Haddstock Festival workshops

Free workshops for young people and adults in Electronic music making, Introduction to DJing and Traditional music for orchestral instruments. Part of Haddstock 2026 Festival, delivered by East Lothian Council Arts Service. Introduction to DJ - 10am & 2.30pm Start by choosing and sourcing tracks you love, then learn how to analyse and prepare them on a laptop so they’re ready for mixing. Once your music is organised, you’ll load everything onto a USB and get it set up for use on real DJ decks. Then comes the fun part - hands-on time behind the decks, equipment overview, trying out mixes, experimenting with effects, beatmatching, and putting together your first mini set. Facilitated by Jess Aslan, a musician and performer specialising in computer assisted music. Jess is a Creative Music Practice and AI scholar and a touring professional DJ. Suitable for beginners aged 12+.90 minutes workshop followed by 15 min sharing with family and friends. BOOK NOW - 10AM BOOK NOW - 2.30PM Introduction to electronic music making - 12.30pm An introduction to sound production with Ableton live lite with Jess Aslan. Join us for a workshop that looks at the basics of making your own tracks with music software live lite. This workshop is appropriate for anyone wishing to open the door to music production of any type. Jess Aslan is a musician and performer specialising in computer assisted music. She’s a Creative Music Practice and AI scholar and a touring professional DJ.Suitable for young people aged 12+ and adults. 90 minutes workshop aimed at complete beginners, but anyone with any skill level is welcome to join. BOOK NOW Traditional music for orchestral instruments - 2pm This workshop introduces orchestral instrumentalists to traditional music. Participants will explore how traditional melodies, ornamentation and groove can be adapted for instruments not typically associated with folk traditions. The session will focus on learning a tune by ear, exploring traditional phrasing and ornamentation, and developing ensemble playing in a relaxed and collaborative setting. Freya Rae is a traditional musician, tune writer and educator based in Edinburgh. She performs widely and has extensive experience leading workshops in schools, and community settings. Her recent album Divergence explores the meeting point between traditional music and orchestral instruments. Suitable for:• High school SQA music students (Grade 5 and above).• Experienced adult learners. • Orchestral instrumentalists interested in traditional music. 90 minutes workshop including:• Learning a traditional tune by ear.• Exploring ornamentation and stylistic interpretation.• Ensemble playing and arranging ideas. BOOK NOW