Playing at a session can be intimidating. It’s scary to start a tune or to hop in on one when you’re a newcomer. Know that you’re not alone and there is something you can do to ease your uncertainty. Aside from learning the tunes, it helps to know what kind of session it is and what is expected of … More Playing in an Irish session – Jericho Cafe Style
Today would have been my mother’s 71st birthday. She passed 4 years ago and not a day goes by that I don’t miss her. Though she never played any instruments, I remember my childhood being filled with music. She’d listen to broadway shows, the Carpenters, Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, the Moody Blues and she absolutely … More Ode to my mom
March is one of my favorite months. It’s the month both my mother and grandmother were born, it’s the month where the days get so much longer, it’s also the month to celebrate Irish music. And you don’t need to be Irish to partake in the festivities. Growing up in Boston, St. Patrick’s Day was always … More Enjoying St. Paddy’s Day in Vermont
Valentine’s day is not just for lovers, it’s also for music lovers. And this Valentine’s Day there is tons of Irish music to love. Grab your date and start your day at 10am with an Irish music workshop (see details below) from FullSet, then hit the Bagitos session in Montpelier from 2-5pm, and then at 7:30pm FullSet, will … More Irish music the right way on Valentine’s Day
I am happy to announce that the session scene is growing in Vermont. There are two new sessions to check out in the Middlebury area beginning this month: January 28 – 51 Main in Middlebury from 8-10pm hosted by Matt Floyd. It will continue on the first Wednesday of each month while college is in … More New Irish sessions in Vermont
Cape Breton music holds a dear place in my heart for many reasons. It was the first genre of fiddle music I learned before I started playing Irish music. And I learned it from a great teacher, Beth Telford, who actually lives in Vermont. She introduced me to many a great fiddle players, composers, dancers … More Dance away the winter blues
It may be cold and dark out there but you can warm up with some hot music coming up in the next week. Here’s the low down: Saturday, January 10 – Irish session at Bagitos session 2-5pm – long-running, unaccompanied and hugely successful with some of Vermont’s best traditional Irish musicians. Sunday, January 11 – Knotwork concert … More Upcoming Irish music events
Now that that holidays are over it’s time to do something nice for yourself. Take yourself to a nice dinner and then go listen to some fabulous music. And here is my recommendation: On January 16, Pride of New York will visit Vermont for a show not to be missed. These are some of the best … More The Pride of New York in Vermont
It’s been a great year. Thanks for your readership and your continued support of traditional Irish music and local bands. Check out all that happened in 2014 on this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,700 times in 2014. If it were a … More 2014 in review
I’m not sure if it’s because I started playing fiddle late in life or just that my brain can only fit so much information in it at any given time, but damn it takes me a long time to learn a tune. I find some tunes harder to learn than others, like Spike Island Lasses for example … More What makes certain tunes so hard to learn?
Session Obsession 