“Well, this should be an interesting experiment: A recording session starting in 1.5 hours with, hopefully, flute players Peter Horan, Harry McGowan, Gregory Daly, Mick Loftus, Thomas Bernard Ryan, Joe & Damien Stenson, and Michael Hurley. Them in Ireland, me here in Los Angeles. Sure wish I could be there, but sometimes community projects like this depend on leaving the experts alone to do what they do best. Wish us luck.”
Good man Kevin! This is the best thing that can be done- producing a flute
compilation with great unrecorded (or almost) irish flute players! Ireland
is still full of very talented musicians who aren’t very much known.
PS Have you ever heard of Kevin Ryan? Ronan Ryan? Two great
flute players.
Woah! Hope it went very well – I’m always excited at the prospect of another Peter Horan recording, and it turns out I’ve been listening to a bunch of the others without knowing their names. (He says, after consulting the Mountain Road liner notes.)
where the info is known. I still hope to fill in the gaps. Similar info for the upcoming “Wooden Flute Obsession 2” is at http://www.worldtrad.org/WFO2_CD2.htm
I don’t have the CDs of the recording sessions, yet, but supposedly everyone went away happy. I’m afraid I won’t be able to post clips until the contracts come back, so at least a couple of weeks.
Depends on what I have time to promote on a volunteer basis. The website is one aspect, a shortcut resource for musicians and enthusiasts. I do have to go through and fix and add links when I have a chance.
I’ve also provided business consulting to artists, labels, retailers, etc. to assist them with their own projects.
I’ve provided some technical help to Richard Moon related to the TUNEdb database ( http://www.tunedb.org ), which you’ll see is largely loaded by myself, from collections available on the web. Besides amateur players, there are many professional players who use this resource.
The 1st volume of the Wooden Flute Obsession CDs does help to promote Irish music, flute playing, the flute players themselves, and the flute makers involved. You’ll recall that there was no such extensive compilation previously. I’m gratified at receiving so much praise just for the effort of compiling a listening beginning for many aspiring players. As well, I’m pleased by the response from the Irish Traditional Music Archive regarding the project, and from the players in the flute community we so much admire.
Because the ITM Archive no longer does field recording, I also wanted to provide some further opportunities for flute players to finally put something down on CD, including those session players who normally aren’t heard solo. Funds from the 1st volume have made this 2nd volume recording project possible, and I think you’ll see a few more long-awaited solo CD releases from some of the artists on either volume. Others who have let work take over their lives, have been reminded just how important their playing is to a satisfying life. That’s pretty cool.
I also offer website space to the aforementioned players, should they wish to take advantage of it, so that they can have some sort of web presence if desired.
The ITMS is a State & Federally tax-exempt non-profit, public benefit corporation. Donations (in the U.S.) are tax-deductible for the giver. No salaries are paid, and all funds are used for the following:
Office Supplies, filing, correspondence, laser toner.
Web space & access.
Actual CD manufacturing costs including some recording sessions, mastering, graphics, duplication, 3rd party composer royalties.
Purchase of related CDs when not donated.
Postage. Lots of postage.
Space, storage, mobile phone, long-distance phone ($60/mo. right now), computer equipment are costs borne by myself, and are not reimbursed. If anyone wants to help with these, please give me a call. For instance, there’s only so much you can do with a Pentium 200 (not MMX) and a Pentium III 333.
I’m certainly interested in accomplishing other projects, such as concerts or festivals, audio restorations, CD re-issues of significant material, and book publication. Right now, the organization doesn’t have the resources to do so.
I’m pretty proud of what has been accomplished so far. Please note that most other non-profit organizations accomplish NOTHING in their first few years of operation, concentrating on their own organizational and funding needs. The WFO CDs have been an attempt at a “bootstrap” operation.
Wooden Flute Obsession volume 2 has gone off for mastering on St. Patrick’s Day. Sorry about the delay, folks. We’ll be wrapping up the remainder of the graphics now. I hope to get it off to replication in roughly 2 weeks, so that should put copies in my hand approx. Mid-April. The final track list (give or take a few seconds on the times) is at http://www.worldtrad.org/WFO2_CD2.htm
The actual track order and ordering info will not appear until I’m sure I have product for delivery. I’ll be sure to post notices to the forums and mail lists, as well as sending email notices to those who have requested being informed. If you’ve purchased volume 1 via PayPal, then I’ll probably send some UCE (unsolicited commercial email) to you, too.
WFO2 has been sent (finally!) for printing & CD replication. I hope to have copies in 2-3 weeks. Thanks to all of you who have made this release possible: the flute players, accompanists, engineers, composers, labels, and the community that assisted in the process, and enabled me to get in touch with all parties. I’ll post another note when I have CDs in hand.
