Wind on the Bay 2006

Irish Flute
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Hey All!

I just got back from WInd on the Bay - held each year in RI by Skip Healy.

It was an awesome weekend! Instructors were: SKip (of course), John Skelton, Andra Bohnet, Aoife Clancy and Joannie Madden!

There were sessions both Friday and Saturday night. Saturday’s session had the above mentioned musicians joined by Joannie’s dad - button box player Joe Madden! I can’t put into words how it felt to sit in on sessions with such impressive musicians!

The enitire weekend was amazing! In fact, one attendee called it “magical”. I agree!

So to all old friends, it was wonderful to see you all again! And to those I just met…it was GREAT to meet you and I hope to see you all there next year!

If anyone else would like to add their “review”…please do so!!!

To Nanohedron - your “spit pot” was a hit! Everyone loved it! In fact, I’d like to order one! Please let me know how!

To Anniemcu - I asked Joannie how she liked her case. She LOVES it!!! She showed it everyone! And its more breathtaking in person than the picures! Gorgeous work! Well done!

~Sue

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I also am just back from this year’s Wind on the Bay event in East Greenwich - it was my first time there, and I highly recommend the weekend :smiley: The instruction was great, and the atmosphere very congenial and intimate. I enjoyed meeting the other attendees, and sharing music and experiences with everyone. The music at the sessions and at Saturday night’s concert were amazing! As Sue said, to be listening, first of all, to such great musicians as Skip, John, Joannie, Aoife, Andra, and Joe Madden, was fantastic. To be sitting there playing with them as well - it was mind-blowing.

I am looking forward to continuing to talk to those I met this weekend, out here and elsewhere, and to returning again next year. It was such a treat for me, with all those flutes there!

Thanks to Skip for sponsoring and leading the event, and to the instructors for the wonderful workshops and advice they gave. I’m looking forward to listening to my clips from the weekend, to review and work through what I learned, and I am excited about continuing to learn about the Irish flute, along with my silver flute :slight_smile:

And yes, the spit pot was the talk of the festival lol…

Julie

P.S. Great puns, Sue - you rock :laughing:

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Nano – I did warn you that you’d get orders, now didn’t I? :slight_smile:

I concur with Peach’s assessment of the WOTB festival. I was a first time attendee, though, as a ‘local’ I’ve had many opportunities to attend. Particularly noteworthy for me was the Flute making workshop Skip gave, as he is in the unique position among flute seminar organizers to have his shop right on the premises. What a wonderfully insightful foray into the wonders and mysteries of the art and science of flutemaking. Thanks, Skip!

Also, it was indeed a delight to participate in the Irish Song workshops run by Aoife Clancy, who, not only is a talented musician, from a legendary musical family, but is a lovely person, inside and out. It was a joy to play and sing (and joke) along with her, and the other conference attendees.

And, I have never been as blessed, as to experience such a phenomenal concert as I was treated to on Saturday night, with the likes of Joannie Madden (How the h**l does she get that sound out of a metal flute?!), John Skelton, Andra Bohnet, Aoife, and Skip, among others. The setting was grand and at the same time intimate.

I highly recommend this to anyone, regardless of your playing ability (I’m a very intermediate fluter). We had some folks who came over from classical, metal flutes, others who’ve been playing Irish flute for years, and some (you know who you are), who really have only just begun collecting flutes and whistles, and had never even played!

I made some new friends, and learned enough to keep me busy for at least the next year.

How’s that for a testimonial?

:slight_smile:

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Hi Julie,
If you get a chance (and if you have the tech-know-how, I’d love to get a digi-copy of some of your recordings from the weekend - esp. Aoife’s songs (lest I forget).

-Chris

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Hey Chris!

I’d love to get a digi-copy of some of your recordings from the weekend

Yeah, I can do that - I will have them as WAV files, which I can send to you. You may have to listen to some extraneous stuff, but you should hear the gist of the music :smiley:

…and

esp. Aoife’s songs (lest I forget)

What?? You mean you didn’t want it for the… interesting discussion that we all had??? :smiling_imp:

PM your e-mail address to me, or e-mail me, and I’ll send the files along just as soon as I get them into my computer and cleaned up a bit.

Take care -
Julie

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Would that be the one about the anatomy of a chicken?

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LOL - yeah, that one among the others!

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I concur with everything that has been written (although I missed the chicken anatomy thing, guess I was in another class)
A weekend of rather intense instruction and then relaxing with new friends - it was wonderful. Well worth my 6+ hour drive from Pa.
It was a special treat to be at the session when Joe Madden joined the regular instructors and the rest of us - and Joannie kept saying “Dad, play the easy ones, Dad play the ones everybody knows, Dad!..”.

What a great time!

And I have ideas and directions which will keep me challenged at least until next year!

doug