At the end of each year it is always fun to know which posts were the most popular. It gives me an idea of what you like to read about and helps me plan for upcoming articles. Below are this year’s top posts: Here are the top 5 posts of the year: 10 Tips to … More The 5 most popular posts in 2015
What makes a tune hard and how do you overcome it? … More What makes a tune hard?
Enjoy a fiddle workshop by Randy Miller, dinner and a session, this Thursday, December 3rd. … More Fiddle workshop, dinner and a session
Going to the gym is so hard for me. And it’s not because I don’t like it. I actually do. I feel good, once I’m there. It’s getting there that’s the hard part. For many years now, I have hired a personal trainer. Not because I can’t figure out how to exercise but because I … More How practicing music is like exercising
For the past 5 weeks I’ve been taking an Irish music class with The Vermont School of Traditional Irish Music and learning a new tune each week. It’s been great as not only have I been adding tunes to my repertoire but I’ve been learning some valuable lessons about how to practice. Here are a … More Practice tips for the traditional Irish musician
You just learned a new tune and you play it over and over in your living room when no one is home. Each time you play it, it gets better and better. At some point it sounds so good that you think of quitting your day job and taking it on the road. You envision yourself … More Play like you have nothing to lose
Many, many years ago, when I first started learning tunes by ear, I diligently learned every note of an Irish tune from a CD I was listening to. I practiced it over and over, note for note and then brought it to my teacher at the time. I played it for her. She listened and … More Making Irish music, Irish
Though the bow doesn’t look like much, you simply can’t play the fiddle without it. The bow is the rhythm. The bow is what makes the fiddle sing. And bowing is probably the hardest thing to learn when it comes to playing the fiddle. Learning to a bow a tune can be tricky. Sometimes when … More Mastering the bow
Looking for something fun to do this weekend? This weekend marks the 9th Annual Carolan Festival, a gathering for people who play, listen, sing or dance to the music of Turlough Carolan, a blind Irish harper and composer. The Irish festival takes place in a beautiful Vermont country setting overlooking the North Branch of the Winooski River … More Carolan Festival this weekend
This Wednesday head out to the Irish session at McNeill’s Pub in Brattleboro. Below is some information on it written by flute and whistle player, Dan Restivo. McNeill’s Pub Session Currently, I co-host the monthly second-Wednesday session at McNeill’s Pub in Brattleboro. Originally founded by fiddler Randy Miller and guitarist Roger Kahle, its first home … More An Irish session in Brattleboro – McNeill’s Pub
Session Obsession 