Walking the line(s)
I’ve been thinking a great deal about lines lately. Not just the drawn line, of which I am overly fond, but other lines and how we toe them…. train lines, airlines, bus lines, online vs. offline, lines of code, wrack lines, Irish Dance lines… lines lines lines. In the past couple of weeks (possibly longer, ...
Riley School Saturday
As most of my long time readers know, Saturdays are sacred. We spend them, mornings at least, and often early afternoons, attending music classes (sometimes teaching), gathering for lunch and performance time over home-made soup and band time practice – either ceili band, kids band, or slow-jam band. It is a sort of weekly cultural ...
Pride
Just a quick post to share the results of our weekend in Chicago for the Midwest Fleadh Choeoil. It was, as usual, quite the adventure. The Chicago Irish-American Heritage Center rolled out the red carpet to locals and those-from-afar alike. It was our second time back there and it felt like home, being welcomed by ...
In Honor of St. Patrick’s Day
Once upon a time, I picked up a cheap tin whistle and tried to play a few notes. A brilliantly talented 14 year old kid taught me my first few tunes (she is now all grown up and is my dear friend and co-worker and emerging young artist). When my son went away to music ...
Richness.
Aside from my family’s foray south for the 2011 New Year’s eve this time last year, there is somewhat of a tradition round these parts to gather together to play music on the final night of the year and to ring in the New Year with tunes and friendship. And so we did. There was ...
Happy holiday
We have seen much rain and fog here lately which makes the swing of the year’s pendulum back toward the longer days and shorter nights a welcome notion. When there is too much darkness, we light candles….. And curl up for naps in our cozy beds. And occasionally, the clouds part and remind us of ...
shelled
Today my boy Jack (who is a fabulous musician) and I (who am hack musician) are heading to Chicago for the annual fleadh cheoil. This is a big competition for those of us who play traditional Irish Music. Jack will compete solo in fiddle and mandolin and then later in the day, we will both ...
season of green
Recent weeks have seen a distinct greening on many levels. There are signs of spring in the warmer nooks of the city, indicated with a few daffodils sprinkled about and some trees gingerly allowing their buds out to play in the warm breezes. However…. “It was one of those March days when the sun shines ...
solstice
Today was the Solstice and I heard there was quite a lunar spectacle last night in regions not plagued by cloud cover and snow. I’ll take the snow though as it makes everything lovely. It’s been quite a winter already… and winter is just starting. Tonight I got an early start on one of my ...
What do i know?
“Science works with chunks and bits and pieces of things with the continuity presumed, and the artist works only with the continuities of things with the chunks and bits and pieces presumed.” ~Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance Last week I traveled to New York City. This was only my third visit ...