Music and the Blarney Stone

Another sequence of busy days have kept me from updating the blog!

Here goes:

First off, my music class has begun. We have had lectures on the origins of traditional Irish music, how to play the bodhran and the tin whistle, and singing and dance classes. To supplement this formal education, I have been making rounds of the Cork music scene: a traditional session Monday night at a small pub, an informal gig in Blarney on Tuesday, and another concert tonight. As a "classically" trained violinist and singer (everyone here is a "fiddler"), I am amazed by the talent and improvising abilities of every musician I have seen. Irish traditional music is passed on orally and is not written down in a formal way. My training was led by music books - and music books didn't even exist in this style until recently.  Because musicians have the pieces memorized, at a session, one person starts playing a solo and the other musicians (ranging in age and instrument) all join in without any discussion, chord charts, or previous practice with the group. It is amazing! And, after this daily inspiration, I hope to improve my fiddling skills when I return home!

Learning the polka

Our polka players

Second, I visited Blarney. Some friends and I gathered a group and we all embarked on the adventure together. Blarney is about 20 minutes from Cork and is quaint and exactly what you would expect in the Irish countryside. We went to the Wollen Mills when we arrived and shopped around the beautiful wool clothing and jewelry. When the rest of our group came, we headed over to the castle and made our way to the top, kissing the famous stone which gives one the gift of gab (because we all know I need to be more talkative...). We ate dinner at a local hotel and then watched a new musician friend dance and play her fiddle during a traditional music session. All in all it was a great night!

Finally, I went to the well-known English Market in Cork City Centre to buy some food. There was a lot of interesting items and fish that I ran into while walking around this extensive shopping area.

Hope all is well in Kansas and thanks for reading!