It’s been hard not playing music with other people, not socializing, not going to concerts or playing in concerts. Fortunately, for me though, the pandemic hasn’t hindered my outdoor activities. This year has been a great year for those of us who love to play in the snow. It hasn’t been too cold and Mother … More The Snowy Path: Tune 13 of 52
This tune (also known as the Glasgow Reel) has haunted me since I’ve been playing the fiddle. I first learned it on the mandolin many years ago and even though the mandolin is strung like a fiddle, I couldn’t seem to transpose it to the fiddle and make it sound good. Bowing this tune is … More Tamlin: Tune 12 of 52
This isn’t a new tune for me. I learned this tune many years ago and decided to bring it bring it back to life because it’s so fun to play. It’s call the Fermoy Lasses: Since we I now have 11 more tunes under my belt, I decided to combine some of the tunes I’ve … More Fermoy Lasses: Tune 11 of 52
We’ve made it to week ten! As a recovering procrastinator, I feel like getting to the double digits is quite the accomplishment. I not only added 10 more tunes to my repertoire but I have so much more confidence in my playing and it has forced me to practice, even on the days I would … More Tommy People’s Reel: Tune 10 of 52
This week’s tune has haunted me for more years than I can count and I’ve been threatening to learn it for just as long. It’s a beautiful jig in the key of E Minor, called The White Petticoat. As a fiddler this tune is a true test to your bowing technique because it crosses 3 … More The White Petticoat: Tune 9 of 52
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
I’ve been thinking about my mother a lot lately. She passed away 10 years ago this June. And honestly, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about her in some way. Although she wasn’t a musician, she introduced me to all kinds of music growing up and supported me throughout my … More Neil Gow’s Lament for the Death of his Second Wife: Tune 8 of 52
This week’s tune is a Donegal tune called the Gravel Walks. I literally remember the first time I ever heard this tune. I was in a retail shop in Stowe, Vermont and they had some Celtic music CD playing in the background and this tune came on. I thought it was a cool tune so … More Gravel Walks: Tune 7 of 52
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
We’re at week 6 of my 52 week goal of learning a tune a week. This week’s tune is called Alice’s Reel and was written by the great Irish fiddler, Frankie Gavin. I hope you like it:
