Meet the Band: BUA:Irish Traditional Music BUA

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Gerald Carson
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Meet the Band: BUA bua buə m4, pl ~nna victory; talent, gift; merit; destiny Bua evokes the good times that Irish traditional music so often celebrates, playing in a manner largely forgotten in today

1 Meet the Band: BUA bua buə m4, pl ~nna victory; talent, gift; merit; destiny Bua evokes the good times that Irish traditional music so often celebrates, playing in a manner largely forgotten in today s overly polished Irish music world. With a precision and intensity that is rarely heard on this side of the Atlantic, their sound stands out among modern bands in the genre by keeping the music down the path of tradition while still being able to raise the rafters with their playing, charm with their singing, and delight with their contemporary energy. Based in Chicago, Illinois a long-celebrated center of Irish traditional music Bua has established itself individually and as a group in the eyes and ears of the traditional community, and their 2011 release, Down the Green Fields, finds Bua exploring the forgotten sounds from the heyday of Irish music in the City of Big Shoulders with a blend of enchantingly stark song arrangements and bold, pulsing dance tunes. Lauded by The Bluegrass Situation as being the top Irish album of the past five years, Down the Green Fields stands as a testament, from beginning to end, of the lasting essentials of the Irish tradition. Bua has performed and taught at many popular Irish music festivals in North America including the Milwaukee Irish Festival, Dublin Irish Festival, Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, Bethlehem Celtic Classic, and Catskills Irish Arts Week. They have also been honored representatives of the Irish tradition at some of the top folk festivals in the US including the Old Songs Festival, Great Lakes Folk Festival, Lowell Folk Festival, CityFolk Festival, University of Chicago Folk Festival and the National Folk Festival. This exposure and ensuing popularity afforded them the title Top Traditional Group of 2009, a distinction awarded them by the Irish Music Association.

Meet the Band: Brian Miller has been accompanying songs and dance music from the Irish tradition for over 15 years and is one of the most sought-after guitarists in North American s Irish music scene.

The same can be said of Brian s playing on the Greek bouzouki, an instrument that has been adopted into the Irish tradition in recent decades.

2 Meet the Band: Brian Miller has been accompanying songs and dance music from the Irish tradition for over 15 years and is one of the most sought-after guitarists in North American s Irish music scene. Esteemed music critic Earle Hitchner remarks that the backing of Miller on guitar flexes not just muscle but a fully complementary style. The same can be said of Brian s playing on the Greek bouzouki, an instrument that has been adopted into the Irish tradition in recent decades. He has performed across North America and in Ireland with various groups including Chulrua, The Máirtín de Cógáin Project, and the Two Tap Trio; and in duo with Randy Gosa performing songs from the lumber camps of the North Woods. He has been featured on NPR s All Things Considered, CBC Radio s Canada Live, and on various RTÉ television and radio programs in Ireland. Brian is a two-time recipient of the Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and was recently awarded the Parsons Award from the American Folklife Center for his research into field recordings of traditional singers from Minnesota. He currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota where he teaches flute, whistle and guitar at the Center for Irish Music. Devin Shepherd began learning the fiddle at an early age and soon became enamored with Irish music, which was nurtured by his mother who immersed him in the deep-rooted Irish music scene of his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Devin was awarded an Illinois Arts Council Master-Apprentice grant to study with famed Liz Carroll when he was only twelve years of age. During this formative period he won first prize in the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil fiddle competition for nine consecutive years another testament to his dedication to the tradition. Shepherd learned much about the styles and repertoire of Chicago by playing with many native born musicians including Phil Durkin, Frank Burke, Albert Neary, Pat Cloonin, and Úna McGlew. Most recently he has enriched his style through the recordings of legendary fiddlers Bobby Casey, Michael Coleman, and John Doherty, as well as living legends James Kelly and Paddy Cronin. Since 2000, Devin has been a full-time teacher and performer of Irish music throughout the US and abroad and currently resides in New York City another highly respected community for Irish traditional music.

Sean played a variety of instruments before settling on the flute at the age of eleven with the help of flute-player Leo Mac Namara, a native of Scariff, Co. Clare.

3 Meet the band: Sean Gavin s playing on the flute, whistle and uilleann pipes reflects his lifelong love for Irish traditional music. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan he was first encouraged to take up Irish music by his father, Clare-born fiddle player Mick Gavin. Sean played a variety of instruments before settling on the flute at the age of eleven with the help of flute-player Leo Mac Namara, a native of Scariff, Co. Clare. Not long after, he began work on the uilleann pipes with teacher Al Purcell himself a student of famed Dublin-born piper Leo Rowsome. He and his family continue to lend much of their energies to the promotion of Irish traditional music in the Detroit area. In more recent years, Sean has been fortunate to cultivate a friendship with Sligo-born flute legend Kevin Henry and others of the older generation of musicians living in Chicago, Illinois where he currently lives. He is a member of another critically acclaimed group NicGaviskey and performs often with the Irish band Téada. He enjoys teaching and performing throughout North America and currently serves as the musical director for the sean-nós dancing performance ensemble Atlantic Steps. Brian Ó hairt is the only American to have won the coveted senior title in traditional singing at the All- Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Listowel, Co. Kerry in In his teens, Brian s introduction to Chicago s Irish-speaking community allowed him to cultivate a rich understanding of the sean-nós singing tradition even before his immersion in the language while living in the Connemara region of western Co. Galway. This experience has left him with a vast repertoire of song and rich store of language that continues to inform and inspire his singing. Since 2007, Brian has also recorded and toured extensively with famed Co. Antrim singer Len Graham, cultivating considerable knowledge about the Ulster tradition through this collaboration. He has performed and taught extensively in North America and Ireland and has been featured on various NPR and RTÉ radio programs. Brian is also an awardwinning sean-nós dancer (Cruinniú na mbád, 2003) and accomplished instrumentalist on concertina, accordion, and whistle. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon where he teaches Irish and helps develop language learning games for Language Hunters, a non-profit organization.

4 Press: among the finest in traditional music in America. - Irish Music Magazine [Bua] explodes with thrilling but controlled energy. - All Music Guide They can raise the rafters with their playing, charm with their singing, and delight with their contemporary energy. - Dirty Linen It's understandable if Bostonians and New Englanders take pride in their area's Irish music scene, but [Bua] serves notice that the Midwest has every right to puff out its collective chest - Boston Irish Reporter In the spring of their musical careers, Chicago-based trad group Bua is in full bloom Down the Green Fields is a wonderful compilation exemplifying each musician's years of dedication to their craft. - Fiddlefreak Seriously. If you have any interest in the traditional music of Ireland, an emerald sound born of fiddles, pipes, whistles, and a clarity of voice that sounds like the musical equivalent of a crystal clear mountain stream and refreshes just as much, buy this album. - Driftwood Magazine Bua is one of those groups that is very trad and very cutting edge at the same time. Suffice it to say, you gotta be real good to pull this off. Bua is real good. Real good. - Live Ireland I just don t know of another band that s so perfectly nailed the traditional heart of Irish music in America so well. - The Bluegrass Situation

Chicago Roots: An Irishman of extraordinary dedication, the great Chief Francis O Neill (1848-1936) called Chicago his home for more than sixty years.

5 Chicago Roots: An Irishman of extraordinary dedication, the great Chief Francis O Neill ( ) called Chicago his home for more than sixty years. His groundbreaking collections of Irish traditional melodies marked an unprecedented harvest of music from the immigrant masses who came from all corners of Ireland to make a living in one of America s largest urban centers. At the time of his death, he had published nearly 2,500 tunes, and his books had such a profound effect on the music making of Irish musicians everywhere that he has been called the greatest individual influence on the evolution of Irish traditional dance music in the twentieth century. Chicago is also the home base of Bua an ensemble of talented musicians who owe much of their musical roots to O Neill s work. Bua s music draws from more than a century s worth of Irish traditional music and song cultivated in the Midwest and Ireland, and spanning from the Chief s day to today. Chicago and other Midwestern cities like Detroit, St. Louis and St. Paul continue to be home to many Irish immigrant musicians. The members of Bua have learned from many of these tradition-bearing Irish-Midwesterners including Áine Meenaghan, Mick Gavin, Daithi Sproule, Kevin Henry, Paddy O Brien, Laurence Nugent and Gearóid Ó hallmhuráin not to mention such well known secondgeneration Irishwomen and men as Liz Carroll, Jimmy Keane and John Williams who have long inspired young musicians throughout the US and Ireland. Bua s music carries the torch forward for this rich legacy of Midwestern Irish traditional music. As one of America's primary settling places for the [Irish] diaspora Chicago has long been a hotbed of traditional Irish music. One of the best trad groups to emerge from that scene in the 21st century is Bua. - All Music Guide

6 Workshops & Class Offerings: Devin Shepherd: Irish Traditional Fiddle: beginner/intermediate/advanced This Irish fiddle class will cover the fundamentals of playing the instrument in the Irish style including basics of bowing, phrasing, rhythm and elementary ornamentation. Intermediate and advanced classes are for competent players interested in deepening their understanding of Irish fiddle including unique personal and regional styles that have influenced Devin s own playing. Please bring a recording device. Sean Gavin: Irish Tin Whistle: beginner/intermediate/advanced Brian Ó hairt: Irish Tin Whistle: beginner/intermediate Brian Miller: Irish Tin Whistle: beginner/intermediate Beginners will learn basic technique, fingering, ornamentation and a few simple tunes. Higher level classes will explore Irish ornamentation (cuts, taps, rolls and more) in depth while also covering phrasing, tonguing and breathing on a variety of Irish tune types. Please bring a tin whistle in the key of D. Sean Gavin: Irish Flute: beginner/intermediate/advanced Brian Miller: Irish Flute: beginner/intermediate Beginner sessions will cover the fundamentals of playing the wooden flute including posture, hand position, breathing techniques, and an introduction to Irish ornamentation. More advanced classes will cover more complex skills in wooden flute playing including advice on phrasing, breath control and advanced ornamentation. The instructor will answer questions about the finer points of Irish flute playing and teach tunes from the Irish repertoire. Preferably, participants should bring a wooden flute though advanced silver flute players can also benefit from this class. Sean Gavin: Uilleann Pipes: beginner/intermediate/advanced Beginner sessions will introduce this fascinating instrument with descriptions of all the various parts and the fundamentals of playing (and maintaining!) a set of uilleann pipes. More advanced classes will cover more complex skills including discussion of both the "open" and "tight" piping styles and advanced ornamentation. Please bring a recording device. Brian Ó hairt: Irish Traditional Singing: beginner/intermediate/advanced Come explore the singing traditions of Ireland. Learn about the historic development of the English language song tradition while focusing on phrasing, ornamentation, and individual style. Students will try their hands at ballads, macaronic songs, hedge school master songs, and more! Students will learn to sing these songs in a small group setting to accommodate participation. Please bring a recording device.

7 Workshops & Class Offerings: Brian Ó hairt: Sean-nós Singing: beginner/intermediate/advanced Come explore the singing traditions of Gaelic Ireland. Learn about the historic development of these regional traditions while focusing on pronunciation, phrasing, ornamentation and individual style. Students will try their hands a the various types of Irish Gaelic songs such as the "big songs", silly songs, macaronic songs, religious songs and more. No understanding of Gaelic is necessary. Students will learn several song choruses with which to sing along in a group setting. Please bring a recording device. Brian Ó hairt: Irish Language (Gaelic): beginner/intermediate/advanced Come explore the native language of Ireland--Gaeilge. Students will learn the ins and outs of this beautiful language with focus on pronunciation and basic sentence structures and simple vocabulary. Those with more skill will practice idiomatic structures involving the copula /is/ and past, present and future tenses. Please bring writing material and a recording device, though the style of teaching incorporates total physical response learning. Brian Ó hairt: Concertina/Button Accordion: beginner/intermediate Brian is very influenced by the Connemara melodeon tradition--known for its playful and accommodating dance tempo. This workshop will focus on building skills needed to fill out the melodic line including octave playing and left hand chord building on concertina and left hand vamping on the accordion. Basic ornamentation will also be touched upon and the student will be given new tunes with which to build their repertoire. Please bring a recording device. Brian Ó hairt: Sean-nós dancing: beginner/intermediate/advanced: Come learn the Connemara style of sean-nós dancing--a dance form akin to American flat footing or clogging. Learn the basic Connemara step for both jigs and reels. Those with more advanced skills will be challenged with free-formed dancing focusing on the unique rhythm of various dance tunes. Please bring a pair of flat-soled shoes with hard leather or plastic soles. NO IRISH DANCING HARD SHOES PLEASE. Brian Miller: Accompanying Irish Music: beginner/intermediate/advanced Hone your techniques for backing up traditional Irish dance music and songs with this informative, hands on workshop. This workshop will cover the fundamentals of good accompaniment that apply to guitar (in standard or alternate tuning) and all the various mandolin family instruments common in the Irish tradition (bouzouki, cittern, octave mandolin, etc.). We will discuss the history of accompaniment in Irish music while

8 Workshops & Class Offerings: working on a subtle, non-intrusive approach to accompanying tunes and songs. Students will learn strumming techniques for various dance tune types and a few tricks of the trade. Suitable for newcomers to Irish backing as well as those who already back but are looking to expand their palette. Brian Miller: DADGAD Guitar Accompaniment: beginner/intermediate/advanced This class explores techniques for backing up traditional Irish music with a specific focus on the use of guitar in the DADGAD tuning. Brian has taught Irish-style guitar backing to students in Ireland and at workshops across the US. This workshop will cover DADGAD chord shapes, strumming techniques for various dance tune types and a few tricks of the trade. Suitable for newcomers to Irish guitar backing as well as those who already back but are looking to expand their palette. Brian Miller: Bouzouki Accompaniment: beginner/intermediate/advanced This class explores techniques for backing up traditional Irish music with a specific focus on the use of the bouzouki (or octave mandolin, cittern, etc.). We will discuss the history of mandolin family instruments in Irish music and consider ways in which they are particularly well suited to fitting into this primarily melody-oriented tradition. Brian will outline a subtle, non-intrusive approach to accompanying tunes and songs. Students will learn strumming techniques for various dance tune types and a few tricks of the trade. Suitable for newcomers to Irish backing as well as those who already back but are looking to expand their palette. Brian Miller, Devin Shepherd, Brian Ó hairt, Sean Gavin: A Harvest of Irish Music This listening workshop explores the legacy of Irish music in Chicago dating back to the early 1900s. It was during this period that famed Chief of Police Francis O Neill began to collect Irish traditional dance tunes from many of the native Irish working on the police force and from many musicians living in the city itself. This undertaking resulted in the publication of the most significant collection of Irish dance music in the world. In more recent times, many of O Neill s personal wax-cylinder recordings have been recovered and digitized giving amazing insight into the character, ability, and prowess of many contributors to this now famous collection.

9 Venue History: Bua has played in twenty-four states within the US and two Canadian provinces. Here are some highlights from over the years. Folk Venues: National Folk Festival, Butte MT: 2010 * CityFolk Festival, Dayton OH: 2011 Lowell Folk Festival, Lowell MA: 2010 * University of Chicago Folk Festival, Chicago IL: 2012 * Great Lakes Folk Festival, East Lansing MI: 2012 * New Bedford Summerfest, New Bedford MA: 2009 * Old Songs Festival, Altamont NY: 2009 * Dianna Wortham Theater, Asheville NC: 2010 * Woods Hole Folk Music Society, Woods Hole MA: 2011 * The Ark, Ann Arbor MI: 2011 * University of Hartford, Hartford CT: 2008, 2009 * Blackstone River Theatre, Cumberland RI: 2008 * Delaware Valley Arts Consortium, Immaculata PA: 2010 * Cumberland Music Association, Knoxville TN: 2010 * University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe LA: 2010 * Missouri Valley Folklife Society, Kansas City MO: 2008 * Fresno Folklore Society, Fresno CA: 2013 Irish & Celtic Communities: Dublin Irish Festival, Dublin OH: 2009 * Celtic Classic, Bethlehem PA: 2009, 2010, 2012 * Catskills Irish Arts Week, East Durham NY: 2010 * Celtic Roots Festival, Goderich ON: 2009, 2010 * Buffalo Irish Fest, Buffalo NY: 2008 * Minnesota Irish Fair, St. Paul MN: 2010 * Arizona Highland Celtic Festival, Flagstaff AZ: 2011, 2012 * Eugene Irish Cultural Festival, Eugene OR: 2012 * Jackson Celtic Fest, Jackson MS: 2012 * Chicago Celtic Fest, Chicago IL: 2007 * Milwaukee Irish Fest, Milwaukee WI: 2006, 2007 * Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago IL: 2006, 2007, 2010 * Philadelphia Céilí Group Festival, Philadelphia PA: 2009 * Irish Center of Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH: 2012 * Irish Cultural & Heritage Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee WI: 2007, 2012 * Winnipeg Irish Festival, Winnipeg MB: 2013 * Selected Summer Schools: Grand Canyon Celtic Arts Academy, Flagstaff, AZ: 2011, 2012 Celtic College, Goderich, ON: 2009, 2010 Conferences: Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference (APAP), New York NY: 2009 Folk Alliance International Conference, Memphis TN: 2011

Discography: Down the Green Fields An Spealadóir Live At Martyrs 2011 2009 2006 For any fans of traditional Irish music, Bua s Down the Green Fields is not only the

An Spealadóir features all that is really good about tradition music. It is a breath-taking excursion, and one you will not want to miss.

10 Discography: Down the Green Fields An Spealadóir Live At Martyrs For any fans of traditional Irish music, Bua s Down the Green Fields is not only the kind of album that should place the band in the highest echelon of Irish groups, but also a truly admirable example of taste and restraint in a tradition that sometimes loses sight of both. - Driftwood Magazine February 2012 Bua again demonstrates the essence of what a band does best, letting the pieces be joined to its strongest fashion. An Spealadóir features all that is really good about tradition music. It is a breath-taking excursion, and one you will not want to miss. - Irish Music Magazine August 2009 It is a work without gimmicks, where the musicianship is of the highest quality In many ways it is a throwback to the playing of the 1960 s and 1970 s, keeping the music down the path of tradition. Live at Martyrs is a piece one can play without fear of wearing out its welcome. - Irish Music Magazine May 2007

11 Distinctions & Awards: Best Irish-American Album of the Past Five Years (2013) - The Bluegrass Situation #1 in US Album Sales (August 2012-January 2013) - Irish Music Magazine Top Selling Folk Album (March 2012) - CDBaby.com Music Developmental Grant Recipients (2011) - Foras na Gaeilge Top Traditional Group (2009) - Irish Music Awards North American Group of the Year (2007) - Irish Music Magazine New Group of the Year (2006) - Irish American News

12 Stage Plot: [BACK STAGE] Sean Gavin flute/vocal: mic on tall boom pipes chanter: mic on short boom pipes drones: mic on short boom Devin Shepherd vocal: mic on tall boom fiddle: XLR w/phantom Brian Ó hairt vocal: mic on tall boom concertina: 2 XLRs w/phantom Brian Miller vocal: mic on tall boom guitar: DI bouzouki: instrument mic on short boom chair w/no arms chair w/no arms chair w/no arms chair w/no arms MONITOR MONITOR MONITOR MONITOR 4 x 6 wooden or marley dance floor for step dancing (can be elevated on risers) 2 dance mics secured to the dance floor or on small booms [AUDIENCE]

Percussion Explore the possibilities of rhythm, beat, syncopation, and percussive sounds. Bring drums, claves, and shakers, if you have them.

Percussion Explore the possibilities of rhythm, beat, syncopation, and percussive sounds. Bring drums, claves, and shakers, if you have them. Alaska City Folk Arts Classes & Descriptions The classes described below are those that are typically (but not always) offered at Alaska City Folk Arts Camp, and are intended to help you fill out the Class