When I first started playing fiddle many years ago, my aunt sent me a poem by Irish poet, William Butler Yeats called The Fiddler of Dooney. I loved it because it is about a fiddler, because an Irish poet wrote it, and heck, because it rhymed and who doesn’t love that? I memorized the poem … More And dance like a wave of the sea…
Learn how to step dance in a 5 week series of Cape Breton step dance classes with renowned fiddler and step dancer, Andrea Beaton. Andrea will be offering classes at two levels: beginner and intermediate/advanced. Find out more. … More Get your groove on
Being a full time musician is one job you don’t do for the money. You do it for the love of music. You do it for the love of spreading your message. You do it so other people can enjoy the very thing you are so passionate about. Because after you pay for lessons, instruments, … More Music that helps heal the world
Most New Englanders love this time of year when things cool down and the leaves go from green to gold. I have to admit though, I’m sad to see summer go. I’m going to miss having porch sessions and drinking coffee outside in the morning sun. The only saving grace is the plethora of Irish … More Upcoming Irish music concerts
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
