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But Cormac was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. īut Irish music is where the story begins–and Cormac loves playing it. And to Mary MacNamara’s kitchen in Tulla: that’s Mary’s little town in County Clare, where she teaches music and organizes exchanges between Tulla kids and young musicians like Cormac.Īnd I promise, whether you already play the fiddle, or you don’t know anything about traditional music or dance, this story-and the amazing and incredibly charming people you’ll meet-well, it’s not just about Ireland and Irish music. I’ll also take you to Comhaltas branches (Irish music schools) in Boston AND in Dublin. Tune: “Grúpaí Ceoil Theme,” production music made for this episode > Shannon: In this episode, you’ll hear more about Cormac’s experience in the big Irish music competition –and what it meant to him... and to all the parents, teachers, and peers that were in on the qualifying round in New Jersey, and the big All Ireland finals in County Sligo. There must have been at least 1500 people there. > Cormac: It was massive! They took over this giant auditorium. ... like why 400,000 people–including a band of 8-15 year olds from Boston–would head to the “All Ireland Fleadh,” a contest featuring top traditional musicians from around the globe.Ĭormac plays flute and uilleann pipes (the Irish bagpipes) with a group of kids from Boston who competed in the 2015 All Ireland Fleadh: Tune: “The Tap Room” (reel), from rehearsal, circa 2009Īrtist: Dan Gurney (accordion) with Matt & Shannon Heaton ] > Shannon: I’m Shannon Heaton, and this is Irish Music Stories, the show about traditional music, and the bigger stories behind it…. > Anne Marie Kennedy: Galway based writer and journalist > Karan Casey: Waterford-born folk singer and songwriter who has appeared on stages and recordings with numerous projects > Phoebe Wells: holistic health practitioner and mother of piper Cormac Gaj > Liz Carroll: Chicago-based fiddle player and composer who has been named All-Ireland champ, Grammy nominee, National Heritage Fellow, and TG4 Cumadóir > Rosa Carroll: County Clare-born fiddle player who formed a duo with concertina player Lily Connor > Lisa Coyne: Melrose, Massachusetts-based flute player and clinical psychologist who helped facilitate the Trad Youth Exchange with Boston Comhaltas and Clare musician Mary MacNamara > Mary MacNamara: East Clare concertina player and educator who facilitated the Trad Youth Exchange with Lisa Coyne, between her young students and Boston Comhaltas students
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> Siobhán Ní Chonaráin: Flute player, tutor, administrator for Comhaltas main branch in Monkstown > Seamus Connolly: Master fiddle player, educator, and festival organizer with ten All-Ireland solo fiddle championships, National Heritage Fellowship, and Boston College Faculty Award
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> Cormac Gaj: When this podcast aired, Cormac was a young uilleann piper in Boston’s Comhaltas music school > Shannon Heaton: flute player, singer, composer, teacher, and host of Irish Music Stories This Irish Music Stories episode aired February 14, 2017 Special thank you to Lisa Coyne for being a great traveling companion and sounding board, and to David Laveille for his encouragement to focus more on stories, and less on academic abstractions.Įpisode 01 – Trip to Sligo: How Boston band earned a trip to the West of Ireland. And to Paula Carroll, Anne Marie and James Kennedy, and Aidan Collins and Pauline and Sean. Thank you to all the guests in this episode, especially to Mary MacNamara and her husband Kevin who welcomed IMS into their home in Tulla. There’s a Yeats poem here, too, recited by Anne Marie Kennedy.
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You’ll meet young piper Cormac Gaj, teachers at Comhaltas Music Schools, concertina player Mary MacNamara in Tulla, singer Karan Casey, master fiddle players Seamus Connolly and Liz Carroll. With visits to Boston, Dublin, Clare, and Chicago, “Trip to Sligo” digs into what the competition meant to all the kids, parents, and teachers who were involved in the qualifying round in New Jersey, and the big summer Fleadh in Ireland. The inaugural IMS Podcast episode investigates why 400,000 people–and a band of kids from Boston–ended up at the All Ireland music competition in Sligo.