Dear Reader - That’s what we’re trying to recreate in a few weeks time…
The Big Thing
But first - it’s August which means all systems go for the new piano tuition term.
My 22nd September to dream it all up again.
And it has been a particularly exciting few weeks - we have a new website, new teachers, new locations, new books, new songs!
So if you want to be a new student…just get in touch!
Where else but Sligo?
It was summer 2023 and Sinéad Conway gets in touch to ask can I come into the Hawk's Well for a quick recording session with Mike Hanrahan and Pat Shortt.
The lads were on a tour of the country playing local songs with local musicians.
The four of us went into the foyer for a while and jammed out The Salley Gardens. And the lads were lovely, but sometimes there’s a thing with musicians where people are lovely but you know it’s just cos they sort of have to be while they’re working with you. So I still wasn’t quite sure what to make of this pair!
But the more the session went on the more I thought wow these guys are actually really sound. We had a lovely morning - had fun on and off stage and made what we all thought was some nice music too!
Fast forward to February 2024 and Mike became our first ever Theme Night visiting artist. Mike rocked the place and had a great time - I remember Tommie Gorman contacting me afterwards to tell me how much he enjoyed the gig and some lovely Sligo stories about Mike gigging here over the years.
I’ll never forget a message Mike himself sent me afterwards too - it included the words ‘if I could bottle that backstage energy and camaraderie our industry would be set apart in the world of entertainment’.
Mike and Pat came back a few months later to join us in Vicar St, and now once again we are getting ready to welcome Mike to Sligo.
Yes - because when it came to picking a special guest to launch our brand new Theme Night residency there was only one man who fit the bill.
Poets of Popular Music is the theme, and Mike apart from being a poet himself, is a fan of renowned lyricists such as Leonard Cohen and Shane McGowan.
Mike Hanrahan will join us in the Art Deco Ballymote on Sept 19 and the Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo on Sept 20.
What’s New?
I have started a new series called By Ear.
A quick description of an interesting feature of a particular song and how to play it on piano. Here’s the first - about Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide.
Finally…
Really enjoying listening to Mike’s music over the last few days. This is gorgeous.
Till next time - Kieran.
