This is a photo I actually took a couple years ago but never published or shared with anyone outside of fulfilling its immediate purpose.  This was taken when I started my Master’s program in 2008: my instructor for the very first course I took gave us the option of writing a paper or doing an […]

This is a picture of a full set of uilleann pipes belonging to a fellow piper, taken at our recent AZUPS gathering. There are four common configurations for the Irish uilleann bagpipes: the practice set, half set, three-quarter set and full set.  The practice set, though the name can be misleading, does not mean that […]

I am currently learning how to make my own reeds for the uilleann pipes.  The double reed needed to play the Irish uilleann pipes is not like any other reed in the world; unlike reeds for other instruments such as a saxophone, clarinet, or even other double reed instruments such as the oboe or bassoon, the uilleann pipe double […]

Today I met together with members of the Arizona Uilleann Piper’s Society.  I shot a few pictures, played some tunes, learned more about making my own reeds and just had the craic with other local pipers.  The two pipers in this photo are both named Eric Wilson: What are the odds that two men with […]

…that this picture was taken in Arizona.  I was driving around old town Peoria and saw this rusted old farm equipment and thought it was a nice photo opportunity.  The first thing I thought when I looked through the viewfinder was “this scene looks nothing like Arizona”.  Well, not the Valley anyways.

All the talk in the last post about hooleys got me thinking of this.  Last September I took a trip to Seattle, WA as an AZ delegate for the Comhaltas Western Region Annual General Meeting and thinking back on the trip, this image is one that stands out in my mind.  Each Comhaltas branch, though connected to the […]

I didn’t get the chance to post yesterday because I was out playing music with some friends.  House sessions, or “hooleys” are a big part of traditional culture in Ireland.  Locals would gather together with their instruments, libations and perhaps a dish to share, and play tunes, sing, dance, recite verses, and tell stories well into […]

My friends, Tom and Mary Connor got me hooked on Barry’s tea.  I’ve always been more of a coffee drinker but it can be too harsh on the stomach to drink in the late afternoon or evening so it’s typically a morning habit for me.  I have often looked forward to a cup of tea from Mary’s kitchen […]

With all the electronic technology we have today, I still find myself in awe of some of the simple mechanical inventions that came before computers, iPods, and cell phones. I am a big fan of records; there’s something special in the hi-fi vinyl sound that just isn’t heard on CD and MP3. The other day […]

Jessi and I bought a couple pieces of metal wall art that we liked but felt like they needed something between them to complete the look on the wall so I got out my camera and shot this picture of my mandolin. The colors in the photo were similar to the colors of the other […]