Just wanted to pass along to those folks that I met at the Irish Arts Week, THANKS for making my first ever music week a great experience.
Craig, Jim, Mark, Phillip, Jonathan, Neil, and all the other folks I hope you had as great of a time as I did and hope we can meet up again.
For those that did not get to attend, in the words of Sean Connolly at Saturday’s concert, “the East Durham Irish Arts Week is the North American version of Willie Clancy Week”. I think he might be right.
Special thanks to Jerry, Brian and Benedict for their instruction and patience.
I do not think it could have gotten any better. If you did not go try your best to be there next summer.
Gary, it was nice to meet you as well in addition to all the new faces that I became acquainted with. It was a brilliant week and I look forward to next years. . . Although, if I’m in Ireland I think I’ll choose the Willy Clancy over IAW. Then maybe Tubercurry, Achill . . . . and on and on.
Gary from Mars…??? It certainly was an excellent week..Must maintain and continue attempting all the ornamentation, although I must confess..I played Rambling Pitchfork at session last night…and well ..it was the old basic version…these things take time. They would have been lost in the crowd anyway and I took the easy way on the tune The good news is I only have 19 more years to go!!!
Remember think G when cutting F#.
ps can someone send or post the class photo..I didnt get one
Hi Gary! Thanks for giving me a ride back to my hotel every day!
I had such a great time and learned so much in both the pipe class and the flute one! Now I must practice practice practice!
Benedict was so right when he told me to remember that I was playing the pipes,not the flute,and so should make more use of closing the chanter between notes,as I can’t use my breath for silence, phrasing,etc.Must practice that!
-Kelly
It was awesome meeting you and all other pipers that I’ve chatted with on here but finally got a chance to meet in person. Good to know that other pipers find it hard to play these darn things with one hand wrapped around your throat.
I’ve already booked my room for the Halloween Tionol and can not wait for next year’s Irish Arts Week.
The only thing that would have made the week complete is if I had remembered to bring my pipes home with me. Left them in my bathroom at Gavin’s. Im such a typical Engineer.
Dan, it was good to meet you as well as the other “board” guys. I had an extremely good week and with good planning, and my wife saying “yes”, I can be at the 2005 Irish Arts Week. The Halloween thing is not going to happen for me because of schedule but I will be plugging along on what I recorded last week until i get the tunes downpat.
The IAW in East Durham was a terific experience, despite the soft Irish weather arriving with the musicians from Ireland at the start and remaining the week. I really enjoyed meeting a great group of lads and ladies, many of which contribute to this board and whom I have had the pleasure of seeing at other NYC area events. The daily end to end music (including impromtu sessions breaking out in the diner at 8:30 in the morning!), starting with the morning and afternoon classes (with Benedict, Brian and Jerry in alphabetical order), then session all over town, lectures on the music from Lietrim, grand concerts by some fantastic musicians (many thanks to all!) and more sessions into the bleary-eye hours, was numbing! I made many new friends, put a face to some Upers on the board here, had some great surprises (met several people that new my mother’s family in Cloone, Co. Lietrim and Brian MacNamara’s grandfather apparently bought a horse pulled lawn mower from my grandfather 80 years ago according to his father who attended the week!), and unexpectantly met some old friends (including a woman that I had a date with in college!). Yes many surprises, and a great musical experience. I really enjoyed the contrast of learning new tunes with Jerry and working on techniques to improve old tunes with Brian. Unfortunitly, didn’t get to take the maintenance class with BK (next time perhaps). I am looking forward to next year, but probably would stay in another motel rather than stay in the “hole on the hill” as I would refer to it without mentioning names, 1965 decor and only occaisional running water was a bit of a drag.
Just wanted to pass along to those folks that I met at the Irish Arts Week, THANKS for making my first ever music week a great experience.
Craig, Jim, Mark, Phillip, Jonathan, Neil, and all the other folks I hope you had as great of a time as I did and hope we can meet up again.
Gary,
back at you, it was great meeting you and the other folks in the class as well. I was truly bummed I couldn’t stay for the whole week, but maybe next year… Or the East Coast Tionol… I would have loved to hear what Brian does with the Rambling Pitchfork. Where did Katie get that version of The Road to Lisdoonvarna? It doesn’t seem to match any of the dots I’ve come across.
Just wanted to pass along to those folks that I met at the Irish Arts Week, THANKS for making my first ever music week a great experience.
Craig, Jim, Mark, Phillip, Jonathan, Neil, and all the other folks I hope you had as great of a time as I did and hope we can meet up again.
Hi again Gary and all the others I met out east - finally got around to checking the messages on this board since I got back from the Catskills. I agree that the CIAW was a great experience (my first as well). I’ve been practicing every day since I got back but it’s been really hard trying to break all those bad whistle habits I have (the fingers just don’t want to stay down). I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it back next year but we’ll see. I’m still trying to catch up on sleep (3 sessions in the last week didn’t help) since I’ll be off to the Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School in a few weeks and lessons with my old friend Daragh de Bruin.
If anyone has photos of the beginner class or pipe and reed maintenance class with Benedict, I’d like copies…
The good news is I only have 19 more years to go!!! 
