I’m usually not one for making New Year’s Resolutions, or maybe I should say I’m not one for keeping them. But this past year I learned a tune a week for an entire year so I’m feeling pretty confident on the resolution front in 2022. A little background When I was a child, I loved … More New Year’s Resolutions
In most traditional music, it is customary to learn tunes by ear and pass them along in the same way. Musicians add variations and ornaments to personalize their interpretation of the tune. I wonder though, where the line is and why sharing tunes doesn’t turn into a huge game of operator. Here’s what I mean: … More Hello operator
My trainer told me a story of how he was listening to his kids play Monopoly. One kid landed on one of those properties where rent was only $5. The other kid said “don’t bother paying me, it’s only $5.” As my trainer was listening to their conversation he thought “clearly this kid hasn’t worked … More Every little bit counts
I’m going to risk dating myself here and tell you that when I started to learn how to play fiddle, I used a tape recorder with real cassette tapes. I may even still have some in the bowels of my basement, though nothing to play them on. I’d record, then stop, rewind, and play again, … More Dusting off old tunes
Did you ever just hear a tune and totally lose yourself listening to it? When I first heard this week’s tune, I literally stopped what I was doing to really listen to the music. For some reason it just struck a chord with me and I haven’t been able to get it out of my … More The Eagle’s Whistle: Tune 22 of 52
In the last 14 weeks I’ve been diligent about either learning new tunes or dusting off old ones. I can’t say whether or not I am actually sounding better, but I can say I’m listening better. I’m listening to myself and listening to others with a keen ear. And I’m noticing things I’ve never noticed … More Stop, Look and Listen
Traditional music has been passed down by ear from generation to generation. It’s one the reasons I love this music. It’s like a secret that get’s passed from one person to the other. It’s a story that your parents heard from their parents, they pass it along to you and you pass it along to … More Podcast: Learning Tunes By Ear
Aside from learning a tune a week, I have been taking a harmony singing class from Old Town School of Folk Music. Singing harmony has always been a challenge for me. I learn the harmony but then when someone starts singing the melody, my part becomes more of a hybrid of the melody and harmony … More Repetition is the name of the game
January 6 is the final day of the 12 days of Christmas. In Ireland, this day is known as Nollaig na mBan or Women’s Christmas. The day was intended to be a reward, a day off from all the housework the women did during the Christmas season. Traditionally men were supposed to take over the housework while … More Nollaig na mBan: Women’s Christmas Covid-Style
Though 2020 has been a tough one for us all, I want to spend some time appreciating all the good things that happened amidst the chaos, say good-bye to all the bad things that caused the chaos, and welcome in a bright new year filled with hope, empathy, love and, of course, beautiful music. I’m … More Hindsight is 2020
Session Obsession 