January Newsletter
Meeting Recap
Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyones holidays were relazing and enjoyable. We are off to a great start this year! Thanks to everyone who was able to make it! We played several great tunes that have been added to our Common Tunes collection in our website resources. If you're looking for some new tunes to learn, have a look! Resources - Common Tunes
Walsh Tune book & Denis Brooks tutor
The club is currently exploring options to begin reprinting John Walsh's highly coveted tune book, as well as the much sought after Denis Brooks Tutor. We are hoping to have logistics sorted by early next year so we can begin printing and selling, so keep an eye on the newsletter and website store!
Workshops & Concerts
West Coast Tionol 2025
If you haven’t heard yet, we have added a third instructor to our Tionol line up, Eliot Grasso! Huge thanks to Eliot for joining us, and an even bigger thanks to everyone who signed up early, giving us the ability to bring him in. You can find more details about the Tionol on the new dedicated Tionol page here: West Coast Tionol 2025
T-Shirts
Tionól t-shirts are available online now in our store, and will also be available at the Tionól. However, only the light and dark blue options will be available in person, and they will be limited in size and quantity. If you’d like to reserve a shirt to pick up in person, please email us at hello@irishpipersclub.com
Caoimhín Ó Fearghail
Hailing from An Rinn, Waterford Gaeltacht, began learning the tin whistle at age eight with Bobby Gardiner before progressing to the uilleann pipes under David Power. Self-taught on flute and guitar, he was influenced by renowned musicians like Matt Molloy and Séamus Ennis. In 2006, he released an album with local artists, and has since contributed to various albums, including those of Caitlín Nic Gabhann and Edel Fox. A recipient of the TG4 Young Musician of the Year award in 2012, Caoimhín has toured widely with groups like Caladh Nua and Danú, and in 2020, released a solo piping album through Na Píobairí Uilleann. A graduate of UCC with an MA in Irish, he was named Best Folk Instrumentalist at the 2021 RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.
Sean Gavin
A master of the uilleann pipes, Irish flute, and tin whistle, Seán Gavin is one of the most highly regarded performers and teachers of traditional Irish music. He is the first musician born outside Ireland to win the prestigious Seán Ó Riada Gold medal, and the author of a popular tin whistle book published by Hal Leonard. Seán is the founder and director of the Irish Music Institute – a non-profit music school based in Southeast Michigan, and also serves as coordinator of celtic week at the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina. With recordings, lectures, and performances around the globe to his credit, Seán is back in his native Detroit, where he continues to play, teach, and promote traditional Irish music.
Eliot Grasso
Eliot Grasso is a distinguished Irish musician specializing in the uilleann pipes, Irish flute, and tin whistle. Celebrated for his intuitive melodic and technical variations, he has performed at prestigious venues such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Grasso has collaborated with notable artists, including The Chieftains and actor Russell Crowe, and has been featured on programs like NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion." He is a founding member of Dréos, an ensemble dedicated to reimagining traditional Celtic music, and serves as Vice President of Gutenberg College, where he teaches music, art, philosophy, and history. Grasso holds a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Oregon and an M.A. in ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick.
Hosting Visitors
On another note, as many of our Tionol attendees will be coming from out of town, I'd like to ask our local members to reach out to me directly if you are able and willing to host anyone during our Tionol weekend.
Visiting attendees
And on the flip side, if any visiting attendees need help finding lodging for the Tionol weekend, please reach out to the club and we'll do our best to assist.
South East Tionól
I’d also like to spread the word about the South East Tionól which will be hosted in Orlando, Florida Jan. 31- Feb. 2nd. Teaching pipes will be Colleen Shanks, Michael Stribling, Kathleen Dugan Cavanagh, with pipes/reed Maintenance led by Gary White and Stacia Lewis. You can learn more at the Florida Pipers CLub website here: Florida Irish Pipers
Bandcamp, Bits & Bobs
Brian Hughes recently released a new album, and although its primarily whistle, Brian is also an accomplished uilleann piper, and the album is filled with excellent tunes for both whistle and pipes. Have a listen!
That’s it for now! We will have one more meeting before the Tionól, so I’ll see you all in February!
