Irish Music Stories

Living a creative life can be confusing and unsettling. Your output, how you play and collaborate, the company you keep—it all defines you. But mostly, it’s about relationships and time, which Liz Carroll considers beautifully in this episode. Whether you already play the fiddle, or you’ve never heard of Liz Carroll, this chat about music and family will still feel like home.

The Irish tradition has always been about learning from each other. But do different recorded formats influence how we hear and absorb the stuff? Is there magic in the medium? (And now that it’s much easier to record and FIND recordings online, are we moving away from sentimental feelings about hard copy recordings? To learn Irish music, do we still need to travel to IRL.... in IRL?) Jeff Kszaiek, Kieran Jordan, Happy Traum, Steph Geremia, Kirsten Allstaff, Elizabeth Sweeney, Jacob Deck,...

Does it make sense to sing about Willie and Mary, when our playgrounds are filled with Ozzies and Loxleys? Do we really need to say “my love is like a red, red rose,” or can’t we use a modern metaphor and call her really hot? Laura Cortese, Cathy Jordan, Sam Amidon, Robbie O’Connell, and Karan Casey explore old ballads in a dating app era.

It takes a village to play Irish music. And accordion player Billy McComiskey’s heart is full of pride and appreciation for his adopted village of Baltimore, Maryland. Tune in as Billy and his sons, Sean and Mikey, tell beautiful, universal stories, through an accordion lens. And hear from folklorist Maggie Holtzberg about why it’s important to “sustain, enshrine, and pass on living traditions.”

Irish dance tunes are rhythmic creations. And musicians and dancers are rhythmic creatures. Turns out, the way we play and dance is shaped by our instruments, our bodies, our intentions, our culture, and maybe magical forces, too. Tune in as fiddle player Eileen Ivers, dancer Nic Gareiss, mandolin player Marla Fibish, and accordion player Jimmy Keane explore the heartbeat of Irish music.

Dance Hall scenes shaped people's lives in Irish America from the mid 1940s-1960s. To help understand this colorful time in Irish American history--and to consider immigration in an Irish key--Sue Lindsay, Joanie Madden, Kevin Doyle, Helen Kisiel, and Brian O’Donovan share stories about love, livelihood, and (occasional) left hooks.

Non-specific? Simplistic? Academic? What’s up with the word Celtic, and what does it have to do with Irish music? This month, Shannon unpacks the meaning and mysteries of Celtic culture with Seamus Egan, Neil Pearlman, Marc Gunn, and Ellery Klein… and a few coffee drinkers at Mystic Roaster in Medford, Mass.

Season Two of Shannon Heaton’s podcast will feature more big, universal stories—stories about humor, family, commercialism, the search for meaning… all through an Irish music lens. Join the IMS 2018 tour of mid century Dance Halls. Discover the PULSE of tradition from brain to bow. Explore old ballads in a millennial world. Grab a backstage pass to Irish summer festivals. And unpack the C-Word (C-e-l-t-i-c). Irish Music Stories: it’s the show about traditional music, and the much bigger...

For 2017 Irish Music Stories conversations, Irish music has been the common thread. But it's not the only thread. Digging into stories and memories--whether they center around Irish music, chess, or ballet--uncovers real struggle and triumph. It unites us. And hopefully it gives us all a nudge to dig deep into our own activities. So we've all got something to do, something to work for, something to cheer about, something to remember. Here are thoughts from John Doyle, Rose Flanagan, and...

This first season of Irish Music Stories closes with this conversation with singer and guitarist Dáithí Sproule, about how he has integrated the beautiful songs he learned as a kid in the Gaeltacht with the pop music that opened his heart to harmony and arranging. Whether you already play Irish music, or you know very little about it, his thoughts on beauty, respect, and mindfulness are universal. There’s plenty of music here, too. Music and much more at IrishMusicStories.org

Traditional musicians place a premium on humor and social rapport. IMS investigates the deep wellspring of Irish wit with Rory Makem, John Doyle, John Williams, Aidan Collins, Pauline Logue, Lisa Coyne, and Siobhan and Brendan McKinney. Whether you already have an arsenal of quick comebacks, or you’ve never heard Irish people slag each other, this episode digs into the story behind all the Irish music stories. There’s plenty of music here, too. Music and much more at IrishMusicStories.org

Irish dance is a many splendored thing, with numerous social, performative, and competitive modes. Dancers Kieran Jordan and Liam Ó Scanláin, the Glencastle Irish Dancers, and accordion player Jimmy Keane help detangle a few of the musical threads in Irish dance today. Whether you already enjoy dancing a few steps—or you don't know the difference between a jig and a reel—these conversations speak about the joy of community, and of movement with music. There’s plenty of music here, too....

Here’s the story of Irish piping: how the chanter, drones, and regulators buzz together… and how the lure, the lore, and the love of the uilleann pipes go for The Rowsome family, Tim Britton, Tom Rota, Patrick Hutchinson, and Isaac Alderson. Whether you already know about Seamus Ennis—or you don’t know anything about Irish culture—these conversations speak about challenge, gratitude, and reverence. There’s plenty of music here, too. Music and much more at IrishMusicStories.org

Irish “Backing” isn’t just about playing chords along with Irish music. Accompanists Matt Heaton, Neil Pearlman, Keith Murphy, and John Doyle talk about how it feels to accompany tunes and songs in this shorter summer episode of Irish Music Stories. Whether you already play guitar, sing ballads, or dance steps.. or if you don’t know anything about Irish culture… the conversations here concern deep listening, community, and flow state. There’s plenty of music here, too. Music and much...

Here’s the story of how Irish music gets handed down. From a dance the night before.. to accordion tunes through the floorboards… to university classrooms… to tunes with grandpa, Heaton travels to Pearl River, NY, Galway City, and neighborhoods around Boston, to learn how a few inspired players learned THEIR music… and how this has led them to pass it on. Whether you already play tunes, sing ballads, dance sean nós steps.. or you don’t know anything about Irish culture… these beautiful...

Two of North America’s most esteemed Irish pubs were opened by musicians. Host Shannon Heaton heads to Chicago’s Chief O’Neill’s Pub, where flute playing owners Siobhan and Brendan McKinney talk about how Irish music has guided their lives. Back in Boston, fiddle player Tommy McCarthy considers how the Burren has become a landmark Somerville establishment by putting the music and the welcome first. And Shannon’s poem “So this is Irish Music,” features readers Brian O’Donovan and John Coyne.

Here’s the story of why people all around the world head out to Irish music sessions. With visits to Chicago, Clare, Boston, and New York, I attempt to decode what these weekly gatherings mean—to the musicians and the listeners. You’ll hear from big-hearted session hosts Tina Lech, John Williams, Eoin O’Neill, and Brian Conway, and from Boston producer Brian O’Donovan, fiddle teacher Laurel Martin, and flute players Melissa Foster and Scott Boag. Whether you already play the accordion, or...

This month’s interview with Waterford singer Karan Casey offers variety from last month’s themed episode, which told the story of the Boston band’s “Trip to Sligo.” I chat with Irish singer Karan Casey about where Irish songs have been and where they’re going. Karan talks about how learning a song from someone is really about making connections. Whether you already sing Irish songs or you don't know anything about trad music or dance—this conversation speaks to anybody who’s ever made a...

This inaugural episode tells the tale of Cormac Gaj and the band he formed with fellow Boston tweens. I learn about their amazing journey to the All Ireland music competition in Sligo; and I dig into what it meant to Cormac… and to all the parents, teachers, and peers who were in on the qualifying round in New Jersey, and the big Fleadh (contest) in Ireland. Whether you already play the fiddle or you don't know anything about trad music or dance, you'll join me, Shannon Heaton as I visit...

A preview of the Irish Music Stories podcast, the new show about traditional music... and the bigger stories behind it. Music credits and much more at IrishMusicStories.org