Celtic music

Catching up with artist Jenne Lennon

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Film composer/arranger and kickboxer! Jenne Lennon is the woman of the new century.

For months now I wanted to post something about Jenne Lennon especially her project in South Africa but we never seem to cross paths in the internet. But there are good moments when this happens. This is a candid interview . Well, not really an official one because we are still going to set the time. But it is really important to get the information out. After all blogging is all about telling the world what’s going on. In my case, it’s what’s going on in the world of music.To avoid confusion, I bolded my lines.

JL: There you Are!! I was trying to reach you via Skype for a while. Thought something happened to you due to the Tsunami.

B:I have a new skype account

I see. Are you and your family well? I’m very relieved to hear that.

Jenne Lennon: South Africa changed my life.

Jenne Lennon: South Africa changed my life.

Yes and how about you?

Doing quite well thank you. South Africa changed my life and things here in Chicago are going quite nicely although this was the coldest, longest, winter in Chicago history

Glad to hear. We should have an audio interview soon via Skype.

Absolutely! I would LOVE that

Yeah spring came late in the US.

To late. Only last week in fact hehe we had a snowstorm 2 weeks ago.

Yeah I read the news.

And is it warm over there?

Yes.All he time hahahaha. Sometimes it gets too much.

Jealous….except for those tropical storms in fact. And how is your blog going?

Yes haha!It’s still(blogging) going passionately..weathering storms 😉

Good!

I guess what you can’t stop from doing defines who you are or what you are.

Well said!

And how’s music?

Going so well. Did a score and a choral scene for a new film “A Million Miles Away” i’ts one several awards and received many great reviews. I’m working with a NY composer right now on a Broadway project.

Wow.Getting bigger and bigger.

Thank you sir.I hope so. I just want my music to reach a larger audience and have a more significant impact. Film and theatre seems to be a great match for that.

Yes they are great vehicles. I will look for that film.

Please do! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. It’s about the power of music and young women. It’s a short, but is so powerful.The director is called Jennifer Reeder/Producer Steven Hudosh.

I see!Ok cool I will look for it and write about it.

That would be wonderful! I think you’re going to love it. 75% of the music is mine, the whole song in the choral scene is my arrangement, and I worked as the behind the scenes conductor in the film.

Wow.Glad to hear that.

Thank you. It’s my first film. Hope it is not the last.

I hope so too!

Unfortunately, I have to go. I have a kickboxing class. Hehe! Let’s chat soon!Glad you are okay!

Yes take care. And kick it!!!

Thank you

 

Photo by: By Roland Labana

 

http://www.jennelennon.com
http://www.glencoerecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/jennelennon
http://www.thecelticlink.com/jennelennon
http://www.srtrc.org/

 

Remembering The Late Dave Hum

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Dave Hum was a great banjo player. He added a twist to this traditional instrument by going beyond the styles intended for the banjo. In his last project, he fused electronic sounds with ambient styles to create a marriage between the old a the new, the rural and the urban. It’s sad to announce that he passed away last year as he succumbed to a physical illness. It made me wonder for a while what happened to him. He disappeared from posting on facebook. Then one of his children made the announcement. It was heartbreaking because I used to chat with him. He was so happy with his recordings. He sent me two albums of his Traditional Irish and Scottish banjo music. He had so many things in mind. Then just like that…he disappeared.

I think I know what his family members went through and are and still going through. I lost my mom in the middle of last year. It doesn’t end. The hole of loss is still there. But I know that his music will be like sunshine in the midst of rain. He was an inspiring and beautiful soul. He will be missed. I know I will because I remember him today and I dedicate this post to him.

More from his official website: http://www.davehum.com/

Recording Updates from Moxie and Robert Doyle

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Wow it’s just the middle of the week and more phantasmagorically smashing updates are coming up from the world of music. OUR world of music 😉

Moxie announced their plans of recording a new album late last year. Now, they are in the middle of it and the effort looks and sounds really promising. Check this amazing link. It gives the new meaning to the word busy :

MOXIE http://www.moxiemuso.com https://www.facebook.com/Moxiemuso
https://www.framelight.ie
http://beechpark.com (Studio)

Robert Doyle is releasing his new album next year. Here’s a sneak peak at the tunes he’s making. Arrangement by  Mark Thomson and video by  Alan Lambert .

Sliabh Russell/Out on the Ocean

http://www.robertdoyle.net

 

 

Two Available tracks from Wish by Poitin, via Soundcloud.

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Yes you heard it right. The new album Wish by Poitin is finished. The main reason to rejoice.

Just when the thought the seas have calmed, Poitin brings out a new album called Wish. I am not sure about the details of the album yet, but I know the band have worked in recording tracks around Autumn last year. They uploaded two track via soundcloud: The Broomfield Wager and Toffee Jigs. The former is a vocal track showcasing the versatility of Jeremy King’s voice. It is also an acoustic and bodhran driven song. The latter is an instrumental collection of traditional tunes.

Like I said, I have not listened to the whole album yet, but I can tell this is something new. The poitin flavor is still there. But there is that slick and superb texture that I noticed in these two tracks. It is easy to judge that the album will sound this way. And this is an exciting release!

The album will be available everywhere and I will tell you more about it in my future post about the guys of Poitin.

Repost your Soundcloud!

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A blog featuring John Breen, Fraser Fifield and TradConnect

It is great to realize that soundcloud has grown into a site where musicians and listeners can interact and repost music. Have you been reposting the music you heard too? I have been doing this today. I have not uploaded my podcast in soundcloud as I use mixcloud for that. But soundcloud is still the biggest site where you can reach many people.
From a mere(passive)listener of tracks you can actually make a difference by reposting. So you don’t have to be a blogger to influence people if you have a soundcloud account. Just share what you are listening to and the Internet will take care of the rest.

When bloggers like us experience a downtime in traffic and comments, we launch into conclusion that perhaps we have done something wrong to put our readers off. Maybe we are not doing good enough and that is why readers are going somewhere. Well, the truth is, you are wrong. For niche bloggers like me, it is expected that I will get specialized subscribers who are really passionate about Celtic music. I don’t expect pop listeners to check out what I post. This goes with other niche blogs out there.

Too many choices.

As new bloggers crop up everywhere, competition becomes deadly. The market is no longer dominated by those who are ‘stalwarts’ in this industry. Prepare for that. When you are doing video blogs or simply writing blogs, don’t be discouraged when you have lost view counts. This is normal. It happens to everyone. It’s even happening to Tech vlogger Chris Pirillo.

Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Are you afraid that if you do something different you will turn certain subscribers off? Don’t be. In fact it might be a good thing. Blogging is like marriage. There are times when a relationship hits plateau and you need to do something different to spice the relationship up.

Going back to soundcloud, I have discovered new posts today and I am sharing them with you. Yes this post is after all about soundclous. But if you get something helpful from by detour then good!

 

John Breen’s Compilation

 

 

I enjoyed many songs from John Breen. There is this simplicity in his way of delivering songs. Expect a range of songs going from simple to grand treatments. This time he compiled his own soundcloud playlist of what he thinks are his top artists.

 

Fraser Fifield Playlist

Here’s the Scottish master of eclecticism. This is a good introduction to what his music is all about. There are other amazing talents that share the spotlight with him, in these recordings.

 

TradConnect playlist:

If you are looking for something purely trad then this is the best site for that.