One winter, as a snowboarder, I tried to learn how to teleski. Though I can’t say I mastered how to ski, I can say that because of trying it, I became a better snowboarder. I feel the same way about music. Lately, I’ve been learning different genres of music and playing more mandolin and uke … More The power of new music
Since it’s summer, we thought we would record our practice session on my front porch for the first installment of Porch Sessions. Keep an eye out for more porch sessions throughout the rest of the summer and upcoming fall. Reach out if you want to come play in one. And don’t forget there’s a session … More Porch Sessions, Installment No. 1
I remember the first time I met John Doyle. He was scheduled to play with Liz Carroll at a festival in Vermont. I was working at a booth selling instruments, CDs, strings, etc. He came to the booth and started looking at the CDs. I quickly ran over to him, pulled out one of his … More The Magic of Music
“What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This famous line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet implies that the names of things do not affect what they really are. Maybe that’s true. After all, love is love, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Montague or Capulet you can’t help … More What is in a name anyway?
It’s that time of year again to celebrate the music of Turlough Carolan, a blind Irish harper, singer and composer who is famous for his beautifully melodic tunes, many with a Baroque influence. Some of the most famous ones include Planxty Fanny Power, Sí Beag, Sí Mór, and Blind Mary to name a few. On Saturday, … More 11th Annual Carolan Festival
The following post was written by Sally Writes. When my daughter got her first guitar a little over two years ago, she could not have been more enthusiastic. At the risk of sounding like the typical mother living vicariously through her daughter, I was certain that she would progress beyond the “just about able to play … More Three Cs: Practicing without annoying the neighbors
There are a lot of great players out there who can play the crap out of a fast tune and make it sound really good. They play with rhythmic perfection, alluring ornamentation, and notes that are beautifully in tune. The rest of us however, need to slow it down a little and learn how to really play … More Slow down, you move too fast
From Mark Sustic: This weekend, May 5-7, is Young Tradition Weekend, a series of events celebrating the talents of young musicians and dancers as well as the traditions that they perpetuate, and the connection they have with their teachers and mentors. Each event during the weekend to cultivates and features young performers and intergenerational sharing, from … More Event Alert – Young Tradition Weekend
To those who don’t listen to Irish music all that often, listening to a set of tunes may sound like one long song that goes on forever, kind of like what techno sounds like to me. If you listen long enough though, you begin to recognize the unique style of each musician. If you’ve ever heard Martin Hayes play … More Learn to play like yourself
St. Patrick’s Day is the day the world celebrates the patron saint of Ireland. As an Irish musician, it is usually one of my favorite holidays. Mostly because, for me, it’s a recognition of this amazing music — everyone wants to hear Irish music on St. Patrick’s Day. Regardless of why we have celebrated St. Patrick’s … More Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in a new way
Session Obsession 