Performing at the 2011 Catskills Irish Arts Week

2011 was a big year for the my Irish band, the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra. The release of our first CD in March 2011 (see the sidebar on the right) brought us lots of performance opportunities. In this video you will see highlights of our performance at Catskills Irish Arts Week last summer. We were thrilled to perform at this prestigious US Irish music festival which has "the largest faculty (65 instructors) teaching the largest number of classes (120) of any summer school devoted to Irish traditional music and dance in the U.S." (Earle Hitchner, The Green Hills of the Catskills, The Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2011)




This 5-minute video contains snippets of three songs from our CD. You'll see me on your left up there...  Close-ups (at 2.53 and 4:11) reveal I'm having lots of fun!

Many thanks to Albany photographer Timothy Raab for tirelessly documenting the music at Catskills Irish Arts Week year after year. Tim's entire collection of 2011 CIAW videos can be viewed HERE.



© 2012, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

An Irish Christmas, A Musical Solstice Celebration

They say good things come in threes...  and here is the third CD this year on which the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra appears.  Amazing!

An Irish Christmas, A Musical Solstice Celebration was recorded last year during the Irish Christmas shows at the Irish Arts Center.  The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra has been part of these shows since their inception four years ago, so it was only natural that we should appear on the CD.  Our track is a song called The Rebel Jesus written by Jackson Browne.  Louise Sullivan is the lead vocalist.

In Partnership with the Poor

Artwork by the children of the Mercy Centre

NEWS FLASH!!!

"Waltz Me Around Again, Willie" -- my song with the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra -- has been released on the CD entitled In Partnership with the Poor:  Irish musicians for the Mercy Centre, pictured above.

To order, click HERE.

Your purchase will help fund a music program for the children of the Mercy Centre, a highly successful charitable organization in Bangkok, Thailand.

Waltz Me Around Again, Willie

Updated November 28, 2011

 

That's my song!

I sang it at Symphony Space on March 10th, backed by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra, and three harmony singers ...

I sang it again on March 18th at the Blarney Star concert at Glucksman Ireland House to launch the WSHSO's new CD ...

I recorded it with the WSHSO in May ...

I sang it at the launch of the Mercy Centre fundraiser CD, In Partnership With The Poor, on November 14 at the Irish Repertory Theatre ...

And it's now it's available for purchase!!

To order, click HERE.

Since Maggie Dooley Learned the Hooley Hooley

The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra's FIRST CD is finished and released and available NOW on CDBaby and iTunes.  Entitled Since Maggie Dooley Learned the Hooley Hooley, it features a great selection of traditional tunes and songs, many from the Golden Age of Irish-American music-making in the 1920s and ’30s.

WSHSO on Facebook!

Here's the link to the Facebook fan page for my Irish music group, the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra.  If you're a "Facebook person," please click on the image below and LIKE us.  Things are really popping these days, and we're posting frequent updates and lots of pictures!

© 2011, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

St. Patrick's Day Performances, 2011

(updated on March 20th with pictures and videos links!)

The season of St. Patrick actually began for me before I turned the calendar into March. The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra started rehearsing quite some time ago for our upcoming concerts. Here's a list of all our gigs, including the March 18th launch of our new CD Since Maggie Dooley Learned the Hooley Hooley.

Music in the Mountains and on the Subway

On January 16, 2010, the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra performed in Queens at the New York Irish Center. Our pianist, Brendan Dolan, was giving a lecture called Music in the Mountains. This fascinating talk focused on a region of the Catskills where Irish Americans have vacationed for generations. Brendan researched this topic for his master's degree in Irish and Irish-American Studies at New York University. The event was well attended and the food was great. Click here to see the New York Irish Center's report which includes a few pictures.

I traveled to our gig by subway. Nothing unusual about that. I was plugged into my iPod listening to a recent CD by Green Fields of America. The WSHSO plays many of the tunes on particular CD, so I was tappin' my foot and gettin' in the groove for the evening's performance when a young woman named Lisa interrupted me. Lisa explained that she was interviewing people for her blog called What Are They Listening To On The Subway. We chatted, she made careful note of my music and snapped my picture. In just a few minutes my routine subway ride was turned into a real New York adventure. Click here to see the post. Thanks, Lisa, and good luck with your project!

© 2010, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Sing We All Noel

This Christmas season has been full of Irish music activities. For me, the Christmas season began in early December when I attended a Cherish The Ladies concert, a rousing, energetic performance of many of the songs and tunes on their new Christmas CD, A Star in the East. As a member of the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra I was part of Mick Moloney's Irish Christmas concert series at the Irish Arts Center. The WSHSO also played in the Airneal na Nollag, an annual holiday celebration at New York University's Glucksman Ireland House. Additionally, we provided music for the Christmas party of the Irish American Bar Association of New York. I attended a session at the Landmark Tavern when Jimmy Crowley was in town. I've been to several sessions at Lillie's this month, and last night I went to the massive Christmas session at Dempsey's. All the bars are beautifully decorated for Christmas, making the sessions seem very festive.

Christmas music is everywhere. My husband has many CDs containing both secular and sacred Christmas music. We listen to them at home and in the car, and I have loaded my favorites onto my iPod. On the piano I practiced both Advent and Christmas hymns in preparation for accompanying two worship services this month at Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship. On the silver concert flute I'm working on Danse des Mirlitons from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet, to be played at MMF on January 3, 2010. On the wooden Irish flute I re-learned the Christmas Eve reel, a standard of the season. During the Irish Arts Center gig I enjoyed the repeated performances of Mary's Boy Child as sung by Donie Carroll, Louise Sullivan's poignant rendition of Jackson Browne's The Rebel Jesus, and Mick Moloney's driving version of Down Among the Bushes of Jerusalem. Liz Hanley's singing of Christmas in the Trenches brought home the painful reminder that war (still) prevails instead of "Peace on Earth" about which the angels sang. Liz also sang The Cherry Tree carol which I sang at MMF last year. My own new Christmas song this year is an Appalachian song called In the Valley. I learned it from a Little Windows Christmas CD called Snowman's Waltz. Hopefully I'll get to sing it somewhere before the season is over.

Music is an integral part of the Christmas holiday season. It speaks to us, moves us, in a way that nothing else can. Christmas music washes over us everywhere we go. It permeates the air. It comforts us and helps us rejoice. I think perhaps it's one way that God comes to earth and makes His presence felt. That's my experience anyway. Perhaps it's yours as well. So...

May your Christmas be merry, and May there be music!
Sing We All Noel

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Remembering Frank McCourt

Left to right: Liz Kennedy, Jimmy Crowley, me, Mick Moloney, Daniel Neely,
Malachy McCourt, David Amram, Tony Horswill, Kate Bowerman.

Last night I participated in a very special event called Remembering Frank McCourt, a memorial gathering at Symphony Space for the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Angela's Ashes who died on July 19, 2009. Attending this event caused me to reflect on the many ways I was connected to Frank McCourt.

WSHSO Gigs Galore!

Photo by Nuala Purcell, used with permission

I've not mentioned anything about the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (WSHSO) since our big Symphony Space concert last October. Lest you think nothing's happening, just let me tell you about the whirlwind of performances we've given lately.

Pre-St. Patrick's Day events:

• On February 1 we appeared with Dan Milner, one of our singers, at the South Street Seaport Museum's monthly folk concert. This particular concert celebrated the release of Dan’s Irish Pirate Ballads CD on Smithsonian Folkways label. Several songs on that CD are part of the WSHSO repertoire.
• On February 6 we appeared with Dan once again, this time as part of the Blarney Star concert series at Glucksman Ireland House.
  
• On February 23 we played at a book launch party for Tom Coyne's book, A Course Called Ireland.
• On March 3 we appeared with Mick Moloney at the Lolita Bar in a memorial for writer/historian/musician Daniel Cassidy, author of How the Irish Invented Slang.
• On March 5 we appeared at Glucksman Ireland House, again with Mick Moloney, to celebrate the launch of a book Mick co-edited on traditional Irish dance in America - Close to the Floor: Irish Dance from the Boreen to Broadway.

The "season" of St. Patrick:

• On March 12 we joined Mick Moloney and Friends at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan for the annual Irish Heritage Concert.
• On March 14 we played at the reception following the annual Irish language mass at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral on Mulberry Street in lower Manhattan. A blogger in attendance noted our appearance and included a picture - click here to check it out.
  
• On March 15 we played at the St. Patrick's Day party for residents of the Mary Manning Walsh Home.
  
• On the same day, March 15, we played at the Irish American Historical Society's gala St. Patrick's day event. The picture at the top of this post was taken at that event. Here's another one which will give you a glimpse of the party's ambience.

Photo by Nuala Purcell, used with permission

This star-studded occasion received New York Times coverage in which our banjo player Dan Neely was quoted. The party was mentioned in NY Insider TV, which also carried pictures of us!
• On St. Patrick's Day - March 17 - we provided music for the Irish Consul General's St. Patrick's Day party. It was a beautiful sunny day so we were able to play outdoors on his penthouse balcony. And don't I just look like the cat that ate the canary, with the Empire State Building in the background there?
  

Photo by Daniel Neely, used with permission

Post-season engagements:

• On March 23 we played at the Irish Consulate at the book launch of Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh’s new book of poetry entitled Péacadh. Ailbhe was the Irish Language Fulbright scholar this past year at Lehman College.
  

Photo by Thomas Ihde, courtesy of Scott Spencer

• On March 26 we traveled to the Bookcourt in Brooklyn to play at the book launch for Robert Sullivan’s new book, The Thoreau You Don’t Know. As a result of our performance there, we were mentioned several times in blog posts. (1) Photographer Eric Etheridge submitted these two short posts from his iPhone while the event was in progress! Every Reading Should Have a Band and Robert Sullivan Reads from his new book on Thoreau (2) On March 28, Robert Sullivan cited Eric's posts on his own blog post entitled Captured, then (3) on April 2 Robert posted a video of the entire event (about 1 hour) which includes one set of tunes at the beginning and all of the music we played after his 30 minute talk.
• On April 5 the WSHSO was the featured guest of the New York Packet, South Street Seaport’s resident folk singing group at the monthly folk concert held in the South Street Seaport Museum. We presented about 45 minutes of music.
  
• On May 5 we will play at the Airneal na Bealtaine, an evening of traditional music by NYU students and WSHSO in celebration of Spring.
• On May 16 WSHSO will perform in Battery Park City - watch our Myspace site for details.

In addition to these official bookings, we often support each other at sessions around town when various people in the group serve as session leaders in local pubs.

Needless to say, after all these appearances, our playing is very tight right now, and we are thoroughly enjoy playing together. We are all grateful to Mick Moloney for his sponsorship and guidance. Global person that he is, he can't make all our gigs, but when he's there, he adds his own distinctive spark to our sound.

This post brings you up to date on my 2009 St. Patrick's Day Irish music adventures. In keeping with all these great memories, let me wish you a belated Happy St. Patrick's Day. Looking at the clock, maybe I'd better quickly say Happy Easter too, before that holiday passes by as well!

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

A Night to Remember

Before moving on to another topic, I want to report on the October 12th Mercy Center Benefit concert advertised in my previous post. The concert itself was phenomenal. The audience was receptive and responsive, the performers were outrageously good, and everyone seemed pleased to be able to support the Mercy Center. The music had a lively edge because it was recorded for future release by Compass Records to raise additional funds for Mercy Center. Paul Keating of the Irish Voice (weekly newspaper) wrote a lovely article which captures the evening quite well, so I encourage you to click here and let him relate the details.

The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (WSHSO) was scheduled first in the sound check lineup, so we arrived six hours before the concert was to begin. We didn't actually do our sound check until around 4 pm, but we had a grand time chatting with other performers and gnoshing on sandwiches and other taste treats. We rehearsed a little and shared some tunes with other musicians as well. Here are a few pictures taken before the show in the "green room,"

Don Meade, Gail Neely, and me

photo by Lizabeth Kennedy, used with permission

In the foreground (left to right): Tony Horswill, Liz Hanley, Gail Neely

Along the mirror: Lisa Farber, Dan Neely, Lizabeth Kennedy
Reflected in the mirror: Don Meade, Brendan Dolan, and Ivan Goff
photo by Linda Mason Hood

The WSHSO played three sets immediately following the intermission. I played Irish flute on the Curlew Hills barndance set, F whistle on The Isle of St. Helena (sung by Liz Hanley), and on Dan O'Hara (sung by Donie Carroll) I played D whistle and sang on the choruses. You can hear all of these selections, by the way, on the WSHSO MySpace site.

While this picture doesn't show all 15 of us, somehow I was lucky enough to be included. I'm on the far right in the second row.

The program included lots of dancing. The kids below study dance at the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance.



At the end of this 3-hour extravaganza of music and dance, everyone came onstage for an exuberant grand finale. What a night! This picture conveys our high spirits, but it would be impossible for any picture to communicate how supremely happy I felt at this moment:

I am standing behind and to the right of Joanie Madden (flute player in the red shirt). Continuing left to right after Joanie is Mick Moloney, organizer of this event and WSHSO sponsor, Tommy Sands, and Robbie O'Connell.

All 3 onstage photos belong to Lizabeth Kennedy and were used with permission
Thanks Liz!

© 2008, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

WSHSO in Benefit for Mercy Centre

Just want to let everyone know that on October 12 - that's this Sunday! - I'll be playing with the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (WSHSO) in a spectacular concert that will benefit a wonderful cause.

Founded 35 years ago in the slums of Bangkok by Father Joseph Maier,
The Mercy Centre runs over 30 neighborhood schools, four orphanages, a hospice for adults with HIV/AIDS and a 500-pupil kindergarten. It provides a loving home to over 180 abused, abandoned and orphaned children – one third of them born with HIV. Its anti-trafficking program protects the most vulnerable children living on the streets. Since 1973 the foundation has built over 10,000 houses in the slums. Everything they accomplish is in partnership with the poor.

My group, the WSHSO, is thrilled to be one of the performers in this all-star cast of Irish musicians and dancers as well as some English and Appalachian friends. Artists include The Green Fields of America (with Mick Moloney, Billy McComiskey, Ivan Goff, Jerry O'Sullivan, Dana Lyn, Athena Tergis and Robbie O'Connell), Joanie Madden and a Cherish the Ladies reunion with special guest appearances from Joe Madden and Mike Rafferty, Tommy, Moya and Fionan Sands, Frank Crocker, Jimmy Crowley and Donie Carroll, Mac Benford and UpSouth, The Burns Sisters, John Roberts and Tony Barrand, Dan and Bonnie Milner, The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (with Don Meade and Brendan Dolan), Matt and Shannon Heaton, Dan Gurney, Niall O'Leary and his School of Irish Dance with Kieran Jordan and more.

All performers are donating their services pro bono. All concert proceeds go to the Mercy Center.

Sunday, October 12th, 8 pm
Symphony Space (95th & Broadway)
Tickets: $50 / $35 / $25. $5 off with student ID.
For more info and tickets call 212-864-5400.
To purchase tickets online, click here: Symphony Space.

If you are planning to come, get tickets NOW - they're going fast and the concert is expected to be a complete sellout!!

Irish Musicians for the Mercy Centre is being made possible through the support of The Mercy Center, The Irish Arts Center, The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra, and The Milwaukee Irish Fest Foundation, Inc.

© 2008, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Irish Emigrant Article & New Myspace Tunes!

The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (WSHSO) received some good publicity this week in The Irish Emigrant, one of the Irish weekly papers available here in NYC. The article began with mention of our upcoming performance at the Glucksman Ireland House (see below for details) and included a picture taken on at our March 14th performance at the St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. Click here to view a pdf of the newspaper clipping.

Today three new tunes went up on the WSHSO Myspace site! The new tunes - Dan O'Hara, New York Ceili Band Jigs, and Far From Home/Mayor Harrison's Fedora - are professional-quality recordings made by a student in the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at New York University. I realize I'm hardly an impartial judge, but I think they sound REALLY GOOD. Have a listen and see if you agree!

Since my March 16th post, the WSHSO played a few pub gigs:

• April 9 - Murphy y Gonzalez Pub


• April 21 - Landmark Tavern Monday night session run by Don Meade


• April 23 - Murphy y Gonzalez Pub

This week's upcoming performances include:

• May 1 at Ireland House's annual Airneál na Bealtaine - an evening of traditional music and song presented by NYU students and others from the NYU community.


• May 4 - annual live radio performance on Ceol na nGael, a program broadcast every Sunday, Noon to 4 pm Easternon Fordham University's WFUV public radio station. WFUV broadcasts over the internet, so you can hear this one without leaving home. All you have to do is figure out the time difference. Here's a handy Timezone Converter that will make it easy. Select Eastern Daylight Timezone - New York, NY, USA - and convert to your location. On May 4th at the appropriate time, click here to listen via the internet. If you miss the live broadcast, the show will be archived for 14 days. Click the link I gave for internet listening, but go to the Listen tab and select Audio Archives to access the Ceol na nGael show. Ain't technology wonderful - sometimes? (This was rescheduled for July 27)

© 2008, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

St. Patrick's Day Season 2008

For Irish musicians, St. Patrick's Day is more than the parade on Fifth Avenue and bar performances all over town. In a musical sense St. Paddy's is rather like Lent & Holy Week. I know that seems like an odd comparison, but church musicians will recognize the drill. Rehearsals start early in early February. Performances intensify the week before St. Patrick's Day, exploding all over town on March 17th and trickling on a bit afterwards.

For me, this year's performances started on March 6th at Bill Popp's 22nd Annual Benefit at Kenny's Castaways for the American Heart Association. I played in a group called Sounds of Ireland, organized by John Nevin and comprised of folks who play at the Dempsey's Pub session. We presented an hour of well known Irish tunes, closing with a rousing polka encore. Great fun!

My next performance was on March 13th. The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra played with Mick Moloney and Friends at the Irish Heritage Concert at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. I've done this concert for several years now, but it's always a thrill to stand in front of the high altar and to see the large audience gathered in this famous Fifth Avenue cathedral.

On March 14th the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra played again, this time at Saint Patrick's OLD Cathedral, the predecessor to the famous one on Fifth Avenue. After the Gaelic mass, we treated those in attendance to lively music at the outdoor reception in the church's front courtyard. The weather was damp and cloudy, but the crowd was warm and appreciative.

(photo by Dan Milner, used with permission)

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, a Belfast publisher in attendance, did a lovely post about this event on his blog.

On the evening of March 17th Sorcha Dorcha will present Irish ballads and ceili tunes to diners at The Half King Restaurant. In addition to playing flute and whistle, I will be singing a couple of songs and playing some keyboard accompaniments at this gig.

Even though the official St. Patrick's Day revelry will on March 17th, the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra has a few more performances scheduled.

• March 24 at the Lolita Bar -- an event called Songs, Storytelling, and Shenanigans with Mick Moloney, Daniel Cassidy & Peter Quinn (presented by the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Ireland House NYU, and Irish Arts Center).


• May 1 at Ireland House's annual Airneál na Bealtaine - an evening of traditional music and song presented by NYU students and others from the NYU community.


• May 4 we will do our annual live radio performance on Ceol na nGael, a program broadcast every Sunday on Fordham University's WFUV public radio station.

After that, things will quiet down a bit. No other performances scheduled at this point. Maybe I can blog a little more often, cook instead of grabbing food on the run, and resume normal life. I'm glad for the ebb and flow that comes with St. Patrick's Day. Immersion in the music always improves my playing, but I don't think I could survive this pace much longer. Unless I quit my day job... (ah yes, fantasy lives on!)

© 2008, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Absolutely Irish!

American Public Television is airing a new Irish traditional music program called Absolutely Irish! Stations all across the country will use it as part of their fundraising campaigns. Donors contributing a certain amount receive a copy of the DVD as a thank you gift.

Produced by Mick Moloney, the show includes an all-star cast of traditional Irish musicians:

Fiddle: Liz Carroll, Eileen Ivers, Athena Tergis
Guitar: John Doyle, Mick Moloney
Flute: Mike Rafferty, Joanie Madden, Seamus Egan
Singers: Robbie O'Connell, Karan Casey, Susan McKeowan, Mick Moloney
Tenor Banjo: Mick Moloney, Seamus Egan
Dancers: Jo McNamara, Niall O'Leary, Darrah Carr
Keyboard: Brendan Dolan
Concertina: Tim Collins
Uilleann Pipes: Jerry O'Sullivan

I watched Absolutely Irish! on WJN on March 3rd. I was pleased with the balance of time allocated to conversation about the music, rehearsal, and performance. While the bulk of the program was devoted to the playing of the "younger" musicians, Mick gave special kudos to flute player Mike Rafferty and dancer Jo McNamara who have played an important role in keeping the tradition alive. Both Mike and Jo must be around 80 years old now. Below is the YouTube footage of Jo McNamara, described by the New York Times on May 3, 1990, as "an Irish-born vaudevillian who has been a professional dancer for more than 60 years dancing." She's absolutely charming. Have a look, and notice the faces of the "kids" as they watch from the wings:



For a more up-tempo set of tunes, check out the mighty fiddling in this YouTube clip:



I really enjoyed hearing some of my favorite players perform some of my favorite tunes. Mick taught many of these tunes to the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra, his New York University ensemble of which I'm proud to be a member.

Watch your TV listings or call your local PBS station to find out when Absolutely Irish! will be broadcast in your area. If you're a fan of Irish traditional music, this is a program not to be missed!

© 2008, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra performances

Graphic by Scott Spencer, used with permission.

Hello again! No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth or give up blogging. I've just been really busy. The primary activity that's been swallowing up all my leisure time is practicing flute and whistle for the many recent performances of the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (WSHSO), New York University's student/community Irish ensemble in which I play.

On October 24th the WSHSO played for the cocktail hour at the Irish Georgian Society dinner at the exclusive University Club on Fifth Avenue. The Georgian Society preserves historic architecture in Ireland. Posh though this fundraising event was, we were not impressed as there was some mixup about our food and the chef threw it out before we ever got to eat it! In fairness, I will add that they treated us to dinner at an establishment of our choice, but it was not the same as eating at the University Club.

On November 28th the WSHSO played 30 minutes of cocktail music for an event at the Torch Club, a private facility where NYU faculty events are hosted. Another fundraiser, this time money was needed to digitize and catalogue Mick Moloney's collection of Irish-American music and memorabilia which documents nearly two centuries of Irish- American popular culture and music, particularly between the years of 1860 and 1940. Mick has donated it to the NYU library. For more details, click here. After we played, we attended the sit-down dinner and heard Mick's fascinating presentation. For those of you who know him only from concerts and recordings, rest assured that as an academic, he's everything you'd expect from a University of Pennsylvania Ph.D (in Folklore).

On November 30th the WSHSO performed at NYU's Skirball Hall at the World Music Institute's concert of Irish-American National Heritage Masters. Headliners were Mick Moloney & Friends, Liz Carroll & John Doyle, Joe Derrane & John McGann, and the Donny Golden dancers. Mick often performs under the name of Mick Moloney & Friends because he plays with a few core people, then adds whoever else might be in town for the event. On this particular night his group included piper Jerry O'Sullivan, fiddler Dana Lyn, pianist Brendan Dolan, accordian player Billy McComiskey, guitarist John Doyle, singer Robbie O'Connell, flutist Joanie Madden, and the indomitable WSHSO. Well! I think this may have been the most extraordinary musical event I've ever been part of. During the 3-hour concert, the WSHSO was on stage for only three sets - two of them at the very end - but it must be said that our bits were among the most exciting bits of the evening. The final set of reels was electrifying! I overheard someone tell Mick we were the "big guns" adding fire power!

On December 10th the WSHSO played 90 minutes of music at the Irish American Bar Association of New York's holiday party at Glucksman Ireland House. The Irish lawyers gave us a warm reception and indicated they'd like to employ us for future events.

And on December 13th we performed at the Airneál na Nollag: An evening of traditional music and song at Glucksman Ireland House. This annual event is organized by NYU's Irish Language Lecturer Pádraig Ó Cearúill. In addition to WSHSO's music, Padraig's students performed songs in Irish, and my friend and singing teacher Ashley Davis sang as well. The lovely evening was followed by appropriate seasonal partying.

This Sunday evening, December 16th, the WSHSO will be leading the session at Jack O'Neill's pub in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.

I'm having a blast. I am appreciating how lucky I am to live in NYC and to rub shoulders, sometime even share the stage, with some of the world's finest Irish musicians. While I can't sustain this pace forever, I figure I can sleep through January and February. That way I'll be rested up for the St. Patrick's Day onslaught of performances!

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Playing in Sessions - an update

In my post of January 28, 2007, I set myself a goal of attending a session each week. I can't say I've consistently met that goal, but I've probably averaged two sessions a month. In that same January post I decided to "claim" Dempsey's as my session pub, and I've been there often enough to become acquainted with many of the regular players. When the session temporarily moved to a different bar last summer while Dempsey's was being remodeled, I started attending the Monday night Landmark Tavern session run by Don Meade. Friends from the NYU Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra play there every Monday, so that's an added draw for me. Although I'm still not comfortable starting tunes, I'm making progress in other areas. I know a lot more tunes than I used to, and I find the quicker tempos less daunting now. Currently I'm focusing on practicing tunes in pairs, as that's how tunes are played in sessions - and once you start a tune, you need to be able to successfully navigate into the second tune.

Photo courtesy of John Nevin

The picture above is what inspired me to reflect on my progress in the area of session playing. It was taken last Tuesday at Dempsey's. There I am, on the far left, trying to figure out if I'm going to start the next tune. To the right looking a little tired (it was after 11 pm) is Tyler Leinhardt, fiddler from my Sorcha Dorcha group. The woman in the white sweater is Mary Coogan from Cherish the Ladies. She was a surprise guest! She wasn't getting paid or anything like that. She just came to play tunes with us and enjoy the craic. Well, I can't actually remember if I started the next tune or not, but either way, one might conclude that my session playing must be improving if I'm playing with the likes of Mary Coogan. It was a fantastic night!!! Couldn't resist sharing...

P.S. The picture above belongs to John Nevin, banjo player on the far right who runs the Dempsey's session. Many thanks to John for all his hard work in keeping that session a vital part of the NYC Irish music scene.

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Live on WFUV

If you are near your computer this Sunday -- 29th of April -- around 1 pm Eastern Daylight Time -- you can hear me play Irish music on WFUV, Fordham University's radio station broadcasting live over the internet. Check this out ahead of time to see if it works:

• Click on http://www.wfuv.org/audio/stream.html
• On the next screen, select the most appropriate choice for playing music on your computer, given your connection speed. If you have no idea what selection to make on this screen, select the Windows Media button. (unless you're a MAC person, then select MP3 Shoutcast.)
• After a short commercial for Carnegie Hall, you should hear whatever program is being broadcast at the time of your test.

I will be playing on a student-produced radio show called Ceol no nGael which starts at noon. My group is supposed to play at 1 pm. It might be a little earlier or later, so I would suggest you tune in by at least 12:45 pm EDT and hang in there until they start talking about the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra from NYU - that's us! We will play three sets of tunes, with our mighty leader Mick Moloney providing commentary.

Enjoy!

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Motivation

Having the desire and willingness to do something.

Deployment of energy is often evidence of motivation.

Nearly every site returned when you google "motivation" has to do with the lack of motivation and how to generate it when it's mssing. Judging from the Google evidence, one could conclude that no one really knows where motivation comes from, what causes it, or how to create it.

Thankfully, I'm motivated once again with regard to my music, but I wonder why? And what's the relationship between artistic inspiration and motivation?

Looking back, my silver flute vs. Irish flute quandry as described in my February 2 post was evidence of frustration. My playing had reached a plateau, and I was wondering if my lack of progress had to do with the instrument itself. Someone named Sam Wise left me an amazing comment reassuring me that I didn’t necessarily have to switch to the Irish flute. I started to realize that if I’m looking for the shortest route to playing well, I should seriously consider continuing on the instrument I’ve played since I was 13 years old. Duh!

Shortly after writing that post, preparation for several performances distracted me from my frustration. In mid-February, I was asked to play a St. Patrick’s Day gig at the Half King Bar & Restaurant with Lorcan Otway’s band, Sorcha Dorcha (pronounced sorka dorka and translated as Dark Sarah in Gaelic). Since I knew very little of Sorcha Dorcha’s repertoire, I plunged into learning approximately 20 new tunes and brushing up about 10 more tunes that I didn’t know well enough to perform.

Poster by Lorcan Otway, used with permission.

In addition to the Sorcha Dorcha activities, I had to learn tunes and rehearse with my other group, The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra, since they were scheduled for a couple of performances as well -- the Irish Heritage Concert at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on March 15th and the April 20th annual awards ceremony at City Hall sponsored by the NYC Department of Education’s Irish American Heritage & Cultural Committee.

In a reflective moment this weekend I realized how motivated I feel now as compared with last February. Pondering how exactly this shift occurred, I have been able to isolate several contributing factors:

• Recent performances. Performing generally creates positive reinforcement. I’m finally beginning to realize that performing is about bringing enjoyment, not displaying perfection. (what a relief!)

• Feeling of competence. All the hours I’ve spent practicing over the last two months has improved my tone as well as my technique. I seem to have pushed through the plateau of last February. I now feel less discouraged by the aspects of my technique that still need work.

• Resolution on the instrument dilemma. I’ve decided to stick with the silver flute and to accept the challenges that implies.

While it's possible to analyze and dissect some of the sources for my present motivation, I doubt I will ever have a really good answer to why it is that throughout my whole life I have felt drawn to playing music. Maybe it’s genetic, or to take the religious viewpoint, maybe God intended it. Or from the psychological standpoint, maybe it’s the only uncomplicated component to my relationship to my mother. Who knows? It boggles the mind. I think I’ll just go with Jimmy Cagney’s line from the movie Strawberry Blonde:

...that’s just the kind of hairpin I am.

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
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