Q and A with Dr Daithí Kearney - Sliabh Luachra, Irish Banjo, Cork Trad and more

Ethnomusicologist, performer and banjo player Dr Daithí Kearney was kind enough to answer some questions pertaining to Irish traditional music. Read on for the Q and A.

Your Midleton Rare CD with John Cronin has been described as a celebration of the Sliabh Luachra sound. How is the music of Sliabh Luachra different than the music of other regions of Ireland?
I believe that the difference lies primarily in the rhythm. It is not just that polkas and slides play a more prominent role here than in other parts of Ireland as, even in the jigs and reels, there is a slightly different emphasis. There is a particular repertoire that can sometimes be described as 'deceptively simple' that has great life when played in the style.

How does the banjo fit into this style?
I think that it adds a great punch. Because rhythm is so important, the banjo can latch onto that rhythm and while it might not achieve all of the subtleties of what was primarily a fiddle tradition, it can listen to the dancers' feet and enhance the rhythmical feel of the music.

The area around Cork City/East Cork doesn’t seem to be recognized for Irish traditional music as much as, say, County Clare, for example. Is this a fair assessment? What is the status of Irish traditional music in Cork these days?

It is fair to say that East Cork is not as recognised for music as Clare or some other western counties but this hides the wonderful activities going on there. There are a number of great session pubs in East Cork and West Waterford and branches of Comhaltas, as well as some other teachers, are doing great work to promote Irish traditional music in the region. I myself studied music at UCC and spent a number of wonderful years in Cork City where I had a choice of sessions each night, not to mention regular gigs by great artists. Cork City is, in my opinion, exceptional for music and there are great musicians who play regularly.

For an adult improver, do you think there’s a “right way” (as opposed to a “wrong way”) to go about learning Irish traditional music?

Firstly, listening is key. Books are a wonderful resource and there are helpful online resources now also but, where possible, the best way to learn is to play with experienced musicians and learn from them. Summer schools are attended by a lot of adult improvers and there are more and more workshops offered, not just in Ireland. Sometimes it only takes a little bit of constructive criticism from an experienced teacher to overcome challenges.

Is the playing of Irish music really as simple as knowing how the tune is supposed to sound and then finding those notes on your instrument?

No, I don't think so. Despite some commentary that might suggest otherwise, there is still great diversity in the approaches to performing Irish traditional music and I would value a personal style of a musician who has taken the time to explore the potential of their instrument. I also believe that the stories of the music are an integral part of the tradition and knowing why a particular tune holds special meaning for people can add to the significance of the tune. Tunes hold memories and while one may perform the notes very well, placing these notes in the context of performances by musicians in the past is at the core of the meaning of 'tradition'.

For the visiting American musician who has an interest in taking part in sessions in Ireland, what are some things to be mindful of?

Try and get a sense of the session before joining in. It is too simple to provide one definition of a session. Some are essentially gigs and some involve people who will be more receptive to people joining in than others, regardless of who they are or where they come from. Taking the time to chat to the musicians or listen a little before joining in could make the experience more enjoyable for all involved.

Any plans for a follow up to the Midleton Rare album?

Midleton Rare was a wonderful experience that came about from playing regularly with John in Midleton, Co. Cork. Unfortunately, in this context, shortly after recording the album I moved to Co. Louth to take up a position at Dundalk Institute of Technology. I am delighted to say that I have settled into my employment here but this means that another album with John is increasingly unlikely. However, I continue to perform and have a number of projects lined up. I am currently working on an album inspired by the musical traditions of Co. Louth with Piano Accordionist Adèle Commins and also hope to record with the DkIT Ceol Oirghialla Traditional Music Ensemble (of which I am currently director) in the near future.

You can read more about music at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and the traditional ensemble there at: https://www.dkit.ie/music/performing-groups-ensembles/ceol-oirghialla-traditional-music-ensemble.

Dr Daithí Kearney is a lecturer in Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Section of Music and Centre for Research in Music. His research is primarily focused on Irish traditional music but extends to include performance studies, community music, music education and the connection between music and place. His PhD concentrates on the construction of geographies and regional identities in Irish traditional music and his research interests include the negotiation, mediation and construction of identities through music and the relationship between music and place. In 2012 Daithí released an album with Cork accordion player John Cronin entitled "Midleton Rare", which is related to a wider research project on the music and musicians of the Sliabh Luachra region. In 2013 he performed with Southbound at the National Folk Festival of Australia. Daithí recently completed a term as chair of ICTM Ireland and is currently a committee member of the Society for Music Education in Ireland.

Irish Session CDs and Recordings

Even if I wasn't trying to learn how to be a participant, I still think my preferred way to experience Irish music would be in the session setting. It seems as though this traditional music is best understood not on a stage but by a loose assortment of musicians gathered around a table in the corner of a pub for some tunes and a few pints.

I only know of a handful of officially released Irish session recordings.  The first one that comes to mind is Maiden Voyage, recorded in 1991 at Pepper’s Bar in Feakle in the Eastern part of County Clare.  It features Tommy Peoples: fiddle, Kevin Crawford: concert flute, Joe Bane: tin whistle, and several others.  Maiden Voyage is well captured from deep in the heart of East Clare.

Another session recording I have which I like a lot is The Sanctuary Sessions, from Cruises Pub in Ennis, County Clare.  It was recorded in May 1994 and features many of the musicians who played regularly at Cruises at that time, with some overlap of names from the Maiden Voyage CD. The tunes on The Sanctuary Sessions often sound familiar to me even if I don’t always recognize the titles. The crowd is really receptive on this one!

One of the better known session recordings is Live At Mona’s, recorded over a period of several weeks in spring/fall 2003 at a now defunct Monday night session in the lower east side of Manhattan.  Out of all the session recordings, Live At Mona’s probably best captures the magic that can be created in that unscripted environment.  Musicians include Patrick Ourceau, Eamon O’Leary, Mick Moloney, Cillian Vallely and Brian Holleran.

Late in the Night is a live recording by Christy Barry (flute, whistle, spoons), Conor McCarthy (accordion) and Cyril O’Donoghue (bouzouki, guitar) from O’connors Bar in Doolin in the Western part of County Clare.  It was recorded in 2002 during the height of the Celtic Tiger, of which the small town of Doolin felt a major impact – being marketed as an epicenter of traditional music just down the road from the popular Cliffs of Moher tourist attraction.  Even if this was more of a gig rather than a session, Late in the Night is still a prime example of lively Clare session tunes.  The sparse instrumentation allows for an appreciation of Cyril O’Donoghue’s exceptional guitar/bouzouki backup.

Another live traditional music album I am fond of is The best of Andrew Mac Namara and The Lahawns, which is a compilation culled from recordings made at Winkles Hotel in Kinvara - just north of Clare in South Galway - in 1995 and Lena's Bar in Feakle in 2001.  Of all the releases on this list, this Lahawns album probably has the highest percentage of common tunes on it, so it's a great source for those looking to hear some of the standards, including Tatter Jack Walsh, the Boys of Bluehill, Lark in the Morning, Cooley's Reel, Rakish Paddy, Castle Kelly and Humours of Tulla.  This album has a boisterous, ceili-band feel

Lastly, I'd like to include a CD called Live at the Burren Centre, Kilfenora, recorded during a 2009 lunch-time performance by Kevin Griffin, Eoin O'Neill and Quentin Cooper. Although this was part of a concert series, Eoin and Quentin are long-time veterans of the Ennis session scene and Kevin Griffin plays in the pubs around Doolin, so the tunes come directly from the session repertoire and retain that loose, unrehearsed feel.

I see that there is also a CD called Music at Matt Molloy's.  I do not have that one yet.  If you know of any Irish session recordings that I've omitted please leave a comment or send me a message.  I'd love to hear more!

Tunes from Doolin, County Clare

Doolin is where I first heard and fell in love with Irish traditional music almost a decade ago.  Some of the musicians that I got to hear on my visits there, including Yvonne Casey, Eoin O'Neill, Quentin Cooper, Kevin Griffin and James Cullinan, are still my favorites to this day.

Doolin Ireland

So, I was pleased to discover that a concertina player named Charles, originally from Switzerland but now living in Doolin, has created a site to share the tunes he is learning in County Clare. The site is called Irish Traditional Music from Doolin and you can find it here.

Charles

On his site Charles has posted the music and some recordings for the reels, jigs, hornpipes and other tunes common to this musically rich region of Ireland.  He's constantly adding to the list so check back often.  Heck, I even saw Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Further Into the Fire on there!  It's nice that one of our tunes has infiltrated this part of the world.  Tunes from Doolin is also on Facebook.  "Like" the page and you'll stay apprised of updates.

Charles and his wife Kate run a bed and breakfast in Doolin called Kate's Place, which would probably be a good place to stay while you're there.  The above mentioned fiddler James Cullinan also runs a seafood restaurant and guest house in the village, with his wife and piano player Carol.  However, Laura and I stayed in Toomullin House both times we were there.

McGann's Pub - Doolin

If you'd like to read about the recent musical history of Doolin - a little village with 3 or 4 pubs that was arguably the hub of Irish traditional music from the 1980's to the 2000's - I encourage you to read the academic but thorough book called Turning the Tune by Adam R. Kaul; now available in paperback.  

The Formal and Informal Ways the Irish Learn Traditional Music

A typical Galway music session (Photo: Chris Hill)

I'm increasingly interested in learning how and why people play traditional music.  Did you start as a child or learn as an adult?  Did you have musical parents or family members or did you seek it out on your own?  Did you take lessons or teach yourself?  Did you play another style of music prior to this? Do you learn by reading music or play entirely by ear?  Do you deliberately practice scales and exercises, or do you simply learn by playing tunes?  Do you look at the tunes from a music theory perspective, or does theory not even enter into the equation?  Questions like that.

Jessica Cawley

While trolling the internet for this type of information I came across an Undergraduate Research Journal article written by a young woman named Jessica Cawley titled Investigating the Ways the Irish Learn Music.  Originally a saxophone performer, Jessica spent the summer of 2005 in Galway Ireland listening to and observing trad music sessions, getting to know the musicians who play in them, and interviewing the players about the ways they learned the music.  She found that the session musicians in Galway had diverse learning experiences.  As an academic musician, the study also had some unforeseen effects on Jessica's personal philosophy about music, allowing her to rediscover the joy behind all music.

It's an interesting 7-page article and you can read it here:  http://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=inquiry_2006

After the study was published, Jessica would return to Ireland to pursue traditional music full-time, taking up the flute, which has become her primary instrument.  She is now an active performer of traditional music and saxophone in the Cork area!

Irish Music Holidays in West County Clare

The OnlineAcademy of Irish Music (OAIM) is now offering music holidays where participants will learn from acclaimed musicians in County Clare, Ireland – an area renowned for its traditional music and culture.

These OAIM Irish Music retreats take place in the small village of Liscannor on the West coast of Ireland and consist of daily group workshops, masterclasses, sessions and concerts.  Time is also set aside for relaxation, sightseeing and other activities.

The dates for the three summer retreats are:
Flute Retreat: June 30th - July 4th, with tutors Kevin Crawford, Niall Keegan and Kirsten Allstaff.
Fiddle Retreat: July 14th - 18th, with tutors Tola Custy, Katie Boyle and Yvonne Casey.
Concertina Retreat: August 4th - 8th, with tutors Ernestine Healy, Tim Collins and Edel Fox.

There’s a maximum of 14 people per retreat, so booking early is recommended.  More details of tuition, pricing and itineraries can be found at irishmusicholidays.com.  OAIM also offers ongoing video tutorials for a wide variety of Irish traditional instruments, available online to those who sign up and pay a monthly fee.

I Want to Go Back to Ireland

I want to go back to Ireland.  Laura and I have been four times but not since 2009.  Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of our first visit so it seems like reason enough to return.

During our visits we saw a lot of the West coast – Clare, Kerry, Galway and Connemara.  Stayed in Dingle, Doolin, Lahinch, Ennis, Kenmare, Clifden, Roundstone, Galway city and more.  My favorite area was County Clare, although like most visitors we hung around the Burren area and didn't spend much time in the less touristy East Clare villages.

I hadn't yet started to play Irish music on my initial visits, but I did come back home with recordings featuring Clare musicians Yvonne Casey, Eoin O’Neill, Quentin Cooper, Kevin Griffin and James Cullinan.  That is the sound that I fell in love with.

The Clare style of playing has been described as rhythm-focused and uncomplicated - perhaps an influence of the many Ceili bands that hail from the area.  Triplets are used sparingly (at least compared to some other regions) and the music can be a bit slower and more contemplative.

The famous East Clare fiddler Martin Hayes uses the words "lonesome touch" to describe the Clare sound, which he defines as "the intangible aspect of music that is both elusive and essential".  I would also say that North West Clare music specifically is quite progressive...I saw upright bass and even Australian didgeridoo being played at local sessions there. 

Now that I'm playing a little bit of Irish trad here in Virginia, I'd like to sit in on some sessions when I go back.  Maybe not the paid sessions put on for tourists in Doolin, Lahinch or Ennis - those don't seem like they would be open to a blow-in of my intermediate abilities.  Although I might try that in Ennis.  But, according to the listings at tradconnect.com and thesession.org there are also regular sessions in more out of the way Clare towns such as Feakle, Corofin, Sixmilebridge, Quin and others.

Laura near Oughterard

I suspect that at these smaller villages which are off the regular tourist's map, locals gather to play music for music's sake, and they might be more amenable to a stranger who wants to join in.  The goal of playing in these sessions is enough to motivate me keep up my practice regimen in preparation.  However, how you act is as big of a part of being welcomed or accepted at a session as how you play. 

Above and below are some pictures from our trips to Ireland in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

rainbow

Ladies View

yours truly in natural habitat

--

Traditional Music in Richmond and Ashland, Virginia

Traditional Fiddle Tunes Sound Better Than They Sound!

Richmond, VA seems like a likely place for the nexus of old-time fiddle music and Irish trad.  It's not far from the mountains of Appalachia - a few hours drive to many of the major old-time festivals, such as Clifftop, Galax, Rockbridge and Mt. Airy, where hillbilly music thrives.  Richmond is also a fairly large, urban environment with Washington DC just 2 hours up I-95 North.  Another 40 miles gets you to Baltimore, then beyond that is Philadelphia, New York and Boston.  Celtic traditional music is strong all along this Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region.  Richmond also has its own annual Folk Festival taking place over 3 days each October with attendance around 200,000, making it the biggest folk festival in the country...even bigger than the national one!

Richmond, Virginia

The Richmond Folk Festival certainly hasn't hurt the participation in folk music by regular folks at a local level, and the fiddle music of Appalachia as well as the traditional jigs and reels of Ireland are now very well represented here.  The best examples being the Sunday afternoon old-time jam at Cary St. Cafe near Carytown and the 2nd and 4th Wednesday Irish Session at Rosie Connolly's in the city's Shockoe Bottom district. When combined the music covered between Cary St. and Rosie's is exactly the kind of stuff I want to be playing.  Strangely, (or not surprisingly?), only a couple other folkies besides me attend both of these meetups.  It seems most traditional and roots musicians, while aware of both the Celtic and Appalachian traditions, are either/or.

The reasons a person might voice for not liking Irish or Old-Time music are also the reasons for liking them:  Old-time with its crooked, repetitive, stand-alone tunes, open-tunings, regional quirks, and syncopation.  Irish with its multiple time signatures (4/4, 6/8, 9/8) and tune types (jig, reel, hornpipe, slide), noteyness, tendency toward "unusual" tonal centers like E-dorian, and tune sets of constantly changing keys.  These characteristics are what make each of them great, and what makes them an either/or for the majority of players.

I came to both styles of music at the same time, as a complete outsider, with no family connection, no personal history, and no familiarity with either idiom.  As a result I like both musics almost equally and see more similarities than differences.  I would consider both to be musically complete - containing all the melody and rhythm required when played by a solo instrument, but also conducive to an ensemble format where 20+ players can all play together.

The Blue Ridge Mountains - just west of Charlottesville, VA

Irish and Old-Time each come from aural traditions where you learn by ear and play by heart, forgoing classical training and scales and exercises in favor of simply learning the tunes.  There really aren't any other music communities happening in Richmond where large groups of amateur musicians get together simply for fun to play instrumental folk music in unison without taking "breaks" or solos.  Not blues, not jazz, not bluegrass, not acoustic guitar jams, not ukulele clubs.  Nope - in that respect Old-time and Irish are pretty similar...and valuable.

I cherish both the Cary Street Old-time jam and the Irish session at Rosie's as places to hear each type of music in a pure form from experienced musicians.  Cary St. is like a mini festival jam, where you get to go into a hypnotic, zen-like state for 3+ hours in a Deadhead bar on a Sunday afternoon while the music passes right through you at breakneck speeds.  Meanwhile, the Rosie's session takes place in Richmond's best and most authentic Irish pub, where the craic and the Guinness both flow freely.  Mad amounts of tunes come and go during the course of an evening.  As an ancillary member and newcomer to each of these gatherings, at this point I observe as much as I participate, although with each passing week I hope to understand more.

Call me naive, but I enjoy taking the music that I'm hearing at both of these sessions and introducing it to Ashland, the small town about 15 miles north of Richmond where I live, as part of the Ashland Old-Time Jam and Irish Session, 10am-1pm every 1st and 3rd Saturday in the listening room of Ashland Coffee and Tea, which I helped start earlier this year and continue to host.  I wish I had a better name for this friendly hootenanny.  The terms "Irish" and "Old-Time" seem so narrow and cliche.  Maybe Trad Festival Jam is another way of naming it.  It's that sound you hear at 11pm while walking the grounds of the Rockbrige Mountain Music Festival, combined with energy of the Tuesday night session at Brogan's Pub in Ennis (County Clare) Ireland.  That's what we're searching for and hoping to emulate.

Ashland, Virginia

Anyway, you can think of Ashland as an old-time jam that includes tunes in 6/8 time, and/or as an Irish session where individual tunes are played multiple times through.  The way I see it, both styles cover the tonal center/modes/keys of D, G and A pretty well.  It's not that much to ask of musicians from one tradition or another to come together and open their (beginner's) mind all over again.  Old-time might venture into C while Irish might venture into Eminor and other places.  I play tenor banjo/tenor guitar and I don't re-tune out of standard GDAE tuning, so in that way I suppose I lean slightly Celtic although I find old-time to be a little easier to pick up, for some reason.  Half and half.

I also see the Ashland session as kind of like the minor leagues of jamming.  A welcoming training ground, if you will.  While Cary St. and Rosie's are both open jams and excellent places to familiarize yourself with the nuances of the pure drop, there is a certain level of competence that's expected of the participants.  In Ashland I recognize that not all 5-string banjo players are Bela Fleck or Ken Perlman who can churn out jigs with ease, and also that not all flute players are well versed in obscure Kentucky and West Virginia tunes.  Neither am I for that matter.  But we make it work, and do so with a casual, anything goes type atmosphere:  mixing and matching, favoring repertory over style, but still treating these tunes with sensitivity they deserve.

Augusta Irish Week – There's No Turning Back Now!

Laura and I just returned from our first ever Augusta Irish Week!  Now I am definitely hooked on traditional Irish music.  I took Pauline Conneely's tenor banjo class and Laura took Mairtin de Cogain's bodhran class.  Read on for a synopsis.

Late night outdoor session behind the Icehouse pub.

Highlights

Small, intimate classes meant the teacher-to-student ratio was very good, sometimes 1:1!  This was a transition year for the event (out with the old, in with the new) and that along with the economy and competition could have contributed to the lower than normal attendance.  While perhaps not what Augusta would have wanted, for students this meant more personal attention. 

Quality of the instructors.  New coordinator Dan Neely did a fine job assembling the team of Patrick Ourceau, Mick Conneely, Pauline Conneely, Cillian Vallely, Ivan Goff, Mairtin de Cogain, Brian Holleran, Dennis Cahill, Dan Gurney, Dylan Foley, Donna Long, Troy MacGillivray, Jimmy Crowley, and Brian O hAirt.  These are not just top notch players but great teachers as well.  All that was missing was a bouzouki class from what I could tell.

Sessions in the Icehouse pub.  The Icehouse is a really cool, three-story dive bar smack dab in the middle of campus.  It was a fun place to hang each evening and socialize with the other students.  On most nights a mighty, advanced-level session would develop there.

Daily open sessions:  9:00-9:45am slow sessions at Gribble Hall and 4:30-5:30pm instructor led moderate sessions on the Halliehurst Porch.  It was nice to have these two times each day set aside for open sessions, although it was sometimes tough to make the 9am one when you had been up until 3am the night before!  It was a thrill getting to lead on the tunes Road to Lisdoonvarna and Star Above the Garter on the first day with Dennis Cahill providing the guitar backup!

Accessibility of the instructors.  The majority of the teachers could be found each late evening playing in sessions in the Icehouse pub.  Not only that, but the small, condensed campus size meant that you were bound to run into and interact with the teachers many times throughout the day.  For the most part, these superstars are just regular folks ready to share their expertise or just have a chat.

The lunch-time interviews/discussions between Dan Neely and the instructors on various topics such as the singing tradition, East Galway music, Uillieann Pipes and playing backup were very interesting and informative.  I enjoyed every one.

The evening concerts on Tuesday and Thursday were a good opportunity for the instructors to strut their stuff in front of the general public.

Pickin’ in the Park.  On Wednesdays there are bluegrass and old-time jams in the Elkins City Park adjacent to campus.  I went over there and got in about 5 or 6 “D” tunes during an old-time jam.  I believe the tunes were Mississippi Sawyer, Grasshopper Sitting on a Sweet Potato Vine, St. Anne’s Reel, Arkansas Traveler, Angeline the Baker and Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss.  Not too bad for an Irish tenor banjo player!

Setting and Facilities – Davis and Elkins is a beautiful, hilly, walkable campus set in the mountains of West Virginia (one of my favorite states to visit).  The view from the Halliehurst porch is awesome!

Dining – It’s worth mentioning that the campus cafeteria offered fairly decent food.  However, we didn’t purchase the meal plan which gave us the opportunity to explore some off-campus dining in the town itself.  I especially like the Venezuelan restaurant ElGran Sabor, CJ Maggie’s and the Graceland Inn Restaurant.

Student Showcase.  On Friday each class got to demonstrate what they learned by playing a set of tunes or a song.  My banjo class played two reels: Wind that Shakes the Barley > Mountain Road.  We were joined by the bodhran class and the impressive Troy MacGillivray on piano!

Other Comments

The light attendance this year compared to years past, while conducive to small class sizes, meant that some things that should happen naturally – such as impromptu sessions – never really materialized, unless I just missed them.  I was expecting lots of opportunities to jam, but besides the twice daily scheduled open sessions at 9am and 4:30pm there really weren’t any other beginner/intermediate friendly sessions that a student of my ability could participate in.  I really hope they fix this for next year.  If not, I may take it upon myself to organize something.

Contra dances and Ceilis every night.  Dancing is a big part of the tradition at Augusta and it’s a way to engage the dance students and appeal to the local population.  However, I’m not really into step dancing and although I liked listening to the musicians playing for these events it would have been cool to have other options during those points in the evening.  Or maybe I should just learn how to dance next time.  It does look like fun.

I signed up for an evening mini-course on Irish-Appalachian fiddle tunes that I only ended up going to twice out of the four times it met.  The class was pretty advanced for me and I found that I preferred to use the time between 6:30 and 7:45pm for other purposes like decompressing or napping.  I may try the Ceili Band mini-course next year though!

We didn’t stay in the dorms or conference center so I can’t comment on those accommodations.  We brought our two 14 year old dogs for the week so we stayed off campus at the nearby Elkins Motor Lodge since it allowed pets.  I would stay there again if need be.  It was cheap and a good place to stay with dogs.

All in all it was a great week.  It went by like a blink.  The fastest 6 days I’ve ever spent.  I can’t wait to go back!

Afternoon session on the Halliehurst porch

Laura (bodhran) and me (lefty banjo, middle) in the student showcase. Joined by instructors Troy MacGillivray (piano) and Pauline Conneely (banjo), and fellow students Gene Thorn (bodhran), Randy Powell (banjo) and Dave (mandolin/right). Photo by Rosemarie Vincent.

Lunchtime Uillieann Pipes Extravaganza with Cillian Vallely (L) and Ivan Goff. Photo by Dan Neely.

Irish/Celtic Week at Augusta Heritage Center, Elkins, WV

Before I was even trying to learn the music I loved visiting Ireland.  Now that I have become obsessed with playing tenor banjo, if I was to go back I would likely base myself in or around Ennis, County Clare where there's lots of opportunities to hear traditional music and perhaps even get in a tune or two at an open session.  But, with current airfares being more than twice what it cost to fly to Shannon in the mid-2000’s, there’s no chance I’m going this year. 

So, I figured why not do the next best thing and attend one of the Irish music summer schools that are offered right here in the United States?  They basically bring Ireland to you for a week.  As a relative newbie to sessions and trad music in general, the promise of a week of total immersion under the tutelage of master musicians seems invaluable. 

I chose Augusta Heritage Center's Irish/Celtic Week in Elkins, WV for a number of reasons, including:

- Proximity.  It’s only a 4 hour drive from my house in Virginia.

- Curriculum.  They offer instruction in both Irish tenor banjo and bodhrán so my wife and I can attend together.

- Setting.  It takes place on the hilly, tree-lined campus of a small liberal arts college with views of the Appalachian Mountains.

- Reputation.  Founded by Mick Moloney and modeled after the famed Willie Clancy Week in Miltown Malbay, Ireland, Elkins Irish Week is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year and is regarded as the granddaddy of all domestic Irish music schools.  Augusta also offers an old-time week with a mandolin course open to players of tenor banjo, so I’m also scouting it out for the possibility of attending the old-time week at some point in the future.

- Coordinator Dr. Daniel T. Neely.  I’m familiar with Dan through his writings and music and am confident that he will do a great job in this role.  Plus, having another gifted tenor banjo player there to learn from can’t hurt!

- Craic.  In addition to the class time, I’ll be looking forward to the after-hours sessions in the 110 year old ice house pub.

The tenor banjo instructor is Pauline Conneely, who studied under Brendan Mulkere and plays in the group Chicago Reel. 

Tenor Banjo instructor Pauline Coneely

Bodhrán is being taught by Máirtín de Cógáin, a storyteller, playwright, actor and musician from Cork.

Bodhrán instructor Máirtín de Cógáin

Valley view of Elkins, West Virginia. Credit: Jennifer Haney USFWS

Augusta Heritage Center’s Irish/Celtic week takes place July 22-27 in Elkins, West Virginia.  In addition to Pauline Connely and Máirtín de Cógáin, the staff consists of Patrick Ourceau (fiddle), Dennis Cahill (guitar), Cillian Vallely (uillean pipes), Ivan Goff (flute), Donna Long (piano), Marla Fibish (mandolin), Joey Abarta (whistle), and more.

The Irish Tenor Banjo Top Ten

What everyone has been waiting for!  A list of the top ten Irish Tenor Banjo CDs!  At least these are the ones I like the best and/or found out about first.

John Carty - I Will If I Can

This 2005 CD features John Carty on tenor banjo and tenor guitar and is probably my favorite tenor banjo album.  Carty is tasteful, mellow and varied...not too notey.  I also love the sound of the bodhran, and Carty is backed up on some tracks by Johnny McDonagh.  Alec Finn (bouzouki) and Brian McGrath (piano) help lift these inspired interpretations of tunes.

Angelina Carberry – An Traidisiún Beo
Tasteful, understated plucking that swings.  Angelina Carberry is a good person for aspiring tenor banjo players to listen to and this is a good one to start with! 

John Carty and Brian McGrath - The Cat That Ate the Candle

This earlier John Carty CD is minimalist trad at its best:  Irish tenor banjo with piano accompaniment.  A nice selection of fairly common tunes and old school playing. 

Éamonn Coyne - Through the Round Window

Eamonn Coyne has a more modern style, bringing more influences to the table.  Like all of the albums on this list, this one is mostly instrumental although there are two vocal tracks.  He dusts off some traditional tunes while also venturing into a little jazzy/country territory as well.  Very dynamic.

Liam Farrell and Joe Whelan - They Sailed Away from Dublin Bay

When it comes to straight-up Irish tenor banjo / accordion duos, it doesn't get much better than Liam Farrell (banjo) and Joe Whelan (accordion).  This relatively obscure CD is the most recent acquisition to my list, but it's also my current favorite.  I just really like the old style, melodic playing and how the banjo and accordion interact.  Piano and flute add some color to the tunes, but this lively set of tunes is dominated by the chemistry between Farrell and Whelan.

(Kevin Griffin) – Across the Pond

Get this album if you want to hear an ensemble play cheerful, casual session music.  Kevin Griffin's banjo doesn't steal the show, but rather it's part of the ensemble that includes Roger Burridge (fiddle), Quentin Cooper (mandolin, guitar, bass) and Michael Shorrock (bouzouki).  Griffin is from Doolin in West Clare.

Kieran Hanrahan - Plays the Irish Tenor Banjo

Many consider this CD to be the standard among all other Irish tenor banjo recordings.  Kieran has the uncanny ability of taking something very complex and make it sound effortless and simple.  He's a good one to emulate. 
 

Brian McGrath and Johnny Óg Connolly - Dreaming Up the Tunes

Brian McGrath plays piano backup on the two John Carty CDs on this list, but on Dreaming Up the Tunes he gets a chance to shine on banjo and play with the great accordionist Johnny Óg Connolly. Brilliant.

Enda Scahill – Pick It Up

This debut album from the innovative tenor banjoist demonstrates his propensity to play fast and with flair.  Enda has the chops to pull it off.  I recommend combining this CD with a purchase of his Irish Banjo Tutor volume I and II.  There is indispensible knowledge in those tutors, and when listening to this CD you can hear that expertise being implemented "up to speed".

Darren Maloney – Who?

This is the least traditional album on the list. Imagine what Bela Fleck would sound like if he played tenor banjo, and you'd have some idea of where Darren Maloney may be coming from.  Who? contains 15 original compositions by this virtuoso who has obviously put in countless hours of devotion to get this level of creativity and comfort with the style.  Purists sometimes write off things that are too forward-thinking, but this is not a CD to be discounted.  

Those are the ten best out of the ones I've heard.  There's a few more I'd like to get, such as the following banjo albums from my wish list:

Christy Dunne - Pluckin' Good

Banjo solo CD by a member of the prominent Limerick musical family.  Features De Dannan fiddler Frankie Gavin.

Seán O'Driscoll and Larry Egan - The Kitchen Recordings

Literally recorded around a kitchen table, this CD is reputed to have a homey, relaxed vibe.  Can't wait to hear it!

Mick O'Connor & Antoin MacGabhann - Doorways and Windowsills

I've checked out some videos of Mick O'Connor playing and I really like what he's doing.  He may not be as well known as some of the others, but he appears to be on par with the best.  

Chris Smith – Coyote Banjo

I'm looking forward to getting this album.  I believe Chris Smith is an American musician now residing in Texas.  Coyote Banjo also features Roger Landes on bouzouki and Randal Bays on fiddle.


Then of course there's Mick Moloney, Gerry O'Connor, Barney McKenna...the list goes on!