Imagine you’re asked to play the processional tune for a friend’s wedding. You’re honored and excited to do it. You diligently spend an entire week playing only that tune over and over until every note is perfect. After all, this is the most important ceremony of their lives. The wedding day arrives and you play a couple … More Lessons learned
Love is in the air. This coming weekend a good friend of mine is marrying the love of his life and he requested I play a specific tune during the ceremony. So I’ve spent the last couple of days learning said tune (I know, nothing like waiting until the last minute).
Learning music isn’t just about learning the tunes. Anyone can memorize notes. But when it comes to traditional Donegal music, knowing the dances can help tell the story of the tunes, making it easier to feel the music and help it sink in. At the Donegal Fiddle School I attended in Glencomcille, learning the dances was … More Music and Dancing, Like Peas and Carrots
Yesterday I arrived in Dublin, Ireland. I had a fun day though I have to admit, Dublin will not go down as one of my favorite cities. It’s not a bad city, it’s just, well…a city, like any other city. Loads of people, tons of shops and lots of hustle and bustle. What I enjoyed … More Dublin, the first stop
Find out what makes a good bow. … More A Bow Meant for Me
Though I haven’t been a musician all my life, I’ve had the calling. It wasn’t until the ripe age of 30 that I actually picked up the violin. I remember the first day I brought it home. I gently took it out of the case, placed it on my shoulder, tightened the bow and pulled … More The Joy of Music
Hope to see you at this weekend’s concert and workshops! … More Martin Hayes and the Teetotallers
Dancing just plain feels good. Whether you are good at it or not, if you can just listen to the music and move your body to the beat, in my book, you can dance. Just ask any kid. Kids have no inhibitions when it comes to dancing. When my sister and I were little, we … More Dance, dance, wherever you may be…
Performing, takes hours and hours of practice, creating set lists, driving to gigs, and lugging equipment. It can sometimes be discouraging. So why do we perform? … More Why do we perform?
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Check out my year in review. For 2013 feel free to post a comment and let me know what you’d like me to write about. Happy New Year! Here’s an excerpt: 600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This … More 2012 in review
Session Obsession 