Today is January 6, the final day of the 12 days Christmas. In Ireland, this day is known as Nollaig na mBan or women’s Chrismas. 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 … More Nollaig na mBan – Women’s Christmas
As the days get shorter and winter begins to blanket the mountains in white, it’s always so tempting to play and practice in the warmth of your own home. The thing is its so much more fun to play with others and there are plenty of opportunities to get out to a session. And next … More New Session in Calais
Many years ago I was lucky enough to head to Cape Breton for a week with a group of musicians from Vermont and study with the late Jerry Holland. We were there with a mix of children and adult musicians and learned some great tunes from the master himself. I remember listening to one of … More One tune, one million ways to play it
I’ve never been much of a visual artist. Drawing, painting, and even coloring has never been my forte. I can appreciate the final product and even have an emotional connection with it but envisioning it from the start has always escaped me. Recently, I’ve been watching Blown Away, a reality TV show about glass blowers. … More Coloring outside the lines
I am always mesmerized when watching pipers play. In my humble opinion, pipes are one of the hardest instruments to play well. You not only have to learn the notes and melodies on the chanter but you got to figure out how to keep air in the bag at all times so that you can … More Bellows Bagpipe Concert
Summer is my favorite time of year. Not just because of the beautiful weather and longer days but because there are more music festivals and workshops to choose from than there are mosquitos. Well, not really, there are a LOT of mosquitos this time of year but you get my point. This festival season kicks … More Festival Time – 13th Annual Carolan Festival
As the new year quickly approaches, I feel myself getting sucked into making a few resolutions. I usually don’t make a new year’s resolution because well, they never last, and I beat myself up because of it. However, I do think with a new year coming and a fresh new start, I have two things … More New Year’s resolutions
Learn about the Irish fiddle legend, Tommy Peoples, who recently passed away. … More A Tribute to Tommy Peoples
Practicing an instrument is a daunting task. I mean who wants to sit home and practice their keys and intonation or learn harder tunes just for fun? Who does that? Most of the time when I take out my fiddle, I just want to sound good so I play what I already know. That isn’t … More What makes us practice
Happy birthday Mom. Today you would have been 74 years old and wearing purple, according to your favorite poem. I wanted to take the time, on your birthday, to let you know just how much influence you had on me when it comes to music. Though you weren’t a musician yourself, you introduced me to … More An open letter to my late mom, about music
Session Obsession 