Learnt AMEB Classical Violin technique from the age of four. Completed 7th grade violin and studied 8th grade for a few years, yet to sit for the exam.
Joined the Tamborine Mountain Bush Band (TMBB) at the age of thirteen 1996. Played a regular weekly gig for eight years at O'Reilly's Guesthouse in the Lamington National Park here in Australia.
Currently with Two different groups - Mic Travers and the Celtic Beat. The other group is unnamed... never thought we needed a name till now... But "unnamed" play in the band leader's pub, Clancy's Irish Restaurant up here on Tamborine Mountain every weekend.
No longer with the TMBB. Left due to my own aspirations go somewhere with music... It doesn't look like it's going anywhere too soon unfortunately... Sometimes I feel that the problem with Australia is that it is a backwater country for artists producing any type of music that is not main stream. It is impossible to become "known" about.
Aside from the folk music I also play in a Quartet (Flute, Violin, Clarinet and Cello), mostly playing Mozart and my own compositions. Still working on a name for this group too... Names are so hard to think of... then the rest of the group has to like it! Bugger.
Haven't studied Music at any of the Queensland Universities yet, was an ambition of mine.
Although I can honestly say that I'm none too brilliant at mandolin, I would consider it another instrument I can play. Nowhere near as well as violin though. Funny story though, I went to my first ever Irish music Session at The Irish Club in Brisbane back in 2005 and there were 6 or 7 fiddle players there right. God I was nervous.
So being new I thought I'd stick on mandolin and just accompany the session with whatever I could fill in chord or impro harmony. And at the end of the session the Uilleann piper who ran the session (pretty damn good piper too, Adrian was his name) asked me who do I play support for on mandolin, I almost cracked into laughter. I told him I don't. I play violin. Honest mistake I'm sure, ok so I'm not that bad, I'm just no Chris Thile, Sam Bush or Mike Marshall... we'll add Tim O'Brien but he's better at singing.
I only know four tunes on the Mandolin confidently well
1.Steeleye Span's - The Tancy's Fancy/Bride's Favourite (easy)
2.Nickel Creek's - The Cuckoo's Nest (harder)
3.New Grange's - Land's End (love it!)
4.Planxty's - Smenceno Horo (no one knows how to accompany me in this yet) Pity,... Why should Andy have all the fun... :(
I was last learning Bela Fleck and The Chieftain's - Ladies Pantalettes / Belles of Blackville / First House in Connaught, but only got as far as the first tune in the set.
I tend to think that the music you listen to can often tell another person about who you are. The sort of music I like to listen to:
In the Irish or Folk or Bluegrass persuasion of music
Altan
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
The Corrs
The Chieftains
Déanta
Deiseal
The Dixiechicks
Loreena McKennitt
Lúnasa
Moving Hearts
NewGrange
Nickel Creek
Orion
Orison
Planxty
Pyewackett
Steeleye Span
The "Supers" of this group or my idols:
Alison Krauss
Béla Fleck
Chris Thile
Darol Anger
Edgar Meyer
Jerry Douglas
Joshua Bell
Mark O'Connor
Mike Marshall
Nigel Kennedy
Peter Knight
Sam Bush
Tim O'Brien
Yo Yo Ma
I'm sure I've missed someone
My "little" about myself...
Tunes in Leddivah's tunebook: 0
| Discussions | Re: rosin addiction | October 9th 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: Pickup for violin | April 25th 2007 |
| Discussions | Re: Best fiddle players in your opinion (continued) | July 12th 2006 |
| Discussions | Re: Best fiddle players in your opinion | July 10th 2006 |