Fiddle Workshop: The Fiddling of James Morrison – With Caitlin Finley
Originally from County Sligo, fiddler James Morrison was a prolific recording artist in New York City in the 1920s and 30s. His virtuosity and attention to detail resulted in some of the best recordings of Irish music of the era. We’ll learn a tune from one of Morrison’s recordings, paying particular attention to the characteristic bounce, lift, rhythm, and ornamentation that make his playing unique.
Piping Talk/Demonstration: The Taylor Brothers, the Famous Irish Pipemakers of Philadelphia– With Will Woodson
Uilleann pipemakers William and Charles Taylor emigrated from County Louth to Philadelphia in the 1870s, establishing themselves in the city as first-rate craftsmen. Over the course of their career in Philadelphia, the two would make revolutionary improvements to the instrument, developing a style of uilleann pipes that are still copied to this day. Join piper and pipemaker Will Woodson for a discussion of Philadelphia’s famous pipemakers, including live music played on an original set of Taylor pipes.
Introduction to Sean Nos Dancing
Join Kate Spanos for an introduction to sean nós, the old-style percussive solo dance from Connemara in the west of Ireland. In this lively workshop, we’ll explore basic rhythms, footwork, and improvisation, focusing on musicality and individual expression. All levels are welcome—no prior Irish dance experience needed. You’ll learn simple steps that you can adapt to your own style. Come ready to move, play with rhythm, and connect with the social spirit of Irish dance!
Accompaniment with Sean Earnest
Open to all skill levels, this class explores the art of accompanying Irish traditional music through practical techniques and accessible music theory. Rather than focusing on instrument-specific chord shapes, we’ll examine the underlying harmonic principles that apply across guitar, bouzouki, piano, and harp. Using relative numeric intervals instead of letter names, we’ll develop a flexible shorthand for understanding harmony, then apply it to chord scales in the keys and modes most commonly found in Irish traditional music. A basic familiarity with your chosen instrument is expected. If there is sufficient interest in learning to flatpick melodies on guitar or bouzouki, this can be covered as well. Guitarists are encouraged to use DADGAD tuning and bouzouki players are encouraged to use GDAD tuning. Please bring a pick and capo (for fretted instruments) and a recording device.
Composition with Damien Connelly
Damien Connolly has been composing traditional Irish music for over 30 years. In this deep-dive conversation, he will discuss his creative process and will give advice, tips and strategies for budding composers.