I have been watching the videos of bodhran instructor for a few days now. This happened after stumbling into the bodhran lessons of Jesse Ferguson. I have to agree with Jesse that Michelle is very technical when it comes to teaching. I admire her detailed discussion about how to holding the instrument, how to generate a pleasant sounds (when you get one out of the box), how to hold the tipper (beater) properly and so much more.
Her channel also contains inspirational videos to help you maintain your creativity. I think these videos speak to all types of persuasions be it musical, visual or literary. I encourage you to visit her Bodhran Master Class youtube channel and subscribe because she has lots of ideas to give you. Especially if you are learning how to play the instrument for the first time.
I enjoy playing my bodhran because it gives me a sense of diversion from all the online work do. It is also a good way to really get to the bottom of traditional Irish music. The lessons provide me the understanding why they are called jigs, reels, slip jigs or hornpipes. I learned appreciate various rhythms that serve as foundation of traditional Irish music.
I also discovered many youtube channels where you can learn for free and I will be posting them at the end of this blog.
Learning the bodhran is therapeutic. You have options to buy less expensive ones if you are a beginner. Professional ones cost around $125.00 or more. I think it is a very flexible percussion in terms of generating tones. I learned that you can either play it loud or soft depending on how you move your left palm and also the amount of pressure you apply. I am an enthusiastic student and I hope you join me in this musical journey. I will be posting more about bodhran resources online in my future articles.
Something exciting is happening in the trad/folk scene when these seven members of Skipper’s Alley released their self-titled EP this year. The EP has four tracks all possessing diverse arrangement yet cohesive in a sense that you know it is their sound. Ta Me Mo Shuidhe brings back the glory of Skara Brae and The Bothy Band. Rockin’ the Boat jumps at you with its grace as precision. Jim Coleman’s is another charmer with its awesome break between explosive choruses of trad instrument and the quieter uilleann pipes/fiddle ‘talk’ in between.
Wild Bill Jones is is a poignant ballad with beautiful vocals by John Flynn and Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin singing vocal harmony. I admire the play of shadows between the quiet and the rousing use of instruments. There is a current that runs through all the four tracks representing the band’s youth and excitement for playing music. There is also something magical about Skipper’s Alley as a band. You can sense it in the first track with that sparkling harp intro. You can feel the affection of their music wrapping around you in the sound of the uilleann pipes. The banjo gives their sound a kind of organic feel. The fiddle adds that skipping energy especially during jigs and reels. I like the otherworldly rhythm of the bodhrán, an instrument that is both modern and ancient. All instruments are recorded with that lush approach in this EP
These amazing young musicians made a great start with this this music. It is something that traditional or non traditional fans will really enjoy. There is that rock n roll energy on top of their folk beauty. Have a pint, enjoy the tunes and feel the love of music!
Yes folks Elva MacGowan is returning, this time with an EP called Secret Love. As the title suggests, expect standards, silky vocal delivery and exquisite musicianship. According to her:
“I have just recorded a single (Cry Me A River) taken from my forthcoming EP Secret Love.”
What can we expect from Secret Love?
“I am blending my knowledge of vocal performance with my love of old time jazz standards and traditional Irish accompaniments.
Who are the talents involved? You will be pleased: traditional musicians Donncha Moynihan on Guitar and Karl Nesbitt on Low Whistle and Bodhran.
Arthur Hamilton’s ‘Cry Me A River’ is a unique cover because it features traditional Irish instruments by traditional musicians. Elva MacGowan’s Celtic music projects are widely acclaimed and supported by peers in the industry. And this single is a testament to that fine artistry and control. I love other types of music and Jazz influenced my growing up. To have it in the same room as Traditional Irish music is such a wild thing!
How’s your Sunday folks? I want to give a big shout out to my friend The Wild Irish Poet Alan Cooke. It’s his birthday today. I also read in advance the copy of his new book The Spirit of Ireland(An Odyssey Home) . The cover above is just a possible cover as nothing is decided yet. I will be publishing my review soon and I got important quotes from this book. Anyway here’s the trailer:
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The Scottish New Music Awards: If you have any UK artist whom you think deserves and award, then go ahead and submit your nomination to http://www.scotmusicawards.co.uk/index.html
It is great to open up emails over coffee and so I had this conversation with artist Eve Williams who lives in Northern Ireland. She’s the one who actually talked about the link. According to her:
I really like the idea… coz nowadays music is not just about what’s in the charts. There are some great independent artists and they contribute to their local communities by playing and getting people out to hear them! The music industry in Northern Ireland is woeful. Hardly any venues, no publishers… the republic is better.
Golden melodies and shimmering sounds: these are the things that make Réalta a joy to listen to. No frills or effects. Just straight ahead traditional tunes but with undeniable freshness. Picture the sight of flowers blooming in spring. They play tunes that’s moving yet also capable of being unobtrusive. This is exactly the main ingredient in recordings that stand the test of time. Which calls to mind the term: less is more.
This trio from Belfast are made up of Aaron O’Hagan (Uilleann pipes, Flute, Whistles, Bodhran), Conor Lamb (Uilleann pipes, Whistles) and Deirdre Galway( Guitar, Bouzouki, Concertina). Dierdre sings in that Janis Ian meets Judy Collins style. That’s the closest comparison I can give you because it is hard to categorize her voice. It sounds soft to fit folk but there’s also something kind of hippie to it. You be the judge but that’s my observation.
Fact: Celtic music is mood enhancer. Something in Patsy Tohey’s-The Exile’s Jig, reminds me of riding long distance, and that is the soundtrack. I love the bouzouki. It sounds like honey dipped with sunlight. The guitar strums are wispy. It is balanced by the round sound of the wooden flute. The uilleann pipes have this silver metallic crispness. If you are into instrumental music then Réalta should be in your priority list.
I like the way Sliabh Gael gCua (air) creates that floating sensation. We live in a generation dominated by fast tracks. It gets too much sometimes. Slow tunes are awesome. I like an album that not only shows off acrobatic sounds but also lifts one’s soul with its slow airs.
Réalta creates impeccable arrangements. The Galtee has the kind of tightness that’s comparable to a thread going through the needle. Réalta celebrates the ecstatic spirit of Irish music in its brevity and grace.
Bio:
This Belfast based musical trio bring with them the intricate melodies and driving rhythms that make Irish music so loved throughout the world. While Conor and Aaron pursue the melody on dual uilleann pipes, whistles and flute, Deirdre explores the harmony and rhythms within the tunes through a dynamic accompaniment on guitar.
These three young musicians take a lively yet respectful approach to traditional music and have already established themselves on the Irish music scene. Between them, they have performed with a variety of established bands including Craobh Rua and Killultagh. Their experience includes venues and festivals such as The Smithsonian Folklife Festival (Washington), Festival Interceltico Accidente (Asturias), Alkmaar Irish Music Festival and Mulligan’s (The Netherlands), Randers Ugen (Denmark), Le Bono Folk Festival (Brittany), Tok Trad Festival (France), Girvan Folk Festival and Moniaive Folk Festival (Scotland), The Open House Festival (Belfast) and The William Kennedy Piping Festival (Armagh).
How are you? I am just enjoying the peaceful Easter Saturday tuning in to CRC FMbased in Castlebar, Ireland. My big thank you to Denis Charlton for playing my request. The song is called In a Lifetime by Bono and Clannad. Life is beautiful when there are sweet tunes around. Music makes the world go round. And where there is music, magic happens. My big thanks to my friend Damien McCarron for recommending the station to me. You know he has recommended a LOT to me and they contribute to my ideas.
Lúnasa
I wrote an essay about Lunasa in Expats Post earlier today. It’s one of the online magazine where I act as a music contributor. Here’s a little excerpt: My first introduction to the fabulous music of Lúnasa was through their second album Otherworld. The marriage of deep, tempestuous colors to the serene patterns of water in the album artwork conveys the deep connection of Irish music to the spiritual world. In the tradition that spans thousands of years, the passion and love for immortality is embodied in the melodies that explains the visual symmetry of the Celtic artwork.READ MORE.
Kevin O’Donnell
Here’s the fourth teaser for the Kevin O’ Donnell album:
Making of
Kevin returned to the studio in 2012 when Maurice Lennon, of Stockton’s Wing, agreed to produce an album of Kevin’s material. Kevin and Maurice eventually settled on ten original songs for the project. Some were pulled from the drawer; while others – previously recorded by Kevin in the ‘80s and ‘90s – were retooled, rearranged, and in some cases, completely rewritten. The project inspired Maurice to write an original tune (A Letter Home) that serves as a prelude to the album.
Easter Lily -by John Breen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjwR88_So7I is a perfect track today. The song has that warmness and down to Earth appeal that becomes a great tune to sing along with. Here’s the background:
Easter Lily recorded by John Breen and written by Brendan Phelan whose credits also include the hit Ballad’ Dublin in my Tears. This song is written about James Connolly’s wife Lillie Connolly who was originally from County Wicklow Ireland the same county as John Breen himself. James Connolly was a leader during the 1916 rising, having joined his workers army (the Citizen army) with the IRA to strike a blow for Irish independence and Socialism. James was murdered by the Brittish army for his part in the Easter Rising. He is an Iconic figure in Irish republicanism and indeed socialism globally. Lillie was from the Beautiful village in the east of County called Rathnew. James Connolly and Lillie nee Reynolds had seven children together, one of whom died tragically in a House fire. John Breen performs this with Steven Collins backing him on mandolin, banjo, vocals and bass guitar in what is their first recording together. The beginning of many more recordings to come…watch this space. https://www.facebook.com/JohnBreen2u https://www.facebook.com/JohnBreen2u?…
Drumkit, Bodhran, and Percussion performer/educator from Tasmania Australia
Listening to Jeremy Sibson is awe inspiring. He can play the percussion instruments to make them tonal-even emotionally delicate! His collection of various drums can make a percussionist drool. Just take a look at his gallery. His repertoire extends beyond Celtic to include Broadway, Jazz and even Modern Rock. Other than being a musical performer, he has also written and engineered tracks for other artists. I attached two videos. The first one is at a recent Cygnet Folk Festival. The second one is from Miss Saigon.
A Bodhrán Solo by Jeremy Sibson of WhistleBlower performing at the 2012 Cygnet Folk Festival
After seeing the massive percussion set-up for Miss Saigon, a lot of people were curious to see Jeremy and Robert in action. Here’s your chance. First of 3 videos from the Hobart season of Miss Saigon. October 2009. This is the percussion 2 part as played by Jeremy Sibson on opening night.
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Website update:
Jeremy Sibson’s current project is a huge one. He is in the process of writing an article on Tipper Grip for various styles of music that Bodhrán Players come across. This involves sending out a survey form to hundreds of Bodhrán players around the world and then compiling their answers and PoV photos and then trying to make sense of the findings. This is on-going as the questionnaires are still coming in. The questionnaire is located below this article for those of you who wish to be part of this survey. Just copy and paste into Word (or similar), fill out, attach your PoV photos, and then email back to me at the address below.
Bodhrán Grip Questionnaire.
Do you use more than one “grip” or style?
Do you often use more than one tipper? If so, how many and what sort (ie: Maker’s brand or description)
What brand/type of Bodhrán do you usually use?
Do you use more than one Bodhrán for your usual gig?
Do you have a favourite Bodhrán?
Do you use different Bodhráns for different musical situations? If so, can you describe why you would use the various drums for the different circumstances.
Can you please attach a clear photo showing the grip/s you use for holding the tipper in each and every style you play (eg: Top End, Kerry Style, etc.)
Thank you very much,
Jeremy Sibson
Please return this questionnaire to: jeremysibson@hotmail.com
Celtic Music Fan 