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Windtalker:Peace, Love and Tranquility (Conversations with Jenne Lennon)

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If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.  ~Mother Teresa

Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.  ~Gandhi

We challenge the culture of violence when we ourselves act in the certainty that violence is no longer acceptable, that it’s tired and outdated no matter how many cling to it in the stubborn belief that it still works and that it’s still valid.  ~Gerard Vanderhaar

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You are what you eat. I read this statement from Jim Corr a couple of years back in Time magazine when an article about Irish musicians making it big came out. True. What we watch, what we listen to and the kind of friends we hang out off-line and online speak about our personalities. So you might ask: is there a chainsaw in my horizon since I love to watch gory flicks?

I got an interesting discussion with artist Jenne Lennon yesterday. As much as I want to keep it for myself, I think she has many points that are interesting. So I am putting some of them here. She is launching Windtalker radio podcast and they talk to artists, activists, media, etc. and really anyone who is making a positive impact in the world around. According to her my having 120,000 hits on this site in support of good music is making an impact .

L to R:Liz Madden and Jenne Lennon

L to R:Liz Madden and Jenne Lennon

Listen to Jenne’s “Anam Spirit” song here:http://jennelennon.com/

CMF:I told her that I am “just a  vessel of something much bigger 🙂 We are all part of this pattern and we do what we can to make that pattern work.”

Jenne: “I would definitely have to agree with that statement. We are all vessels of something bigger. Here to send a message and make an impact. My hope for the world is that everyone would want to make a positive impact and that people would realize the potential within themselves to create a bigger impact than they believe is possible. We sell ourselves too short as humans. We do not give ourselves enough credit. We believe we our powerless over our own destiny and we accept mediocrity because we think we should. But, we always long for something greater. That’s why I created windtalker radio, with Liz’s help and the help of my producer Roland Labana, and then created the windtalker blog. And, that’s why I create this music along with Shishonnah. longing for something greater.”

“With what is going on in the world, we need more positivity. We need to believe on something. And I think that the more people like you who are doing this project, the more we will make this world a safer place to live. Kudos to you and Liz and the people involved in this project. This is a milestone…and personally? I think this is the best part of being alive today . Making an impact and knowing kindred spirits!”

“Absolutely. Life as difficult and as complex as it can be, is really that simple. We as humans bring an unnecessary complexity to it and in our journeys here on earth, must find our paths to bring us back to the loving simplicities of life. And, I suppose it only happens through impact and suffering. But, that is something we all share, and I hope all of us can learn this in the new century and I would hope many more people will make an effort. Yourself included, you are doing great work too! 🙂 and thank you for the well wishes. They are always appreciated!”

“Who would have thought that I will come face to face with amazing people when I created that blog out of loneliness. But yes , the little things we do, we will just be surprised that one day, like a seed it is going to bear fruits. And the greatest fruit of all is knowing that what you do is not for yourself alone but for others , and making it easier, making it better…connecting to that bigger source where all things come from.”

“I suppose we all seek creative endeavours of loneliness…huh? Bono said it best, that the artist always feels a sense of emptiness that needs to be filled. Or, in one of Anne Rice’s novels, a lead character says that strong people always feel a depth of loneliness. We create in an effort to create a better world around us, without even knowing that is why we are doing so. Basic human psychology. It’s kind of funny if you think about it. I understand loneliness, definitely. But, I hope you don’t feel alone anymore. It is a different world now. A different century. People are getting better though the media would have you think otherwise”.

“We are actually launching the second single “I will Carry You” on Friday. I think you will like this one. Very different from Dance With The River. A slow ballad talking about loss and knowing that one day things will get better. We are already getting a great response from listeners. A lot of people identify with the lyrics. Maybe, you might too. :)”

“I think I can relate to that. I parted ways with someone very dear recently because long distance relationships don’t work. So this song will have meaning to me. One of those “soundtrack of your life” kind of thing. I know I will love this song.”

“Something similar happened to me a little over a year ago, but it does get better. The universe can be very kind. When you bravely take a big step in your life such as a breakup or a career move, or even grieving a death, it changes the energies around you and steers the positive your way. Taking a big step like that can actually bring something greater your way. A few months later I had an incredible experience on top of St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. A few days later stepping off a plane, Liz found me in the U.S. and so did my husband. All of that suffering brought great new changes”.

  “I agree with you. The universe is kind. All you need to do is take it easy, step back and wait a bit longer. Something will turn up.My big congratulations to you and your new life. We are blessed!”

“Yes, definitely we are blessed. A lot of people forget that. That’s why I work so much with the Native Americans. They understand this and they accept pain and suffering willingly. A lot of world religions preach this, but don’t execute it. The Natives do and find happiness and contentment in so much. Working with them saved my life.”

Going back to my interview with her in 2009, she has been very outspoken in her work with the Native Americans. In this spirit I will let you listen to these wonderful videos.

Bands and Artists to Watch Out For 2011!

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Music was my refuge.  I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.  ~Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name

Truly to sing, that is a different breath.  ~Rainer Maria Rilke


There’s music in the sighing of a reed;
There’s music in the gushing of a rill;
There’s music in all things, if men had ears:
Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.
~Lord Byron

Forget the gods and goddesses of pop charts. Here is where the musical action is. I think you are missing  a lot if you think that bright young talents are only those you see on Seventeen Magazines and Rolling Stones(the latter lost my respect after featuring Britney Spears on the cover and calling it rock). Real musicians go to Music production courses. Not that it is really a requirement. But at the end of the day, it is really music that matters. It is a sickness that has no cure.

It is however great to know that the guys I am listening to don’t spend hours in the mirror trying to make sure the hair looks nice and the clothes they wear look hip in the camera. OK, it is important to look good but at least not as an obsession. No pitch shifter for you, or music moguls trying to scout for talents and later on eat them. I am sure you have heard the latest news right? People who get into the music are blessed-only the business itself can suck. And if you are not strong enough, then you will wind up on a cover of a magazine as a ‘has been’ or worse.

My friend Jimmy and I spend hours upon hours chatting about music . And we always come out with something new because we challenge one another in terms of finding new music out there. As a true musician, he spreads the word through his sessions. And as a true music lover, I spread the art through this medium. And it works! Yay! I have another friend Christi who adds her insight about music . And Irish-American herself, she is always knows what bands  are interesting. So the three of us work together to throw  ideas and it is a teamwork that has started in March and continues to do so.

In all relationships there are always challenges. But finding a common ground will always keep one afloat and sane. In my case it is always about music. After all, a heartbeat is one of the best music there is. And I am attracted to that. So when all else fail, listen to music. And you will know that everything will be ok.

Let me introduced you to the bands that caught my attention with their playing. And yes they are young!

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left to right: Luke Fraser,Evan Peter Hodgson Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Sarah Frank and Anh Phung . Photo by Marshall Gayman

left to right: Luke Fraser,Evan Peter Hodgson Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Sarah Frank and Anh Phung . Photo by Marshall Gayman

The Bombadils are a five-piece Celtic band based out of Montreal, Quebec. With a combination of Irish drinking-song entertainment and danceable instrumental sets, The Bombadils have impressed loyal pub-goers as well as some of the top musicians in Canada.

I stumbled upon one of their youtube videos and I was hooked! Unique blend of influences and remarkable stage presence.

Sarah Frank: fiddle, vocals is armed with a mad playing style that can reach the frenzy and then come down to a a nuance.
Luke Fraser: guitar, mandolin, vocals is one amazing vocalist that probably got a bit of blessing from uncle Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket. You should see him strum and you know you are in for some electrifying performance.
Anh Phung: flute, vocals keeps that perky and chirpy side of the music .
Kit Soden: (Former member) guitar, vocals, the rhythm man .
Evan Stewart: bass is the grooves guy.
Noam Bierstone: percussion adds the crunch and slam to the tapestry of sound these guys create.http://www.reverbnation.com/thebombadils and  http://www.thebombadils.com/  

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Tyler Carson is a violin player for life. He has been performing professionally since 11 years old. He started out busking and managed to take it from there, via the free business cards that he handed out, to performances around the world including Japan, Thailand, Cayman Islands, New Zealand and even some big TV shows including the Jerry Lewis Telethon in Hollywood (performed just after Savion Glover and just before Jason Alexander). He was also a soloist with the 50 piece Victoria Symphony Orchestra on several occasions starting at the age of 13. He  played a lot of different styles and loved it, but that said, it has given him quite the challenge as a grown artist. Here is a proof why he is the devil of the violin. http://www.myspace.com/tylercarson

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Jeremy Kittel is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the nation’s most creative young musicians. Classically trained, he grew up in the Irish, folk and jazz music scenes of Ann Arbor and Detroit. As a youth he often traveled to Ireland and Scotland to further his studies of traditional music. In addition to performing with his own band and as a soloist with orchestras, Jeremy tours worldwide as the newest member of the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet. You should check this performance out and you will know what I mean. http://jeremykittel.com/

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Ciorras left to right: Dermot Sheedy,Tadhg Ó Meachair,Stephen Rooney,Robert Harvey,Ciara Cunningham, Tommy Fitzharris, Tara Breen, James Mahon

Ciorras left to right: Dermot Sheedy,Tadhg Ó Meachair,Stephen Rooney,Robert Harvey,Ciara Cunningham, Tommy Fitzharris, Tara Breen, James Mahon

Ciorras (info from the official website) were formed as a band in 2010 when the individual members were among a large number of young musicians who featured in the hit TG4 series, Lorg Lunny. As part of his journey around the country searching for young musical talent, these 8 young musicians were invited by maestro Dónal Lunny to create a new band with a fresh, new unique sound in traditional music. Thus Ciorras was born, a young and innovative band centered around Dónal’s new percussion instrument ‘The Greadán’, creating a sound that is a hybrid of both new and old traditions.

This exciting new band have a diverse repertoire of newly composed tunes sitting comfortable alongside the more traditional repertoire and a selection of lesser-known songs. With an impressive assortment of instruments between them including fiddle, concertina, pipes, piano accordion, keyboards, percussion, low-whistles, voice and no less than 4 exceptional flute players, the possibilities are endless as demonstrated in their choice of repertoire woven among imaginative and original arrangements and played with an energy and enthusiasm that showcases the phenomenal playing ability and musicality of these outstanding young musicians. http://www.ciorras.com/

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Fiona

Fiona Kelleher-Folk Roots call her “A gifted vocalist” . This is what I noticed when I heard her song ” I Will Put My Ship in Order”. I guess for those who are ‘recovering’ from a truly bad personal experience, this song can be a source of healing. There is nuance, intelligence and yet power in her voice. It is like hearing the tinkling of a wineglass behind the fogging window of a cozy bar.  http://www.fionakelleher.com

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Toby Shaer from England leads a band called Under The Ice: an eclectic blend of funk, Jazz and Celtic music weave seamlessly you wont recognize at first listen which one starts and which one ends. This is interesting for a young band. Especially when a  lot of young people right now are into the more popular forms of music. This is a plus. He has another project called Boy Cries Wolf and you can hear them here: http://www.reverbnation.com/boycrieswolfuk

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Irish Music Useful Links

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The traditional music collective is ever growing with people creating sites and musicians uploading more links to their works. I dropped by my buddies at the TradConnect forum and threw them a question. I was asking about useful topics because these past few days were trying. I think I am suffering from writer’s block.It is hard to think and writing was a struggle. But that is life. Sometimes you make it easy, sometimes you walk the hard road. And the hardest roads are the ones that shape you and make you think about what kind of person you are.

I have learned that anger can change you and turn you into someone else. But stepping back, and asking your soul is always helpful-but hard amidst the raging storm. I was off from an island vacation. I remember how angry the sea was and how scared I was. And I left it with the waves still angry.

Within this adventure. Our bus passed by a victim of  a motorcycle accident. I didn’t look at the window. People said there was too much blood. Then I look ahead just a few meters from the scene of the accident and realized how the world didn’t care. How butterflies and birds still dance in the wind. How people go on with their daily lives not caring that a tragedy has happened. And the sky was ever blue, not mindful of the darkness behind. Scenes such as these makes you think….how fragile we all are and how frail our voices can be, so helpless against the humdrum of the world around us. So there is no one to deal with your broken soul but you. Love yourself more…that is the only way to be saved! Because sometimes…no one will.

The guys are really helpful and enthusiastic . I like to thank Jim McAuley for the wonderful links he provided me. Here’s his video playing Parnell’s March and Strop The Razor.

Jim and Friend’s :Jim McAuley (fiddle) – Daire Taylor ( Pipes ) Morton Robinson ( Banjo ) and John Morrow ( Guitar ),, At of Local Session, all player’s are from East Antrim.

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Below are useful links for those who are trying to gather more information about Traditional Irish music.

http://www.causewaymusic.co.uk/-Built by Dick Glasgow as a site dedicated to his music plus links to other sites. Very educational

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Ireland#Traditional_music-This is a wikipedia article about the music of Ireland.

http://www.standingstones.com/cmaoitm.html-The following discussion on the origins of Irish traditional music was assembled from several posts made by Caoimhín Mac Aoidh to the IRTRAD-L list. Caoimhín Mac Aoidh is an expert on the fiddle music of Donegal, which he has been collecting and studying for many years.

http://comhaltas.ie/?gclid=CPDE4Ye5jqoCFcIMfAodxjJtwA–Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann -From the website:is the largest group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music. We’re a non-profit cultural movement with hundreds of local branches around the world, and as you can read in our history we’ve been working for the cause of Irish music since the middle of the last century (1951 to be precise). Our efforts continue with increasing zeal as the movement launches itself into the 21st century.

Carmel Conway on a Declan O’Rourke song “Galileo”

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Who knows if at this very moment, someone in the other side of the globe is contemplating:

Who puts the rainbow in the sky?
Who lights the stars at night?
Who dreamt up someone so divine?
Someone like you and made them mine?

This guy or girl is not Galileo of his time but rather someone who is probably trying to deal with something as exquisite as love. But no , I am not writing for the happy ones. I am writing about you. The lonely one. The one looking for missed soul mates.The one who’s feelings of longing has never been requited but is left to deal with them alone. Come on admit it. Do you sit on a coach looking at old love letters? Do you watch the rain as it falls like tracks of your tears? Do you hug yourself and watch at the stars wondering if there is a greater infinity than a sense of loss of not being united to that someone who gives you the reason to breath.  And the only comfort out of that beautiful pain is a piece of music; a song that can make you endure through the day…like this beautiful Declan O’Rourke song interpreted by the talented Irish singer Carmel Conway.

As a child I had been fascinated by scientists. I remember the name Galileo Galilei stuck in my head in fifth grade. He proved to the world that genius is without its price. That anyone with such mind has to bear the burden of being unhappy.

Declan O’Rourke composed this song which is included in his album Since Kyabram (2004) . Other artists have covered this wonderful track including Scottish singer Eddie Reader. Here is an interesting info I picked up:

O’Rourke attracted praise from Paul Weller for his song Galileo (Someone Like You) which he cited in an interview with Q Magazine as the song he most wished he’d written from the past twenty years; he later included O’Rourke’s recording of the song on an album of his favourite songs included with a special edition of the magazine dedicated to him. Weller invited O’Rourke to perform at the 100 Club in London. And, on his recent mini-residency at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Weller invited O’Rourke on stage as a special guest to perform a duet of Galileo. Other notable fans of O’Rourke are Rolling Stones guitarist, Ronnie Wood[citation needed], Chris Rea, and Paul Brady who describes O’Rourke as a “most talented singer-songwriter… [possessing] a rich, soulful, musical voice and a brilliant instrumental ability“[citation needed]. Eddi Reader once said that he was “one of the finest songwriters on the planet“.

I am featuring a cover by Carmel Conway because I lover her voice and the arrangement. I am sure  you my readers out there have your own likes as well. But this one speaks to me as of this moment because of its dreamy pace and how her voice, rises and falls like  gentle ocean waves. I am also including the original version underneath and it is up to you my readers to decide which one you like the most. So hush now and let us sing together. Pretend…yes pretend for a moment you are not alone.

Galileo fell in love as a Galilean boy,
And he wondered what in heaven who invented such a joy.
But the question got the better of his scientific mind,
And to his blind and dying gaze,
He looked up high and often sighed,
And sometimes cried,

Who puts the rainbow in the sky?
Who lights the stars at night?
Who dreamt up someone so divine?
Someone like you and made them mine?

Love can make you ask some funny questions now and then.
But just remember the alternatives for I remember when
I was lonely and unhappy,
And my lips were cold as ice.
But you kissed me, and good heavens,
Now I’m here in paradise,
So if ever I’m not kissing you or looking in your eyes.
I won’t be blind, and I won’t cry.
I’ll look up high and gladly sigh,
And thank the guy,

Who puts the rainbow in the sky?
Who lights the stars at night?
Who dreamt up someone so divine?
Someone like you and made them mine?
Someone like you and made them mine?

More info about the singer here: http://carmelconway.com/

and about the composer: http://declanorourke.com

Wonder Flutist Orlaith McAuliffe

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If you pop in and out of traditional music discussion board then you might have heard of  the name Orlaith McAuliffe being mentioned a lot of times. This is due to her techniques in playing and of course for winning many competitions under her belt. Orlaith is based in London but her parents are from Kerry.

This video will show you what I mean.Orlaith is playing here on a Hammy Hamilton keyless ‘D’ flute.

If you are a member of TradConnect, you can see her page here: http://tradconnect.com/profile/OrlaithMcAuliffe