers $300


Reserve a Dulcimer Here

(There will be dulcimers to borrow at the workshop as well. You can also bring your own.)


ABOUT OUR PRESENTER

Jill Trinka, Ph.D., is well known by children, parents, and music educators as “a dynamic, winsome, and energetic teacher and performer.” Her performances bring new life to the musical and cultural treasures of American folk music as she accompanies herself on the dulcimer, autoharp, guitar, and banjo. She has recorded and written four volumes of folksongs, singing games, and play parties for kids of all ages: My Little Rooster (1987), Bought Me a Cat (1988), John, the Rabbit (1989), and The Little Black Bull (1996). These publications and her collaborative recordings with John Feierabend – Had a Little Rooster (2005), Old Joe Clark (2006), and There’s a Hole in the Bucket (2006) – are published by and available from GIA Music, Inc. Her DVD, entitled Jill Trinka: The Bass Hall Children’s Concerts (Ft. Worth, TX) introduces first graders to folk instruments through songs.


Dr. Trinka was a 1974-75 Ford Foundation Ringer Fellow at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, where she studied Kodály philosophy and practice in music education. She has taught in public and private schools in IL, NY, CT, and TX, and was on the music education faculties at the University of Central Arkansas, the University of North Texas, the University of St. Thomas, and Coastal Carolina University, from which she retired in 2018.


Dr. Trinka holds a B. S. in music education from the University of Illinois, and Ph. D. in music education with secondary studies in ethnomusicology from the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught in Kodály teacher education programs throughout the United States and served as director of the Kodály Institute of Texas at the University of North Texas, the Kodály Certificate Program at Portland State University in Portland, OR, and the Kodály Institute at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She is a Past President of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and received their Outstanding Educator Award in 2003. Jill was a contributing author to Pearson/Scott Foresman/Silver Burdett’s Making Music, Grades K-2 and 5-8.


Originally from Oak Park, IL, Jill currently resides in Murrells Inlet, SC. She performs as a solo folk artist and sings in the Carolina Master Chorale. She teaches workshops for music educators throughout the United States and is an artist-in-residence in elementary schools. Dr. Trinka currently serves as visiting Kodály summer faculty at the West Texas Kodály Initiative (Texas Tech University) and directs and teaches in the West Chester University of Pennsylvania Kodály Certificate Program.


Questions?

Contact us by email [email protected] or visit the NWKE website

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Assumption-St. Bridget School, 6220 32nd Avenue Northeast, Seattle, United States

Tickets

USD 0.00 to USD 129.89

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