Don't miss out this morning...

Dear Reader –

Some reflections on an epic Theme Night #30 today. Thanks to Kris Manulak for the great pics.

But first, here’s how and when you can get Theme Night #31 tickets…

**All hyperlinks in bold.

The Big Thing

Theme Night #31 - Stories in Song - Hawk’s Well Theatre - January 19-21 2023.

Tickets on sale this morning at 11am. Get them here.

Where else but Sligo?

Vinnie Higgins had 59 separate inputs into his desk on this show. He had to EQ, mix and balance each and every one of those in order for this show to sound great. He had the needs and requests of dozens of musicians and singers to look after. And not once did he give out. What a hero.

Our regular drummer told me with less than two weeks to go that he couldn’t do the show this time. Fair enough - it happens. But I loved what happened next - former teacher and student Ken McDonald and Sam Purcell (18 - yes 18 yrs old!) came together to figure out how to firstly learn and then divide the drum and percussion parts between them. All with the good of the show in mind, And then delivered them impeccably.

But in the end, the golden jacket for Theme Night #30 went to our hugely popular, hard-working and expressive (!) choirmaster, Dave Flynn. It was lovely to see how the choir responded to him, and he really got the best out of them. And boy did they come out to bat for him when it came to the Golden Jacket selection. Below is one of his less animated faces!

What’s New?

1. THEME NIGHT NEWBIES: 16 people took part in the theme nights for the first time last weekend. I can’t believe we’re still finding so many new talented people. Thanks to Mary Gaynor, Jack Courtenay, Paul Kelly, Ken Roht, Thomas Spratt, Ciara Frahill, Brendan Doyle, Keith Russell, Jason Kenny, Darren Kerr, Conor White, Emily Tansey, Karen Lynch, Sarah Burns, Gráinne Caldbeck and Charlie McKenna for all they brought to the shows.

2. MUSICALS SONG THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER LIKE BUT I DID: It has to be Nothing (from A Chorus Line) - I thought this song represented everything I found troubling about musicals. But when I learnt and performed it, firstly for Eimear Kearney’s performance in a Teenage Theme Night in 2019 and then again for Karen Gordon’s performance this weekend, I found I began to really appreciate the craft that went into the song and the skill it took to perform it. Karen was another of our heroes this week, and it was such a shame she couldn’t perform on Friday and Saturday. Thanks for everything Karen!

3. PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEKEND: To go solely by audience reaction, the three loudest roars I heard during the run (in no particular order) were for Joe Hunt’s Pinball Wizard on Friday, Seamie O’Dowd’s playing on Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (!) on Saturday, and Paul Maitland’s (below) If I Were a Rich Man on all three nights.

Finally…

Definitely a contender for Theme Night #31 - one of my favourite story songs and something to think about for any fathers out there!

Till next time - Kieran.

The best part...

Dear Reader –

There’s only one show in town this week…

**All hyperlinks in bold.

The Big Thing

And so I’m going to let the show do the talking, except for a few short messages…

• This show is sold out - and thanks once again for your amazing support of these Theme Nights. If you didn’t get a ticket and want to go however, keep checking the Hawk’s Well website (at the time of writing I see there are two available for Thursday).

• A huge thanks also to the (ever expanding) Theme Night Ensemble and Crew (some pictured below). This is our most ambitious show yet and it wouldn’t have been possible without you all.

• Finally, this is the best part. You’ve done your bit and we’ve (almost) done ours - and so now comes the time where we get to share the music and fun in a room together. I’m really looking forward to seeing lots of you guys over the next few days. Make sure to say hello!

Where else but Sligo?

I see Ben Bulben now has it’s own Twitter page.

What’s New?

1. COMP WINNER: Firstly a huge welcome to everyone who joined us as a new subscriber this week. I hope you enjoy the writing and stay with us here for a while. Congratulations to Clodagh Moore whose name came out of the hat (well the online random number generator to be specific) and won the tickets. Enjoy the show Clodagh!

2. 80S NIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA: Last Friday’s fundraiser in Toffs seems to be the talk of the town. Well done to Trevor, Barbara, Sam, Wired for Sound and all involved. Hopefully the beginning of another regular live music event in our calendar.

3. THEME NIGHT #31 - JAN 2023: As always, subscribers to this letter will get first access to tickets next week. Keep an eye on your inbox next Tuesday morning - the letter you need to read will be out earlier than usual. Dates are Jan 19-21 2023 - our last theme night for almost a year.

Finally…

Nothing from The Lion King in this show I’m afraid - it would be hard to top this! From Theme Night #15, skip to 4:45 of this vid to hear The Circle of Life. From Sinéad Conway, the Sligo Academy of Music Sinfionetta and our Theme Night Choir. See you all this week!!!

Till next time - Kieran.

Lifelong companions...

Dear Reader –

Even if the All-Ireland football final hadn’t been brought forward, it would still be over by now. And - the heating went on in our house for the first time last night - so there is a real feeling around of settling in for the winter. But that doesn’t mean we have nothing to look forward to…

**All hyperlinks in bold.

The Big Thing

We’re into Week 3 of the official teaching term at this stage, and it’s been a busy start.

Lessons are up and running in Strandhill and Rathcormac, the new workbooks are proving popular, and we have the first sessions of our Music Club and adult Group Workshops this week. Students are busy learning all sorts of songs, from Row Row Row Your Boat all the way through to this Herbie Hancock solo.

Enthusiasm is high at the moment, which is always great to see. However the challenge may come for some in the coming weeks as what is now new becomes routine. We will be impressing on students that consistent practice is better than irregular bursts, and that this is the best way to ensure progress and keep lessons exciting.

Neil Gaynor (pictured below) knows this better than any. He is my longest-serving student, is continuing a proud musical tradition in his family and returned yesterday for another season of lessons. The trip to Strandhill at lunchtime has long been part of Neil’s weekly routine, but his consistency and dedication to his practice has meant that his piano is not merely a piece of furniture in his house, but rather a lifelong companion.

Where else but Sligo?

This day next week we’ll be getting ready to take over the Hawk’s Well Theatre for Theme Night #30.

And while we won’t be straying too far from the theme night mission of bringing you great music played by a variety of local musicians (see pic below for our latest new ensemble), there are some new dimensions to this show. Musicals aren’t just about the music, there has to be an element of theatre also. In some of the performances at least!

And so it’s lovely to welcome a large number of Theme Night debutants this time, provided mainly by Sligo musical societies including Pop-Up Theatre, The Fun Company, The Mad Ravens, and Sligo Musical Society.

A huge source of information and advice has been Niamh Crowley, who is the regular musical director for all these societies and someone who will have looked after the music for 5 more musicals (!) by the time next May comes around.

And while she’s not quite a Theme Night debutant (having sung Anyone Who Had a Heart on Theme Night #11), Karen Gordon has certainly added a huge amount to our preparations this time. She kindly agreed to come on board to direct the visual aspect of this show, and her vision and creativity has opened up new possibilities for us all. She might even sing a song on the night too!

What’s New?

1. THEME NIGHT #30 TIX: This show has been sold out for some time now, but some tickets do become available from time to time on the Hawk’s Well website. So keep an eye out!

2. MORE FICTION: No sooner had I pressed send on last week’s letter than I was informed by my eagle-eyed mother that the next in the series of Strike novels is out. These are great, and usually close to 1000 pages, so will be my bedside companion for quite a while. Available in your local bookshop.

3. MAKE LEMONADE: Congrats to my In The Lamplight co-presenter Rory Maitland, who produced this book to mark the occasion of his 30th birthday. This is one of a limited number of copies, and details of how to get one will be available soon. You’ll hear first on his Instagram.

Finally…

Neil (mentioned above) and I are both big Billy Joel fans and we have tackled many of his songs together over the years. Here is one of our favourites - it could be about saying goodbye to someone special, or saying goodnight to a child - or you tell me what you hear in it…

Till next time - Kieran.

Keeping the head right...

Dear Reader –

It was nice to be asked by Rory O’Connor (Rory’s Stories) to be his guest on the Sligo leg of his national tour last Saturday night. We had a great chat and finished the show with a few tunes and a sing-song. The main topic of conversation was mental wellbeing, how we look after ourselves, and after plucking up the courage to speak about this in front of a full theatre (!), I thought it might be an interesting topic for today’s letter.

**All hyperlinks in bold.

The Big Thing

In October 2019 I was getting ready to release my first (and so far only) solo piano album. I had been regularly talking to a counsellor every Wednesday morning for the guts of a year at that stage and the sessions had inspired a lot of the music that ended up on the album.

I wanted to call the album ‘A Year of Wednesdays’, but knew if I did so that people would ask why. And so I had to figure out if I was OK with people knowing about what I got up to each Wednesday morning.

And after a bit of thought and a few conversations, I figured I was. It’s not something we talk about regularly, but I don’t see why that should be the case. I don’t feel it’s anything of which to be ashamed, in fact it has been a hugely positive thing in my life and I would recommend it to anyone.

There’s no doubt that these sessions are the big thing for me in terms of keeping my head straight. Nearly four years on and what brought me there is now in the past, but I keep going back. Why? It’s good for me. I don’t go every week, and some of the weeks I do go it can feel like a luxury and I wonder what we’ll speak about, but I always leave with something. A thought, an insight, a suggestion - something small that can make life better for me and those close to me.

I have a dodgy left hip. On a bad day I’ll hobble around a bit. It’s from years of wear and tear on the football pitch. I have to look after it, and so I see a physio who recommends daily stretches and movements to help it. And it’s exactly the same thing with a counsellor. An expert who can help you navigate difficulties that may arise from the general wear and tear of daily life.

I have had some lovely emails from letter readers sharing their stories in the last few days - some after the gig on Saturday, others by coincidence last week. Hopefully some of you get something from this. Please get in touch if you have something to say. It’s good to talk!

Where else but Sligo?

I have known Micky Downs a long time. He did fantastic work with huge numbers of local children in the martial arts field for years. Now he runs fitness classes for adults. Micky is very much about sustainable exercise. Valuing consistency over intensity, but with the aim of keeping us all fit and healthy as we get older.

I heard about the classes recently and am a regular attendee now. But while you go for the exercise, you come back for two reasons. Firstly the community. The morning class suits me (and many other self-employed people) and there is a great gang there from all walks of life who keep you entertained and motivated as you make your way through the programme.

If I told you the second reason you’d all be there tomorrow morning (!), so I’ll keep it a secret for now, but it’s Micky’s unique and generous way of making his gym a little bit different.

It’s great for the body, but crucially also for the head. And far easier to look after yourself in a group like this with a coach than on your own. And - the music is top class - Micky plays great drums too so knows his way around a good playlist!

What’s New?

1. SINGING TOGETHER: Sinéad commented after Saturday’s show that Rory clearly was onto something by finishing his show with a sing-song. The therapeutic nature of singing in groups has been written about many times, most notably here. From 2008, but still relevant today.

2. READING FICTION: One of my favourite ways to forget everything and get lost in a new world. This and this are my two most recent favourites.

3. SAYING NO: Sometimes you just have to. Here’s an entertaining (and possibly informative) look at how people have dealt with this issue over the years!

Finally

Here’s one of my favourites from the aforementioned A Year of Wednesdays. Featuring Niamh Crowley.

Till next time - Kieran.

TN #30 Teaser, and a ticket giveaway!

Dear Reader –

The Theme Night #30 sprint is about to start…

**All hyperlinks in bold.

The Big Thing

Just over three weeks to go, and the excitement is building.

And without giving too much away, there are some parts of the show which I can’t wait for you to see.

• The return of Georgie Gorman - and he and Sandy Kelly have been working on a special duet.

• 2 new and original songs from the Theme Night ensemble.

• The usual cast of brilliant young musicians and some amazing first-timers.

• Dean Gurrie is back!!

• Our 8-piece string section.

• And so many songs from the BIG shows - West Side Story/Les Mis/Grease/Wicked/Hamilton are all covered as well as almost 30 - yes 30 (!) more.

But the big question is - some of our gang are staunchly anti-musicals - so will they show up?! And if so, what will they sing?!

Where else but Sligo?

There were a few afternoons in mid-August where Seán (pictured below) and I would have preferred to have been at the beach. The sun was blazing outside, but we were in front of his computer screen going through 150 pages of songs, scales and puzzles detail by detail. Especially Seán.

The new teaching term started officially yesterday at 2.50pm, and at 12.30 I got the call to come and pick up the new books. And I was just as happy as I look below, knowing that I could deliver them on time to all the students this week. Seán looks delighted too - probably to get this project off his hands!

It’s the 3rd edition of the book - and this year we have 8 levels for students so we have split them into two books. Thanks a million to both Seán and Eamon in Tiger Print for all their hard work, and for getting them delivered on time. Now let’s get learning!

What’s New?

1. TICKETS GIVEAWAY: I’m very much looking forward to a chat and a few tunes as the guest of comedian Rory O’Connor this Saturday in the Hawk’s Well. I have two tickets to the show for the first person to email me with the name of the golfer who signed Rory’s bald head recently! *NB this competition is now over.

2. BATMAN: Actor Adam West played Batman in the 1960s ABC television series. Some would say his was the best Batman. I love the story of this prank he played using his local phone book.

3. MUSICALS: If you are a fan and missed out on tickets for our show, there are some great local productions coming up. Check them out here and here.

Finally…

Here’s one that didn’t make it in…ah but it’s so beautiful…maybe we’ll find room for it yet!

Till next time - Kieran.

A busker in Granada...

Dear Reader –

Information, not advice in today’s letter. Starting with adult learning and an intriguing story about a busker in Granada.

**All hyperlinks in bold.

The Big Thing

It’s a big thing to try and learn a new skill as an adult. As children we are used to trying new things and not necessarily succeeding, but the feeling of not being good at something is not generally a nice one, and hence as adults we tend to try and avoid it.

However getting over this hurdle can bring rewards, and it has been a joy to witness the satisfaction in many adult students over the years who have put their mind to learning something and eventually succeeded.

I enjoyed this short podcast recently on the value of learning in a community, and hence have tried to incorporate more of that into my learning programme for both adults and children this year.

There are an ever-decreasing number of slots left on the adult piano tuition programme that I offer. There are two learning options - more info here. And our music club will be starting soon too.

And while I’m on the subject, I have one - yes one (!) - slot left for a child on this year’s timetable. First come first served.

Where else but Sligo?

Many of you will know Fraser Gaine (pictured below with Joe Hunt in 2015). He looks a bit different now (!), and has recently moved to Granada for the year as part of his studies. I was chatting to him during the week about whether he would be able to take part in our next show in October - it’s unlikely unfortunately, but he finished the message by telling me that he just passed a harpist busking on the street in Granada playing An Cruitire!

An Cruitire is a beautiful tune written by Michael Rooney. I love to play it, and many others do too obviously.

I would love to know if somehow the tune has reached the music scene in Granada, or if possibly this harpist was from Sligo and is showing off Michael’s wonderful music to a new audience? Can anyone help?

What’s New?

1. DRAÍOCHT: Harp/flute duo Draíocht is Michael Rooney (harp) and his wife and long-time collaborator June McCormack (flute). Together they released their third album this summer just gone - and it’s great. Find out more, including how to order the album here.

2. DOLLY: I enjoyed this quote from the great Dolly Parton this morning - “I don’t like to give advice. I like to give people information because everyone's life is different, and everyone's journey is different."

3. SINÉAD: I had a great day with Sinéad Conway last Saturday. She had two wedding gigs in Co. Galway so we made a road trip of it and relived many of our memories from playing weddings together over the years. We surprised ourselves by remembering songs from 10 years ago and were enjoying ourselves so much that we got a picture in front of these fancy flowers!

Finally…

Here is the aforementioned An Cruitire - possibly the first song to feature for a second time in this section.

Also featuring Seamie O’Dowd (guitar) and Junior Davey (bodhrán). From Not a Theme Night - our Feb 2021 online show.

Till next time - Kieran.

Being a superfan...

Dear Reader –

More great things happened this week - this Ursula K. Le Guin (via James Clear) quote sums them up nicely.

“The daily routine of most adults is so heavy and artificial that we are closed off to much of the world. We have to do this in order to get our work done. I think one purpose of art is to get us out of those routines.

When we hear music or poetry or stories, the world opens up again. We’re drawn in — or out — and the windows of our perception are cleansed, as William Blake said. The same thing can happen when we’re around young children or adults who have unlearned those habits of shutting the world out.”

**All hyperlinks in bold.

The Big Thing

Theme Night #30 is now officially a sold out show. I know there are so many great supporters of the nights who read this letter and so I wanted to thank you for making this happen with more than 5 weeks still to go.

If I’m honest, this show is possibly our biggest challenge yet. For many reasons - there are SO MANY SONGS for one. But you guys have done your bit now, so the ball’s firmly in our court. Which is just the way we like it - can’t wait for you to see what we have in store for you in October!

Where else but Sligo?

If Coney Island was the place to be last week, well this week it was Strandhill. The Warriors Run was back, and what a fantastic event it was. The organising committee and all 162 (!) volunteers deserve huge credit.

It’s never an easy race, and this year the clammy weather (and lack of training on my behalf) made it a bit more challenging than usual. However the support on the way around was amazing and definitely gave us all a lift. I must mention two local families in particular - the Cradocks and the O’Dowd-Hills. They had the tunes, the noise, the refreshments and even the sprinklers! I was reminded of this blog actually - they really have made this already great day into even more of a party.

Congratulations to local winner Seamus Somers - a fantastic achievement and one that gives hope to all of us in our forties!

What’s New?

1. FELIP: The next four Tuesdays (starting today) brings a wonderful series of gigs in Osta. 2 young artists and 2 established musicians. Mentored and coordinated (and joined) by the wonderful Felip Carbonell. It was lovely to be asked to play on today’s series opener and I’m very much looking forward to the evening, which also features spoken word from Patrick Curley. 6pm start.

2. LEAH: We were in Luke Devaney’s studio last week with Leah Davidson and two other great young musicians - her brother Thomas and Nils Kavanagh. Leah’s song was chosen after last April’s Young Songwriter’s Showcase to be professionally produced, recorded and featured in a custom-made music video (courtesy of TemperHound Productions). This was the result of our efforts last year - featuring Corcra - and Leah’s song and video will be out later this year.

3. THEO: Every so often a gig comes along and blows your socks off. Theo Katzman and his band were in Galway last Thursday and did just that. We were literally reeling afterwards and all immediately wanted to go see him again in Dublin a few nights later. Unfotunately it was sold out but I did pluck up the courage to ask the man for a picture afterwards! He’s coming back to Ireland next year - I’ll let you know when I hear details, or you can sign up to his mailing list here.

Finally…

I know - we have all heard so many versions of this song, especially on piano - BUT…it’s like this guy has given voice to all the influences you imagine were in Freddie Mercury’s head when he wrote it. Not only that, but interspersed them seamlessly throughout the tune itself. So clever - and incredible technique too.

Till next time - Kieran.

"Better than the frickin' Beatles"

Dear Reader –

I’m not sure if it was our Lady Madonna (below) that inspired some American visitors to utter the above famous words in The Strand last Friday, but I enjoyed hearing them I must say. Now watch out Paul McCartney!

More about that below, but first - does anyone want a bit more music in their lives this September?

**All hyperlinks in bold.

The Big Thing

Adult Classes have been popular since we were allowed meet in groups again, and there are now two options for any of you wishing to get stuck into music again this year.

• Piano classes. Lessons and group workshops for adults looking to play piano by ear. All the details you need here.

• Our Music Club. An informal and supportive environment for adults who want to sing/play with and for others. All the details you need here.

Both start in September - email kieran@kieranquinn.ie if you are interested.

Where else but Sligo?

I was lucky enough to get out to the Neap Tide festival on Coney Island last Saturday. Brian Mulligan was walking up the road with his double bass as I arrived, so I figured I must have just missed The Old Market St. Swing Band. However I did get to see Seamie and Sandy (loving this duo!), and the legendary No Crows.

And the day brought back so many memories - not just of a famous weekend in Belgium with No Crows in my early days as a musician, but also of the island itself, and fun times spent there over the years.

Everyone you met there was telling stories about the place. Picnics on sunny summer days, skinny-dipping on Carty’s Strand, paddling a homemade canoe in the dangerous channels that surround it (!) and the tastiest pints when the pub happened to be open. And my own favourite - having to ring Peter Ford telling him I couldn’t make it to training that evening because I had miscalculated the tides.

A magical place, and lovely to see it so alive last weekend.

What’s New?

1. BACK IN THE STRAND: What a gig with Seamie and Gerry last Friday in Strandhill. It was the first time we had played together since our last Connolly’s gig in May. The crowd were brilliant, including the aforementioned gang of enthusiastic Americans and plenty of happy locals. And bearing in mind the famous quote ‘writing about music is like dancing about architecture’, I’ll say no more, only that it was magic!

2. THE ECONOMICS OF MUSIC: With David McWilliams. Podcast here.

3. REGULAR JAZZ GIGS: Young pianist Nils Kavanagh remarked to me during this year’s Sligo Jazz that it was a real shame that for one week Sligo has the best jazz scene in Europe and for the rest of the year, nothing. No longer my friends (!), because Nils, SJP maestro Eddie Lee and talented young drummer Sam Purcell now have not one but two regular gigs - Thursday at 7 upstairs in Lillies - who it must be said are doing fantastic work putting on live music in town - and Sunday at 6 in The Strand. Only for the next few weeks so make sure and catch them.

Finally…

In memory of a wonderful day on Coney Island last Saturday - well done to all who made it happen.

Till next time - Kieran.