Treasure Hunt!

Dear Reader - I have you sorted for family entertainment this Christmas…read on!

The Big Thing

But first - Sinéad and I (below) played at the Sligo Park Christmas lunch last Thursday and had a great time - the first time you play Christmas songs each year is always extra fun! They are just supremely well-written songs (in general).

Our piano students have been busy learning lots from the genre over the last few weeks too - Deck The Halls, Fairytale of New York, Jingle Bell Rock and We Wish You a Merry Christmas are particular favourites this year.

And this week as we come to the end of this piano tuition term, students are gathering for a series of group workshops where we play games and work on improving their listening skills.
I had a group of adults in yesterday evening and we spoke about ‘the Christmas chord’ - a particular chord that is cleverly employed in White Christmas, The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and All I Want for Christmas is You for example.

It’s a 4 minor chord (Fm6 in the key of C for example) which evokes a dreamy, nostalgic feeling - obviously very useful for songwriters trying to evoke similar emotions in their listeners.
If you want to know more here’s a short video of an American pianist explaining it…

Where else but Sligo?

I wrote this in January 2024 after competing in the Coolera Car Treasure Hunt over the Christmas 2023 period. I questioned whether the mind of hunt-setter Jim Doyle was amazing or warped (!) after we and dozens of other cars had driven around the back roads from St. Stephen’s Day on looking for the answers to the clues he had set.

Now 2 years later it’s my turn - and you guys will have the opportunity to question what goes on in my head - as I have been out and about over the last few weeks setting this year’s hunt and trying to figure out ways to puzzle and entertain you all this Christmas.

More details to come, but for now all you need to know is that you can enter and pick up your clues between 12 and 2pm on St Stephen’s Day in the carpark of Coolera House.

Answers won’t be due in until New Years Eve with results given out on the evening of January 1st. All in aid of a local charity to be announced shortly.

What’s New?

A quick update on our upcoming tour.

Firstly - our Drumcliffe and Hawk’s Well Studio shows are sold out - thank you!

And - we’re down to the last few tickets for King House (Boyle) this Saturday 13th and Maitland’s on Dec 23rd.

Don’t miss out - lots of 4 minor chords to be heard! Tickets here.

Finally…

Seamie’s Christmas song from 2021…

Till next time - Kieran.

Our smallest gig ever!

Dear Reader - Firstly some news of our Christmas gigs (including an extra date)…

The Big Thing

December is here and so (almost) is our Christmas tour!

The Drumcliffe and Boyle shows are almost sold out.

The Hawk’s Well Studio show IS sold out but we are releasing a small number of extra tickets tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at 10am.

AND - today I’m delighted to announce a 5th gig on the tour - a special intimate way to round it off - in Maitland’s Barber Shop, Collooney on the 23rd Dec. Capacity strictly limited to 30 but it will be so special.
Tickets for this will also go on sale on Wednesday morning at 10am.

All tickets available here.

Where else but Sligo?

I sometimes go to Donaghy’s on a Sunday evening.
A wee treat at the end of the weekend - sometimes on my own, sometimes with family or friends. Football on the TV, good food and maybe even a pint.

I often sit down the back, happy in my own company or those around me. I was on my own this Sunday but after a while a couple walked in and sat at the table next to me.
I recognised them - Cathy and John - I worked for them as a student in the summer of 2000. In a cafe called Hy-Brasil on Bridge St. They were good to me, taught me how to make scrambled eggs (!) and we got on well.

We have met a few times since and since music wasn’t really a part of my life then, they have been pleasantly surprised to see how things have turned out for me. This time they mentioned that they have both recently taken up instruments themselves and we joked about getting them up on the Theme Night stage.

Anyway we had a lovely chat but as I finished my dinner I felt restless. I tried to put my finger on it and eventually figured out that I had an itch to play some music!
So I rang Bree’s - I knew that the O’Dowds play there on a Sunday evening. Seamie wasn’t there but I spoke to Stephen and he was happy for me to come out and sit in with them for a jam.

I picked up the keyboard on the way and walked in around 7pm. Quick setup and off we went. In between Stephen and Rory. Trading songs and solos. Getting to know each other. Because despite the hundreds of gigs I had played with their Dad I’m not sure if I have ever played a full one with either of them. But you could hear his playing in both lads, as well as their own style. The same sense of adventure, mischievousness and willingness to try things. Great players both - and we had fun.

A fun evening - and was home in bed by 10pm! Thank you all.
Where else but Sligo indeed.

What’s New?

Delighted to say that the Theme Night Academy have teamed up with The Canopy and Sligo Indoor Markets to provide music every Saturday and Sunday afternoon between now and Christmas.
Performers will include both current and past members of the Academy and will add to the special Christmas atmosphere in the centre of town.

Pictured below are Jack Courtenay (2020) and Adam Feeney (current member) who kicked the series off for us last Saturday afternoon.

Finally…

This is genius from start to finish. The concept, the delivery, the performance.

Till next time - Kieran.

Trust that feeling!

Dear Reader -

The Big Thing

Thank you to everyone who came to our first ever Theme Night Social gig last Friday. We certainly had fun and I hope you guys did.
Thanks also to guests Niamh Farrell, Rhea Grimes and Sam Regan for joining us.

As always with debuts there are things we can build upon for next time but the buzz in the foyer was certainly there after the show and we all can’t wait to do it again!

The next Theme Night Social Hawk’s Well Theatre show takes place on Sat April 18 2026 - tickets go on sale TODAY here.

Theme Night Social will also play at the Art Deco Theatre, Ballymote on Sat 14 Feb and Fri 17 April 2026.

Where else but Sligo?

Our third Theme Night Academy masterclass of the year took place last Thursday evening - a huge thank you to Sligo musical legend Kian Egan for coming straight from a recording session in London to talk to our academy members about the music industry and about his time with Westlife over the last 25 years.

He spoke about the music scene in Sligo when he was growing up, the process of building the perfect setlist and how ambition, hard work and determination are key ingredients to success in the music business.

He was at his most inspirational when he spoke of the music itself however - telling of how music was always something he loved, how he still gets a buzz from seeing an audience sing along at a gig, and how you should always trust your feeling on a song.

What’s New?

Theme Night Academy member Odhran Keating sang a couple of songs with me at the Ocean FM Sports Awards in the Radisson on Saturday night.

We couldn’t persuade the other two gentlemen below to join us for a song but they entertained us in many other ways at Table 13!

It was a great night all round - congrats to all the award winners and nominees, and to all at Ocean FM on a well-produced event.

Finally…

TNA graduate Sam Regan played a funky instrumental version of Bridge Over Troubled Water as part of his slot on Friday night’s show.
Possibly inspired by this wonderful Richard Tee/Steve Gadd version…!

Till next time - Kieran.

Music as the vehicle…

Dear Reader - It’s Theme Night Social week!

The Big Thing

So happy to be bringing this brand new show to the Hawk’s Well Theatre this Friday. Thanks to everyone who bought a ticket - any new show always brings an element of nerves but we are also very excited to show you what we have in store.

And although the graphic says Sold Out, I have literally just got off the phone to the good folk in the Hawk’s Well Box Office and a small number of seats have become available. Get on it now! Last few tickets here.

More next week…

Where else but Sligo?

It’s all happening at the moment though - we had a fantastic weekend of Teenage Theme Nights last Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Model.

And as always - while the music is the vehicle, the real stories are about the friendships formed and personal development that is so crucial at this formative age.

I first met Alicia (TY) two years ago when she guested with us on a Theme Night gig in Roscommon. She joined our Academy this year and made the trip up to play drums on two songs on Sunday night. It was her first time and she gave the impression of being someone who was exactly where she wanted to be.

It was the first time for Conor (5th Yr) too. But he stood tall and introduced his song like a pro, didn’t let the temporary lack of sound from his guitar faze him, and by Sunday night was leading a sing-song backstage.

Ruth is also 5th Yr but was with us last year and has great stage presence. She brought incredible emotion and power to her performance of Radiohead’s Creep.

Our 6 new MCs brought an element of fun to proceedings throughout and kindly encouraged all the newbies as they got ready to perform.

And it’s always so nice to reconnect with returning graduates. Katelyn (2021) picked great songs and showed wonderful stagecraft, Conor (2019) brought smiles to the faces of Eddie and Tonto in the band as they tried to keep up with him on Chick Corea’s Spain, and on Sunday Anna Rose (2024) reminded us all of what a class act she is.

And for our Academy members it’s straight onto the next event this Thursday - where Kian Egan will lead a masterclass and share stories about his 25-year career in the music business.

What’s New?

Another Theme Night Academy Graduate - Naoise Devaney (2017) is looking for actors for a short film she is shooting early next year…

Finally…

Niamh and Seamie will be at the centre of everything we do this Friday - here they are letting loose with Steve Wickham and the band a few years ago…

Till next time - Kieran.

Proper songs!

Dear Reader - New music and news of a new Sligo venue today…

The Big Thing

But first - this weekend our Theme Night Academy season goes BIG.

We have had some fantastic Open Mic events and masterclasses so far but the highlight of the year for the teens is always the showcase events - and this weekend in The Model the first one of the year - Teenage Theme Night #36 (The Best of British) takes place over three nights.

One of our performers this weekend is Zara Alexander, who recently collaborated with us on recording an original song of hers. The video was released last night, and Zara will perform this song live for the first time since its release on the Saturday night show this weekend.

Where else but Sligo?

I met a gentleman last week who told me that the last time I played the Art Deco theatre in Ballymote (at least ten years ago now), his daughter sang with me.

So it was lovely to be able to tell him that I’m returning there (twice!) in early 2026.

This is one of the best Sligo good news stories of the last few months - that the Hawk’s Well are taking over the running of this beautiful theatre. It felt wrong that this fantastic facility was lying unused - but not for long!

Kieran Griffiths and his team are breathing new life into the place - starting with a family Christmas experience this December and then launching a new programme of events there in 2026.

And I’m delighted to be a part of it - our new intimate Theme Night Social show which debuts in the Hawk’s Well Theatre next week (so excited for this by the way!) will also play at the Art Deco Theatre on Saturday Feb 14 and Friday April 17 next year.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Wednesday) from hawkswell.com - don’t miss out!

What’s New?

OK Adele being a huge favourite among all age groups is not a new thing at all obviously. But right up there with her (in terms of popularity with our teens’ song choices this weekend) is a British singer called Olivia Dean.

And I’m really enjoying her music I must say - proper songs with great melodies, lyrics and chords. Songs that you can get your teeth into as a musician but also songs that make you feel something.
Here’s one that’s being performed a couple of times this weekend…

Finally…

We first heard Zara’s song (above) at last January’s Young Songwriters’ Showcase.
We also decided to record Zach McLoughlin’s song (below) after hearing it that same night.

And - there is more release of new original music from our Theme Night Academy to come before 2025 is out…as always you guys will hear first.

Till next time - Kieran.

Nostalgia and Serotonin

Dear Reader - a reminder first of all that Theme Night #37 (The 80s) takes place next February and tickets are on sale now.

The Big Thing

November sees an exciting month for the members of our Theme Night Academy.

Rehearsals have already begun for our first flagship event of the year - Teenage Theme Night #36 in The Model next weekend.

Some of the participants will try out their songs during tomorrow’s Open Mic session - the third of the year.

And then on Nov 20 the gentleman on the right of the below picture will follow in the footsteps of the gentleman on the left and present a masterclass on the music business and tell us some of his stories from the last 25 years.

Thanks to Kian’s Instagram for this nostalgic photo!

Where else but Sligo?

Rosses Point’s Paddy Keyes is looking after all our piano lessons in Dublin this year.

In his spare time (!) he writes songs and sells out real music venues in Dublin and more recently London.

This year we decided to include one of his songs - Serotonin - in the new edition of our Learning Piano by Ear book. Below is a sneak preview of the first line - or you can listen to the real thing here.

Go on - it will lift your spirits!

What’s New?

On Paddy’s last Teenage Theme Night performance in 2019 he was accompanied by up-and-coming pianist Nils Kavanagh. I always remember Paddy asking for a last minute key change from G (easy) to Gb (not so easy!) and Nils being unruffled.

Regular readers of this letter will know that Nils won Young Irish Jazz Musician of the year in 2022 - and returns to the Hawk’s Well Theatre on Tuesday 18th November with his trio to celebrate the launch of his first album.

Get your tickets here.

Finally…

The lads may not thank me for this (!) - but it’s brilliant to see them both forging successful careers in the music industry for themselves almost 7 years on from this performance…

Till next time - Kieran.

Announcing Theme Night #37

Dear Reader -
So we have announced the brand new Theme Night Social, told you about Theme Nights Unplugged at Christmas, but this morning it’s finally time to bring on the big one…

The Big Thing

Theme Night #37 - The 80s!
Hawk’s Well Theatre, Feb 4-7 2026.

Tickets on sale especially for you dear letter readers from 10am TODAY (Wed 29 October) from hawkswell.com

Where else but Sligo?

Speaking of October, it would usually bring around a Theme Night, and so it was nice to be reminded of the joy they can bring at a recent wedding at which I had the honour of playing at the Sligo Park Hotel.

The couple had some great song choices and asked for Dave Flynn to sing alongside me. And Dave was in great form and couldn’t resist his choirmaster instincts - it’s certainly the only wedding ceremony I’ve been at where the guests filled the room with harmonies!

And as usual you never know who you’ll bump into at these events - lovely to see Theme Night Regular Paul Maitland in top form - cheers for the pic Paul!

What’s New?

Bread, Butter, Bacon and Cabbage - this fantastic showcase of new and local original music is on again this Friday.

It was fun to revisit this blog I wrote about it in 2019 - and even better to see it returning, especially featuring three bands led by Theme Night Academy graduates - Sean Callaghan, Callum Wall and Stephen O’Dowd.
A small number of tickets left here.

Finally…

So much fun to learn this recently for the above wedding - thanks to Colin and Catriona for the nudge! What a beautiful piece of music.

Till next time - Kieran.

Incoming Christmas Tour!

Dear Reader - there’s always something exciting about announcing a series of gigs…

The Big Thing

So - would anyone fancy some uplifting Christmas music in really cool venues delivered by top class musicians?!?!

Book it now and have a treat in the bank to which you can look forward later in the year...

Tickets for all gigs on sale NOW - all details here.

**Except the 21 Dec date in the brand new Hawk’s Well Theatre Studio - that gig goes on sale tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10am.

Where else but Sligo?

We’re into Week 6 of our piano tuition term already.

And even since we started in mid-September so much has happened.
- 3 new songs added to the curriculum
- Round 1 of our series of group workshops with adults, teenagers and children
- 3 new teachers trained up and spreading the magic of music to many happy students

But the best part of it all for me was sitting in with each of our teachers for a few lessons at a time. Each of us teaching and also observing so we could learn from each other.

Personally I learned so much, but it also was so nice to see not only the connection between the teachers and their students, but the care each teacher put into their lesson (even if some were nervous with me watching)!

A well-deserved break for all next week and then for many it’s straight into Christmas songs!

What’s New?

A big week for members of our Theme Night Academy as on Thursday they will attend a masterclass delivered by the one and only Scruffy Duffy!

Scruffy is a master entertainer and knows how to work a room and connect with an audience like no-one I have ever seen.
I can’t wait to see how he passes on some of this knowledge to our teenagers as part of our Theme Night Academy programme this Thursday,

Finally…

One of the new songs we added to our curriculum - here’s a lesser-known version.

Till next time - Kieran.