Irish Music Stories Podcast artwork

Irish Music Stories Podcast

83 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 90 ratings

The show about traditional music, and the bigger stories behind it. Host Shannon Heaton talks to musicians, dancers, and scholars about where Irish music has been, where it's going, and what it means to so many people around the globe. Whether you already play fiddle or know dance steps, or you don't know anything about traditional music, the emphasis of this show is creativity, community, and heritage.

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Episodes

Episode 77-The Bunch of Keys

February 29, 2024 23:00 - 34 minutes - 32.2 MB

Irish musicians, and writers, and home makers can all benefit by learning some rules and technical skills—and by allowing a little spontaneity and flexibility. But how much great technique do you need? Does that get in the way of the magic? In this episode, Nathan Gourley, Brendan Mulholland, and Sharon Murphy reflect on the alchemy of order and spontaneity: how rule following and rule breaking can make for a great journey; but how a total lack of plan can derail everything. _______________...

Episode 76-The Power of the Local Pub

October 14, 2023 18:28 - 11 minutes - 11.1 MB

Boston producer Brian O’Donovan made a lot of space for Irish music and culture. He was dedicated to sharing it widely.  And though he presented music on formal stages and through his WGBH broadcast “A Celtic Sojourn,” casual, public Irish music sessions were ever important and enduring for him. This beloved leader lifted up traditional music. And he elevated the practice of ‘just going to the local pub’ into an act of radical community building. _________________ For playlists, transcrip...

Episode 75-Betting on the Punters

September 28, 2023 12:45 - 7 minutes - 6.69 MB

Could traditional music sessions exist without listeners? Are the non-playing listeners in public spaces important for tune players? Here’s a brief podcast adaptation of a video response to this intriguing little question! _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project, please head to IrishMusicStories.org. ___________________ Thank you to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to this month’s underwriters: ...

Episode 74-Leaning in and Branching Out

August 31, 2023 20:30 - 59 minutes - 55.1 MB

Communities. Forests. Families. All of these different ecosystems contain a lot of different components that weave and work together. And as people, plants, and pests carry on and creep around, rich and sometimes unlikely collaborations emerge. In this episode, with the help of Karine Polwart, Colin Farrell, and Steve Nardone, I’ll explore how friends, neighbors and families can blend; how humans and trees need and inspire one another; and how we also rely on birds, bees.. and rats. _______...

Episode 73-Fruitful Fells Part Two

July 18, 2023 05:00 - 59 minutes - 55.3 MB

In part one of the Fruitful Fells, we met modern and 19th century activists dedicated to making beauty available to current and future humans. In this episode, we learn how our heroes saved acres of woods and bushels of old ballads, and we follow enduring struggles in the crusade for preservation. As always, there’s plenty of beautiful music woven into these conversations with guests Mike Ryan, Alison Simcox, Douglas Heath, and Karl Alexander. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, ...

Episode 72-Fruitful Fells Part One

June 20, 2023 05:00 - 43 minutes - 40.4 MB

There are little creatures, trees, ponds, and pedestrians all over the earth. And there are bushels of ballads about the charms of nature. And while there are ecological activists like Mike Ryan and 19th century Elizur Wright, and song collectors like Francis Child and Olive Dame Campbell who are out to enjoy and save the critters and the old songs… there are others who are less interested in preservation. This two-part story on the creation of Massachusetts’ Middlesex Fells Reservation take...

Episode 71-Missed Manners

April 18, 2023 19:30 - 1 hour - 60.6 MB

The weekly Irish music session is a specific niche affair, with a particular code of conduct. Gift giving also has its own rules, at least it has in the past. As older customs like traditional Irish music and wedding anniversary gifts have moved to the new world, have things adjusted? Does modern session behavior reflect wider social trends? Etiquette experts Barry Foy and Zina Lee walk me down the aisle of session (and wedding gift) etiquette, just a year before Barry’s Field Guide to the I...

Episode 70-Navigating Tech and Writing Tunes

March 21, 2023 05:00 - 42 minutes - 39.5 MB

New inventions and technology can make life—and Irish music—more convenient, more accessible, and sweeter…. and more complicated. This episode examines a few innovations like the washing machine, the personal computer, and to the electric bicycle—though you’ll have to go to Episode 18-Wax Cylinders to the World Wide Web for extensive chat about recording technologies… and also Episode 40-Irish Tunes in the Key of C-19. There are also plenty of Irish tunes here that mention tech and innov...

Episode 69-Tea, Turf, and Wooden Spoons

February 21, 2023 06:00 - 30 minutes - 28.5 MB

Lunch routines, laundry, kid art supplies, spoons, and teacups are details of domestic life that don’t usually make it into the photo albums, or the tune titles. But they shape lives. And in the midst of the thousands of jigs and reels out there, the simple (and profound) cup of tea.. and the basket of turf are represented. Here’s a meditation on tunes with prosaic titles and the stimulating stories behind them. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion ess...

Episode 68-20 Years of BCMFest

January 10, 2023 06:00 - 27 minutes - 25.8 MB

Presenting concerts can be about a lot more than throwing someone onstage. Matt Smith manages Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which has been the central venue and fountain of support for 20 years—and is now the official presenter—for Boston’s Celtic Music Festival.  For Matt, it’s all about creating opportunities for something special and unique to happen. Learn about where this little festival has been, and where it’s going, with or without your Mouse Pants! _________________ F...

Episode 67-Hunting for Wren Tunes and Tales

December 20, 2022 06:00 - 28 minutes - 26.7 MB

Why did kids carry dead birds on sticks all over Ireland on the 26th of December? And what did this all have to do with first century Christian martyr St. Stephen? Just like traditional tunes, which can vary from player to player, the whole history of Wren Day depends on the storyteller. Learn more about the role a melody, a good story (or three), and a tiny bird has played in the centuries-long winter tradition of hunting the wren. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to ...

Episode 66-Up in Smoke

November 15, 2022 06:00 - 59 minutes - 55.1 MB

Loss can spark achingly beautiful music. It can also spark new forms of creativity for musicians. This episode is a meditation on the stubborn insistence and the transformative power of creativity, featuring beautiful conversations with Emmanuelle Le Blanc, Daniel Neely, Joe DeZarn, Tina Eck, and a poem from Brian O’Donovan. Here’s to sowing beauty and blooming from the muck of misfortune.   __________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contri...

Episode 65-Cutting Routes and Tracing Roots

October 18, 2022 05:00 - 22 minutes - 21.2 MB

As tunes travel they change. And to turn an old Irish reel into an old time tune can involve adjusting notes to suit different instruments, using different techniques… and also digging into the non-musical stories. In this episode I tuck into some early railway stories while Agi Kovacs and Jesse Winch help me follow Paddy on the Turnpike, from North Galway to North Carolina.  __________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this proje...

Episode 64-O’Farrell’s Trip to Texas

September 20, 2022 05:00 - 45 minutes - 42.9 MB

Beauty is in the eye of the (informed) beholder. Where many of us might overlook a grubby little copy book or an awkwardly named interlibrary loan, others can help us understand them as treasures that shine new understanding on Irish history. Learn how Laura Flanagan in Texas and Dáibhí Ó Cróinín made unexpected finds; learn more about special library collections from Aedín Clements; and take a side trip to Thailand (because even hard working researchers can use a break once in a while). __...

Episode 63- Juice Box Sessions

August 17, 2022 02:30 - 1 hour - 58.7 MB

It’s really exciting and important to have kids playing Irish music.  And it takes organization, skill, and willing adults to create learning opportunities for them. In this episode Annmarie Acosta, Lexie Boatright, Clare Cason, Oisín Mac Diarmada, Maisie Lynch, Eileen Estes, Agi Kovacs, Ken Fleming, and Aidan Flanagan—and very special guest students, parents, and community members—share ideas for building the next generation of Irish players and dancers, with and without support and acknowl...

Episode 62-Daughters, Maids, and Boys

July 19, 2022 05:00 - 26 minutes - 25.5 MB

Most Irish traditional tunes have names. Some go by many different names. So what’s in a name? Do names help us associate tunes with people, or remember vast numbers of melodies… or is there another agenda afoot? In this episode, Colm Gannon, Nic Gareiss, Mick Moloney—and renowned 20th century literary figures Dick and Jane—explore the meaning behind the names. __________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project, please head...

Episode 61: Rounding up the the Tunes

June 21, 2022 05:00 - 50 minutes - 46.8 MB

When flute player and police captain Francis O’Neill published his first and most extensive collection of Irish tunes in 1903, he included a LOT of tunes. Nicholas Carolan called it “the largest snapshot of this music ever taken in its 9,000 year history.” 120 years later, I revisit O’Neill’s two biggest books, to explore what’s in there, and what isn’t. With the help of authors Michael O’Malley and Ronan O’Driscoll, librarian Aedin Clements, and fiddle player/scholar Laura Flanagan. I attem...

Episode 60-Selma and Rose

May 17, 2022 05:00 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MB

Most of the Irish traditional jigs and reels I play have associations, information, history, and sentiments bundled into them. Even these dance tunes that have no words carry so much. And everybody who plays these tunes bears and shares more than just a few notes and rhythms. In this episode, flute player and piper Emer Mayock, harp player Andrea Kiupel-Grona, and banjo/harmonica player Don Meade share Rose in the Heather and Maid of Selma lore. __________________ For playlists, transcri...

Episode 59-Shortcut to the Heart

April 19, 2022 05:00 - 26 minutes - 37.1 MB

Irish Music Stories is the show about traditional music and the bigger stories behind it, like how important, ancient songs and little short folk ditties lodge in the heart, not the ears… or the eyes. In this episode, fiddle player Séamus Connolly shares early experiences of playing and collecting Irish music, and also recent challenges and insights. Also woven into the show are a few thoughts from Louis de Paor about tradition and innovation, and how the structure of old ballads and poems c...

Episode 58-The Astonishing Adventures of Shannon Heaton

December 14, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 28.5 MB

Learn how and why Shannon Heaton creates the Irish Music Stories podcast, as Matt Heaton turns the mic around in the sunroom studio. Tune into this Old-Time radio (half) hour celebration of community, DIY ingenuity, and weighted blankets. And learn about the future of IMS! For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project, please head to IrishMusicStories.org. * * * * Thank you to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to this mo...

Episode 57-Best Laid Plans

November 09, 2021 06:00 - 7 minutes - 11.1 MB

Setbacks and surprises are inevitable. Weather and illness—and all sorts of other plan disrupters—are not always foreseeable or controllable. But when disappointment and disruption descends, we can regulate our reactions. Here’s a short follow up to last month’s episode about wellness and balance, including a spoiler about the big marathon (so if you missed Episode 56, check that out before you listen to this one!) __________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion...

Episode 56-Born for Sport

October 12, 2021 05:00 - 46 minutes - 43.4 MB

For many Irish musicians, it can be a tricky and essential game to stay active and find balance between artistic, intellectual, social, and physical pursuits. In this episode, Aubrey Atwater, Evangelos Stowell, and Pa Sheehan share tales from the trails,  the barn, the pitch, and the gym to help “work out” some of the Irish music insights that can come to those who sweat. ___________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project,...

Episode 55-Written in Mortar

September 14, 2021 05:00 - 58 minutes - 54.1 MB

Flute player John McKenna left troves of treasures when he recorded 78 RPMS in the 1920s; Na Píobairí Uilleann in Dublin helped preserve Irish piping; and Dr. Charles Heaton inspired his grandson to play piano with just eight bars of music. Legacy can nestle between bricks, on birch trees, and on manuscript paper… and it can bloom in surprising ways. In this episode, Liam Kelly, Ivan Goff, Julie Wood Merchant, Wes Merchant,  and Matt Heaton share stories about enduring gifts, with special mu...

Episode 54-Banquet of Collective Wisdom

August 10, 2021 05:00 - 26 minutes - 24.9 MB

Irish Music Stories is the show about traditional music, and the bigger stories behind it. Episodes are often 40-50 minutes long (and 51 seconds). Here’s a shorter installment. With help from Ellery Klein I delve into collective wisdom; and I revisit a poem that I aired back in Season One. This episode is 26 minutes… and 51 seconds long. ___________________ Thank you to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to this month’s underwriters: Chris Armstrong, Margaret Finny, Ken Doy...

Episode 53-Songs of Cattle and Copper

July 13, 2021 05:00 - 59 minutes - 68.8 MB

For centuries, traditional music in Wales have endured empire, organized religion, and connections with port towns in Ireland, like Wexford and Cork. In this special IMS spotlight on Cymru, Rhodri McDonagh, Ceri Rhys Matthews, Angharad Jenkins, and Patrick Rimes explore how the Welsh language, the rhythms of industry, and the lyricism of the rural landscape have shaped the music—and the oxen traditions—of one of Ireland’s closest neighbors. _______ Thanks to everybody for listening. And ...

Episode 52-Garden of Ballads

June 08, 2021 05:00 - 55 minutes - 77 MB

Plants can be carefully cultivated or can spread naturally. Songs, too, can spread deliberately or accidentally. Here’s a small sampling of just a few of the song collectors who helped preserve gardens of old English, Scottish, and Irish ballads that travelled to North America. Alex Cumming and Catherine Crowe help untangle a few strands of the bountiful musical harvest of folk history and culture preserved by Francis Child,  John Lomax, Helen Creighton, Elisabeth Bristol Greenleaf, Anne & F...

Episode 51-Depot of Expected Needs

May 11, 2021 05:00 - 16 minutes - 15.7 MB

If you want to share music with folks outside of your home, you gotta carry your instruments and gear (unless you’re live-streaming). And if you want to share podcast episodes along with show notes and other extras, you gotta build a site to share everything. Hear a bit about how guitarist Matt Heaton, fiddle player Laura Cortese, and flute player and podcaster Shannon Heaton have created their portable supply bases. And take in a Companion Chapter, from the new Irish Music Stories site. _...

Episode 50-Framing the Stories

February 09, 2021 06:00 - 5 minutes - 6.97 MB

How much power does a backdrop have? As the Irish Music Stories production team works to assemble episodes and bonus materials, Shannon explores the wooded hills of Medford, Massachusetts to find visual and organizational surrounds that look and feel like time-worn jigs, and ballads, and nights of music and dance. * * * * * * * Thank you to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to this month’s underwriters: Joel DeLashmit, Lynn Hayes, Paul Grajciar, Suezen Brown, Paul DeCamp, E...

Episode 49-The Naming of Birds

January 12, 2021 06:00 - 6 minutes - 9.68 MB

After a horrific week of social unrest in the U.S., and as Irish Music Stories begins a major overhaul, host Shannon Heaton offers a meditation on how cataloging and organizing can soothe the soul. There’s also plenty of music in this episode. Full playlist below. And for Japanese speakers who want to get started with Irish Music Stories, the first episode has been translated fully (transcript) by Ryoko Murakami (with Tomoaki Hatekeyama) HERE  * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for l...

Episode 48 Trailer

December 08, 2020 17:00 - 2 minutes - 2.17 MB

Trailer for the December 2020 episode of Irish Music Stories.

Episode 48-Between the Tunes

December 08, 2020 06:00 - 42 minutes - 39.5 MB

What’s up with stage banter? And why all the joking around between tunes in a session? Explore the on- and offstage chat that surrounds traditional music with Máirtín de Cógáin, Paddy League, Joanie Madden, Rus Bradburd, Liz Carroll, and Jean-Michel Veillon.  There’s also plenty of music in this episode. Full playlist below. And for Japanese speakers who want to get started with Irish Music Stories, the first episode has been translated fully (transcript) by Ryoko Murakami (with Tomoaki...

Episode 47-The Myth of Tragedy

November 10, 2020 06:00 - 53 minutes - 74.2 MB

How do new traditional Irish and Scottish tunes come together? How do composers conjure melodies? Composers Liz Carroll, Dáithí Sproule, and Katie McNally share thoughts on creativity, the tune writing process, and the myths behind the music. There’s also plenty of music in this episode. Full playlist below. And for Japanese speakers who want to get started with Irish Music Stories, the first episode has been translated fully (transcript) by Ryoko Murakami (with Tomoaki Hatekeyama) HERE...

Episode 46-Ancient Tongues, Modern Times

October 13, 2020 05:00 - 59 minutes - 82.5 MB

Learning just a few words in Gaelic is mannerly when visiting Ireland and Scotland. And it can be a way IN to cultural values and humor. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Séamus Ó Flatharta, Ciarán Bolger, Michael Coult, Julie Fowlis, Mary Jane Lamond, and Brian Ó hAirt help me understand connections between language and music. And how songs in Irish and Scottish Gaelic transmit emotion, carry history, and lift people up.  There’s also plenty of music in this episode. Full playlist below. And for Ja...

Episode 45-Trad in the Classroom

September 08, 2020 05:00 - 52 minutes - 60.8 MB

There’s no definitive Irish or Scottish music method book. A lot of seasoned practitioners learned their music in kitchens and pubs. So how do they bring that immersive, social learning approach into the classroom? In this episode, June McCormack, Michael Rooney, Alasdair White, Caroline Keane, and Tom Delany share ideas about teaching and learning traditional music. There’s also plenty of music in this episode. Full playlist below. And for Japanese speakers who want to get started with ...

Episode 44-Not Easy Playing Green

August 11, 2020 05:00 - 44 minutes - 51.6 MB

The topic of sustainable travel for touring musicians has been reframed, as Covid-19 has cancelled most music live music events for an unforeseeable amount of time. But as activity kicks up again, conversations about responsible, viable, grateful travel—and conservation—remain vital. In this episode, I’ll revisit earlier chats with Liz about her environmental advocacy; Dana Lyn and Kyle Sanna about their musical show that pays tribute (and donates profits) to coral reef ecosystems; and bee...

Episode 43-From the Fringe to the Fore

July 14, 2020 05:00 - 51 minutes - 59.6 MB

The role of instruments in Celtic traditions can be fickle: newer voices (like the tenor banjo) are increasingly popular on festival stages; while ancient ones (like the harp) still hang on the outskirts when it comes to modern group projects. Find out how the banjo came into common acceptance in Irish circles from Daniel Neely, Enda Scahill, and Martin Howley… and learn about joys and challenges of outsider status from harpist Maeve Gilchrist, cellist Natalie Haas, and saxophone players Sus...

Episode 42 Trailer

June 09, 2020 05:00 - 1 minute - 2.22 MB

Trailer for the June 2020 episode of Irish Music Stories 

Episode 42-The Long Arm of the Irish Tradition

June 09, 2020 05:00 - 57 minutes - 79.7 MB

Persistent infections like Covid-19 … and social injustice.. and racism… loom large. And still, these little Irish jigs and reels are forming bridges across oceans. What happens when people fall in love with a foreign music culture and pull themselves out of their comfort zones to travel and learn to play? Learn about the perspective Irish music has offered Guillermo Del Val Rodriguez, Santiago Molina, Gregor Brinkschulte, Alasdair Fraser, Rolf Wagels, Kerstin Otten, Brent Cassidy, Andy Xuha...

Episode 41- Transplanting Tradition in the Land of the Trees

May 12, 2020 04:30 - 50 minutes - 70.1 MB

What do rampant evictions, military ship collisions, and Christmas trees have to do with jigs and reels? Learn how Gaelic culture resonated in Canada’s “New Scotland,” and down in the Boston States, from singer Mary Jane Lamond and fiddle players Troy MacGillivray, Andrea Beaton, Alasdair Fraser, Katie McNally, and Lee Cremo. Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to this month’s underwriters: Peter Lee...

Episode 41- Transplating Tradition in the Land of the Trees

May 12, 2020 04:30 - 50 minutes - 70.1 MB

What do rampant evictions, military ship collisions, and Christmas trees have to do with jigs and reels? Learn how Gaelic culture resonated in Canada’s “New Scotland,” and down in the Boston States, from singer Mary Jane Lamond and fiddle players Troy MacGillivray, Andrea Beaton, Alasdair Fraser, Katie McNally, and Lee Cremo. Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to this month’s underwriters: Peter Lee...

Episode 40-Irish Tunes in the Key of C-19

April 14, 2020 08:00 - 54 minutes - 75.6 MB

How are traditional musicians and dancers continuing creative careers and group music events during the Covid-19 pandemic? How is social distancing affecting the jigs and reels? In this unexpected open of Season Four of Irish Music Stories, musicians from Ireland, England, Belgium, Sweden, and the U.S. address on and offline strategies… from a safe distance. Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to this ...

Episode 39-Tune Tale with Eileen Ivers

March 10, 2020 08:00 - 5 minutes - 8.31 MB

What’s a soccer ball, a school uniform, and a wedding dress have in common? New York-based fiddle player Eileen Ivers helps jar memories and connections, with a jig she wrote for her granny, in this month’s off season installment.  Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to Charlie Durfee, Desmond O'Hagan, Pat Wilcox, Paul Grajciar, Peter Crimmin, Susan Walsh, David Vaughan, Brian Benscoter, Joe Garrett, G...

Episode 38-Tune Tale with Jimmy Keane

February 11, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutes - 11 MB

Are all traditional tunes created equally? And if they aren’t, what happens to the, um, lesser tunes? Do they end up like lost dryer socks? Chicago-based accordion player Jimmy Keane reflects on the room of bad tunes, and shares one of his loveliest compositions in this month’s off season installment.  Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to John Ploch, Finn Agenbroad, David Vaughan, Brian Benscoter, J...

Episode 37-Tune Tale with Helen Kisiel

January 14, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutes - 8.31 MB

What do you do when language just can’t capture how hilarious—and important—an encounter in Ennis, County Clare was? Write a tune about it. That’s what Brendan Tonra did. Pianist Helen Kisiel recounted one of those tune memories in this month’s off season installment.  Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to James Supplee, Brian Murchison, Michael Todd, Robert Levelle, Mike O'Malley, Parker Abercrombie,...

Episode 36-Tune Tale with Billy McComiskey

December 10, 2019 09:00 - 5 minutes - 8.3 MB

Where do the tunes come from? When does inspiration hit? Shannon learns that it's all about timing, in this short story about a jig by accordion player Billy McComiskey. Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to Chris Murphy, Naka Ishii, David Vaughan, Brian Benscoter, Joe Garrett, Gerry Corr, and one anonymous donor for underwriting this episode. Please CLICK HERE if you can kick in to support this pod...

Episode 35- Last Night’s Food

November 12, 2019 09:00 - 33 minutes - 39 MB

What’s up with the endless cups of Irish tea? Is there something genuinely nourishing about a pile of french fries and melted cheese? Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Matthew Olwell, Jamie McClennan, and Matt Heaton help me digest the meaning behind the menu. And I’ve also got tasty tales from Kevin Doyle, Liz Carroll, John Williams, and Kathleen Conneely.  Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to Mark Johnson, Lyn...

Episode 34-Fairy Forts and Changelings

October 08, 2019 08:00 - 52 minutes - 60.8 MB

Are Irish fairies REAL? And if so, could there be Sí folk living in New England?? Fiddle player Martin Hayes, singer Emily Smith, and storyteller Máirtín de Cógáin help me and this month’s co-producer Nigel Heaton investigate songs, stories, and possible gateways to the Otherworld. Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to Jonathan Duvick, Mark Haynes, Chris Murphy, David Vaughan, Brian Benscoter, Joe Gar...

Episode 33-The Irish Woodshed

September 10, 2019 08:00 - 45 minutes - 52.7 MB

What do the Irish music and dance worlds think about practicing? Fiddle players Fergal Scahill, Finn Magill, and Rose Flanagan; banjo player Martin Howley; cellist Natalie Haas; flute player Nicole Rabata; and dancer Kieran Jordan share thoughts about woodshedding in the trad world. Plenty of music here, too. Full playlist below. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to, George McAvoy, Michael Craine, David Vaughan, Brian Benscoter. Joe Garrett, Gerry...

Episode 32-Cuppa Tea with Len Graham

August 13, 2019 08:00 - 38 minutes - 44.7 MB

Why learn old songs from your neighbors, when the airwaves are brimming with NEW music? And how can a rooster’s crow affect singing technique? Hear stories behind Len Graham’s life of song in this month’s Cuppa Tea chat. No matter the aperture, apertoire, or repertoire, Len’s got a story (and a song) to suit the situation. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to hatao, Chris Murphy, Justin Anderson, Lynn Hayes, BrotherHug, David Vaughan, Brian Benscoter...

Episode 31-The Scottish Connection

July 09, 2019 08:00 - 48 minutes - 56.2 MB

How do Scottish and Irish music intersect? How are they distinct? And why do so many trendy tunes come from Scotland?  Host Shannon Heaton talks with Aaron Jones, Ed Pearlman, Natalie Haas and Hanneke Cassel to learn what it means to be a traditional Scottish musician today—in Scotland, and in the States. Warning: this episode contains very few mentions of haggis… or kilts. * * * * * * * Thanks to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to Sharon Murphy, Mike Lagana, Brian Edmis...