Late breaking news - Joanie Madden of Cherish the Ladies will be in St.Louis for TIONOL - Arpil 8, 9 and 10. She and Brian McCoy will alternate between the advanced and intermediate classes. info on the web site will be changed to show that she’ll be coming. If you come for either the intermediate or advanced classes in whistle you’ll get a chance to work with both Joanie and Brian McCoy.
OK, once again…
OBLIGATORY POST!
Don’t know if I’ll make it, but STL isn’t too awfully far up the road.
Anyway, Joanie, I’m sending happy thoughts your way! 
Le gra,
Jim
Too good to miss.
I am 3 hours away and have no excuse…I’ll be there!
Hi everyone,
Joanie Madden needs no introduction. She is one of the finest entertainers in the TRAD and an awesome whistle and flute player and a great and fun person.
Brian McCoy may be the best whistle and flute player I know that is not really famous. Brian plays so fast, but with such a crisp style that it sometimes makes my head spin a bit. Brian McCoy is also a great teacher and anyone that signs up for either the Intermediate or Advanced classes will get to learn from two of the best whistle players I have ever heard, as well as the nicest people too. Don’t miss this opportunity to sharpen your skills. And the concert Saturday night is going to be just awesome with Brian, Joanie and another awesome flute player, John Skelton also performing and also teaching flute. John always plays a tune on his Bombarde too. Sounds just fantastic!. Ged Foley, who played with John in the House Band will also be there and Kevin Henry, a legend in Irish Music will be there, no doubt doing one of his recitations that last year had us rolling in the aisles and jumping with laughter. Woohoo! This is going to be great! If you can be in St. Louis the weekend of April 8-10, it is worth the trip.
Sessions at McGurks on Sunday afternoon are also fantastic. Getting to play in sessions with some of these great musicians is also a special treat.
I will be there, would’t miss it.
Check out the whole thing at
http://www.tionol.org
Mike
Based on my own experience the last two years, this would be a very hard event(s) to miss. The classes are great, the sessions are unbelievable, ane the concerts . . . a lineup like you seldom see on one stage in one evening. Last year at the concert I sat in the balconey near some fellow named Burke, he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as we were.
Did I forget to mention eatible sack lunches, friendly vendors, and lots of folks who’s names you might recognize from hanging around places like this.
Fortunately there’s nice roads between Racine and St Louis and my son has a couch that my wide body fits on. Oh yea, McGurk’s Sunday brunch and sessions.
WAhhhaahaaaaa… (whimper)… I have to play two dances that weekend … wahhaahaaa… so close and yet so far… 100 miles might as well be 1,000 …
(sniffle)…
Ah well.. I’ll just have to continue to wear out the CDs and tapes, I guess.
Joanie, I’m still waiting for specifics on your whistle bag request. 
Just in case the rest wasn’t enough to tip the scales - this year’s t-shrit is far and away the best one yet - guaranteed to be the star of your collection. Still not too late to order.
Annnnd … what’s it look like?..
I’m trying to work my way around to going for the Suday sessions at least… I can’t back out of the scheduled dances, but I could justify Sunday afternoon alright.
Got my confirmation back this morning. Glad I ordered the Tshirt my big dog collection is wearing thin. I’m looking forward to the whistle classes and the turkey sandwich too. I’ve already decided that if Sunday morning at McGurks is a much fun as in the past I may have to spend an extra night on my son’s sofa.
The T-shirt art is very much like the banner on the irish american post site.
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check out the article in the Irish Amercian post online - they did a lovely article on the TIONOL. If you want to see a preview of the Tshirt art - check out the banner ad.
Mike
AAAARrghh! This is so frustrating! I just can’t cut oout on the two dances… not even on one… I realllllly wanna go! (whiiiine)… You guys soak up enough to send my way… osmosis or something…
--------------- UPDATE
Well… I’ve been absolved of (almost) all of the guilt for missing the one dance (the one that actually pays, LOL!) which means that youngest daughter, also aspiring to play whistle, could go with. We’d be ther for Saturday’s classes, and then the concert, and would like very much to stay over for the sessions next day.
Now the next question is where to stay. Where is the nearest safe spot for a room that won’t cost us an arm and a leg??
Anybody in the know?
Great design. I’m glad mine’s on reserve. There won’t be any of those T-shirts lying around at check-in.
That’s also a very good article about Tional and of course Mike Mullins.
Should be another great weekend.
in addition to T-shirts we’ll have a few of the posters available for your collection if interested. Its basically the same artwork. They’ll be at the concert on Saturday night.
I’d be more than remiss if I didn’t pay tribute to the artist. All of the art for the past 7 years has been the effort of Domhnall Hegarty from Cork who lives here in Saint Louis and whom I’m proud to call my son-in-law.
Don’t know just why, but I’m not seeing any banner on the IAP site… except their text/headline style one… Somehow I don’t think that’ what you are talking about. I’m going on your excitement and buying one sight unseen anyway.
The article was good.
The banner is at the top of the page when you click on ‘Features’ . Notice the banner Ad for ‘Tional’ I looked past it the first time.
Ahhhhhh… I finally got it… I like it - very Mucha. 
Here is the poster:
http://www.tionol.org/concert.html
If you can make it you DEFINATELY have to go! I took Mary Bergin’s advanced workshop last year, and wow what a difference it can make in just one workshop. I’m really looking forward to this year! Last year was my first time going and this year will be another treat!
Seriously, to all those that haven’t ever taken any instruction from anyone before (I hadn’t), it is really amazing what I learned and picked up in just one workshop. If you have the chance and want to really spike your learning curve you should take one of the workshops. I can’t wait to see Joanie again… what a surprise!
Take care all,
John
You’ll have even more fun this year John if you keep better care of your car keys. :roll: Hope you can make it to the sessions too. The weather this year may be even better than last and it sounds like the events definately will be.