Here's me:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuant63/256565832/in/set-72157594431374511/
Now if you are tired of living, you can also check out my website at:
http://www.causewaymusic.co.uk
My other passions are Old Time Music & if you want to learn more about that, you should check out my own Old Time Music Forum (Europe): http://oldtimehammer.proboards76.com/index.cgi
..... & the Hammered Dulcimer & you can find out more about that on my other forum ~ Dulcimer Player's Forum (Europe): http://eurodulcimers.proboards74.com/index.cgi
If you are coming to the Causeway Coast region of north Antrim & want to know where the sessions are, or if you just want to learn about the Trad music scene in North Antrim, then visit the 'Causeway Music Forum' at:
http://www.gossiping.net/phpBB2/index.php?mforum=northantrimmusi
If you want to hear some of the horrible noises I make on Trad instruments, you can listen to some of my own tunes, plus a couple of trad ones too, at my 'Sound Lantern' page:
http://www.soundlantern.com/UpdatedUser.do?UsName=Ptarmigan&UsId=310
Or on my ezFolk site, if you prefer:
http://ezfolk.com/audio/Ptarmigan
or on my MySpace sites:
http://www.myspace.com/dulcimerplayersforum
&
http://www.myspace.com/causewaytraditions
&
http://www.myspace.com/ulstermandragora
If you want to know what I look like, just watch the movie "The Boys from County Clare". I'm the fat old 'phart' playing Fiddle in front of his three sons right at the start.
Of course, only the digital tricks of the movie world make me look old & fat.
In reality I look like I'm in my twenties & a bit like Paul Newman - on a good day. :-)
Watch the trailer for The Boys and Girl From County Clare here:
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1808645816
I was born in Edinburgh toon, just doon the road frae Sandy Bell's & I remember it was raining that day, but only in the morning, cause it brightened up nicely in the afternoon :-).
My Irish musical experiences in short:-
The 1970s:
- a Dubliners concert in Clonmel, Tipperary in 1971,
- sessions in 'Sandy Bells' - Edinburgh, 'Ma Camerons' - Aberdeen,
- 1977 All Ireland Fleadh in Ennis,
- Girvan Festivals,
- Busking in Dublin & for two years, travelling the sessions & festivals of Ireland as a 'musical bum'.
The 1980s:
- one year playing the Irish Pubs of Berlin,
- more Aberdeen Irish music with Kenny & Ron P - (Cool & the gang)
The 1990s
- Gig at Castle Fraser, Aberdeenshire as member of "The Moving McLeods"
& then: the past 16 years, in total obscurity in Norn Iron, playing the 'native's' Music.
My latest project is a new Hammered Dulcimer Festival for Northern Ireland - the 'Causeway Dulcimer Festival', which takes place in Bushmills, Co. Antrim around early June - first one was in 2005.
If you are a H D player, especially Scottish or Irish, I hope you will get in touch.
You may also find these discussions, on how some folks here react to a Hammered Dulcimer in their session, quite interesting:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/819/comments#comment12368
&
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/10226/comments
You should also check out my "Causeway Dulcimer Festival Website" at:
http://www.causewaymusic.co.uk/cdf06.html
For Hammered Dulcimer CD details on this site, check out:
CLIFF MOSES at:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1705
&
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1701
HARRIS MOORE at:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1700
&
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1699
MAGGIE SANSONE at:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1703
&
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/335
&
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/341
KAREN ASHBROOK at:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1702
&
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/336
BARRY CARROLL at:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1698
JOHN REA at:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1690
&
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/958
JOEMY WILSON at:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/802
My main instruments these days are Fiddle, Mandolin, Octave Mandola, Concertina (Anglo - of course :-)) & Hammered Dulcimer.
I ran the 'Black Nun Folk Club' in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, with ace sound man Brian Boyle, for 8 years & we promoted the Traditional Music, Song & Rhyme of North Antrim, plus some 'Folk' music too.
Most Thursday nights these days, I'm privileged to share a session with ace Co Antrim Flute player - Dee Havlin
Most Friday nights I'm delighted to share a session with ace Melodeon/Guitar player, & Fermanagh man, Ciaran Kelly.
I'm also very fortunate to be able to session regularly with a great Co Antrim Uilleann Piper & Flute player & instrument maker - John Hughes & a lovely Co Antrim Fiddler Kathleen King (The Antrim Rose)
& an up & coming, soon to be a legend, Co. Antrim Fiddler, Johnny Murphy.
But that's enough name dropping!
However, it has to be said - life is being very good to me!
With my own group, 'Scad the beggars' I play Scottish & North Antrim music, with:
Mrs Ptarmigan on Harp & Fifes,
Alan Wade on Scottish Smallpipes
& various other musical suspects.
Well that's a wee flavour 'o' fit am aboot'.
Oh yes, & if you wish to know where your own instrument sits in the ITM scheme of things, check this out:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/8107
& this:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/6109/comments
Before you go, you must visit this page & listen to some of the excellent musicians who float around this virtual reality space time bubble:
http://worldfiddlemusic.co.uk/mightycraiconline/
What is 'Scad the beggars', I hear you ask!?!?
Well it is a north Antrim phrase for the local delicacy of Oatmeal fried in Bacon fat - yummy!
My favourite expression is a North Antrim one:
"He looked like a dug lickin' pish off a nettle" - quaint eh?
My favourite Limerick is:
To People on the Sidelines
"To listen is good, in a way,
But it's better to join in the fray.
Musicians agree
They hear what they see;
The audience hears what they play."
Here's a great link to loads of wonderful music on TG4. Gaelic with subtitles but hey, well worth it, for the Music is brilliant!
http://www.tg4.tv/default.aspx
If you like Limericks, you may enjoy this thread:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/8483
Here's a good thread on excellent trad radio stations to check out:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/8673
If your into G Banjos in Irish Music, check this thread out:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/9344
If you ever wondered what an Irish Tenor Banjo should sound like, look no further:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpbvBwOeCEU
On another forum, & with an open mind, I am exploring the idea that there is such a thing as 'Ulster Scots Music'.
To view over 100 video clips of musicians who believe that there is, check out this page.
It will perhaps help you to make up your own mind:
http://www.ulster-scots.co.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=9
If you are not familiar with Kurdish Music, here is a fascinating video clip:
http://members.chello.nl/~s.karim1/
Interested in instruments with animal heads?
Then check out this thread:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/8444/comments#comment180399
N.B. - the dangers of playing the Bodhran:
http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/5577/oldbodhranbagcn2.jpg
You've got a head start in this game if you have 'Musical Hands':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPdvjUSPEvU
... & finally, if you think you are having it tough, learning to play your instrument - here's a reality check for you:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/11504
*Tip of the Day* - stop trying to be better than anyone else, just focus on being better than yourself!
Now I'm sure we all find that goal easily achievable!
My favourite quote from this site - "In other words, the tune isn’t a vehicle for the player to impress the audience with his virtuosity, but rather the players virtuosity is a vehicle to impress the audience with the beauty of the tune."
Truth is I'm Lagopus Mutus Millaisi - a different Ptarmigan altogether, which is usually confined to Scotland, but I was blown over to Norn Iron by a Tsunami type gale about 14 years ago, along with Mrs Ptarmigan!
You see, with yer Mutus Millaisi, "the red wattle over the eye is much larger in the cock than the hen".
"My flight is much like the grouse too, but I can shoot up or down a precipice of several hundred feet without apparent effort"- so there!
My "call is a hoarse croak & also a curious low, prolonged croak or snore almost mechanical in it's regularity". (shouldn't have told you that, should I?)
My song "is accompanied by a display, & is a belching:
'ER-OOK-OORA"!
Mr Ptarmigan (Lagopus Mutus Millaisi)
Tunes in Ptarmigan's tunebook: 130
| Argan Mor | hornpipe | May 16th 2007 |
| Glasgow's Passion For Fashion | jig | March 18th 2007 |
| Boney's Retreat | hornpipe | February 19th 2007 |
| Muistoja Karpaateilta | waltz | July 27th 2006 |
| Jack O'Connell's | polka | July 26th 2006 |
| First Run | Moonshine | November 27th 2007 |
| Folk Music From Romandie | Montferrine | May 28th 2007 |
| Ballade A L'hotesse | Christian Lemaitre | January 7th 2007 |
| Aberdeen Folk Club 'A Celebration' | Various Artists | September 20th 2006 |
| The Ancient Music Of Ireland | Various Artists | September 3rd 2006 |
| North Antrim Heritage Forum | May 18th 2008 |
| ezFolk | April 28th 2008 |
| Old Time Music Forum (Europe) | April 27th 2008 |
| Dulcimer Player's Forum | June 9th 2007 |
| Ptarmi's Tubes | November 9th 2006 |
| Diamond Bar | November 6th 2005 |
| Stagecoach Inn | October 29th 2005 |
| Mrs Browns | August 31st 2005 |
| Lisbarnet House Inn | December 27th 2003 |
| Ballad Inn | December 27th 2003 |
| 'Folk In The Park' Music Festival | May 22nd 2008 |
| Antrim Fleadh | April 29th 2007 |
| Festival Of World Cultures 2006 | August 14th 2006 |
| Piping Live | August 6th 2006 |
| Whitby Folk Week | August 2nd 2006 |
| Nos Ur ~ Results | June 22nd 2008 |
| Nòs Ùr ~ Please Vote this Saturday ~ 21st June | June 17th 2008 |
| The late 'Joe Ryan' on YouTube. | June 16th 2008 |
| No wonder the Connaughtman Rambled! | May 7th 2008 |
| Does it have gears? | May 1st 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: What's the best piece of music of all time? | July 3rd 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: What's the best piece of music of all time? | July 3rd 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: What's the best piece of music of all time? | July 3rd 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: Does ITM include "Ancient" Music? | July 2nd 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: Does ITM include "Ancient" Music? | July 2nd 2008 |
