I’m sure you know the song.
It starts with the words “I see Teresa Green, red roses too”? Ah you do know it…!
If you don’t I’ll come back to it before the end of this edition, but I thought of it many times this week as the sun shone in Sligo.
The Main Event
Fittingly, the theme for last weekend’s Teenage Theme Night #22 was nature, so it was great to see some of the performers out and about making the most of this beautiful part of the world.
Screengrabs of some of the performers from last weekend’s show (clockwise from top left - Nathan McLoughlin, Shona Dalton, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Saoirse O’Donovan). Click on the image for a playlist of videos from the show.
Here’s my favourite story from the show. Shona (top right in pic above) is a beautiful singer, but nearly didn’t take part. Like many of her friends, her Leaving Cert is approaching fast, and the timing of the show just wasn’t great. Then I got a phone call from her on Friday night, less than 24 hours before the show went out - '“Kieran, you probably know why I’m ringing, but if I got a song done tonight could I get it in the show”?
What had happened was that a younger friend of Shona’s had heard that day that she wasn’t taking part, contacted her, asked her why, and when she heard it was because she was busy with school, said '“yeah, but are you busy NOW”? Shona decided she wasn’t, the girls got together that evening, contacted some talented friends of theirs, and produced this performance in double quick time.
It’s strange - because of the restrictions that have been in place for most of the last year I haven’t got to meet many of this current crop of teenage musicians yet, or indeed to hear them sing live. However, it does the heart good to see the continued enthusiasm from them to get involved, even in these less than ideal conditions. Thanks to all performers, and it would be so lovely to get to play live with every one of you later this year. Here’s hoping.
Where else but Sligo?
As I mentioned above, it was one of those weeks here in Sligo where the sun shone, and everything looked and felt so much better as a result.
No more than most, I got out and about as much as I could, and one morning jogged past local farmer Frankie Murphy about to feed his sheep. Frankie used to come football training with us for a few years and has a kind heart. I tried to get a photo of Frankie later in the week but I couldn’t find him, so here instead is one of his sheep waiting with intent for him to arrive.
Now it it was Frankie at the gate and not me, the photo wouldn‘t be quite so peaceful. Because as I saw the other morning, once the sheep spot the food, their bleating can reach quite a crescendo.
Which, I’m told, is a good sign. A loud flock is a healthy flock – sheep that are used to getting fed on a regular basis. They know the drill – make noise and we get fed. Which reminded me a bit of a gig. If the audience make noise, they too get fed.
Ok so we’re going to play the gig whether you guys are making noise or not, but the more you make, the more we feed off it, the better we become, and the more memorable the night is for everyone.
A loud audience is a healthy audience. We are going to need you more than ever when we get back. So get ready!
What’s New This Week?
I’m starting a new 100-day challenge this Saturday 1st May. Pick something at which you want to improve, commit to 30mins practice each day, and see the progress. What’s more, you can do it in the company of others in the same boat. Send an email to kieran@kieranquinn.ie if you would like to get involved.
New music! Serious production values and great writing on this new single from La Gracia (theme night fans here will recognise the vocals from regular performer on the shows Gráinne McCarthy). It’s the first single from their upcoming debut EP “No-One’s Fool”, and it’s available on all streaming platforms now. Listen on Spotify here.
The Lady Gaga number “Always Remember Us This Way” was a popular choice a few years ago on the teenage theme nights. It’s a modern classic by now, and it’s the featured song on pianowithkieran.com this week. Learn to play the melody here, or improve your musical ear with 6 questions on the song here.
And I think to myself…
OK - so going back to the song mentioned at the top, maybe it’s ‘trees of green’, not ‘Teresa Green’??
One way or the other, this song was in my head all week - and here is Erin Magee’s version from last weekend’s show.
Have a great week everyone, and maybe ask yourself from time to time “yeah, but are you busy NOW”?