I’m trying not too think too hard about why we’re having such an absolutely beautiful early spring but it surely has made for some lovely walks! Liam took over the camera on our last walk to the library. This is Shady Patch, the little herb garden that Atticus planted (and named) last spring. I know less… Read More Walking in springtime
Liam has his very first piano performance coming up on March 31st and has been staging elaborate rehearsals with quite a colorful audience. Sam the dog is unimpressed but the rest of us are all very proud of his preparations (lift those wrists, son!). And what an audience! From left to right: Julie, Sockay, Toadie,… Read More Rehearsal
Shy. Bashful. Awkward. Introverted. I’ve been puzzling over these designations lately, particularly in regard to myself and to my oldest child. I have a long background in social services so I’ve taken the Myers-Briggs test many times and have always ended up with the INFP label. Whenever the test has been described to me, the… Read More Introvert
Last night was our first performance of the 2012 St. Patrick’s Day season! March is the one month of the year that an Irish band is sure to find steady work and this year is no exception. St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) falls on a Saturday this year and it will be a 15 hour… Read More Fairfield
October has very nearly come and gone with nary an update. I knew that this school year was going to be a busy one but I was unprepared for just how busy. Luckily I will have a chance to tweak my schedule considerably come January but in the meantime it’s all I can do to… Read More October Irish session
The October Irish session is today so this is my big chance to get the September Irish session recorded before I fall even more hopelessly behind. We had two sessions in September, each one delightful in its own way. During our usual Saturday session time, it was just me, Ric, and Tim jamming on a… Read More September Irish sessions, a wee bit late
We had a great group of friends at our August session and we were especially excited to see Frank, a superb musician (flute and tin whistle) who I haven’t played music with in over five years. Also in attendance were Dave (fiddle and Irish flute), Dennis (concertina), Robin (fiddle), Keith (guitar, vocals), Kevin (harmonica), Abram… Read More August Irish session and changes afoot
Today was one of those absolutely perfect Iowa City summer days and we were lucky enough to spend a couple of felicitous hours at Uptown Bill’s. Among the players today: Marc (guitar, mandolin, and fiddle), Maia (fiddle), Guy (fiddle), Wendy (tin whistle), Will (fiddle), Tim (guitar), Annie (fiddle), John (guitar), Arianne (fiddle), Abram (fiddle and… Read More July Irish session at Uptown Bill’s
“I thought of the word.” Tom Gilsenan said to me yesterday when we took a break during the Irish session. “It’s diaspora.” I looked it up last night when I got home and he’s right, it does describe our little informal group of musicians who began playing together at the Gilbert Street Uptown Bill’s a… Read More June Irish session at Uptown Bill’s
It’s really hot. We staggered to the library for storytime this morning and lurched home again but that was all the outside time that we could manage today. Susan Pagnucci was the guest storyteller today and she had some great ideas of ways to bring the story home, including a shadow puppet theatre! You know… Read More Shadow Puppets
Tara McGovern 