Each April 22nd, the world pauses—if only for a moment—to honor the Earth. It’s a time to reconnect with the natural world, reflect on the landscapes that surround us, and maybe plant a seed or two (literal or metaphorical). As an Irish musician, I can’t help but hear the land singing back to me through every reel, jig, and hornpipe, I play.
Ireland’s music has always been rooted in the earth. It’s hard not to be when your tunes are born from windswept cliffs, misty glens, and mossy stone walls. Traditional Irish music doesn’t just tell stories of people—it sings of places. Of the River Liffey, of the Cliffs of Moher, of the bogs and coastlines and the narrow, winding roads like the Glen Road to Carrick (one of my all-time favorite tunes).
On Earth Day, I think about how so many old Irish tunes honor the land, and the breathtaking landscapes of the country. Take The Coolin, a slow air that carries the calm of a quiet lake at dusk. Or Sí Beag, Sí Mór, with its gentle rise and fall like hills rolling across the countryside. Even the uplifting energy of a hornpipe like Dance of the Honeybees feels like spring bursting out of a long, cold winter.
This Earth Day, I challenge you to take your instrument outside. Play a tune in a field, by a stream, or under the branches of a tree. Let the landscape become your session partner. Or if you’re not a player, just listen. Listen to the birds sing, the wind whistle, the traffic hum and relish in the beauty of our musical surroundings.
Happy earth day!
Join One More Time for some live Irish music on May 2, from 5-6:30pm, at Common Roots in South Burlington, Vermont. Visit our show schedule.
Session Obsession 