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Andrew's Bardic Commentary

For Part 1, Click here
Part 2 - Where Our Music Fits.

We all know that there always seems to be a need in life for people to label things. Even if it is just to understand it for easier acceptance. When Marc and I first started to play together, we had a hard time answering people when they would ask, "What kind of music do you play?" Since we started playing for a Renaissance Faire, and Marc is Scottish and I am Irish, we went with the description "Celtic Renaissance." For us though the phrase has come to mean "A Celtic Renaissance" or a revival of Celtic music in the modern era.

Right now as I am writing this, we have a set list of around 80 songs we can play from memory anytime. Around a third of those tunes are Scottish or Irish tunes. Another third are tunes that we wrote ourselves. About half of those tunes are in a very Scottish or Irish style. So half of our music is Celtic. The rest are British songs, Renaissance Faire songs, and modern songs we arranged plus a few extras. We feel very engrained in the Celtic music scene. Our instruments and the broad range of music we do play has made it difficult for people to limit us to one style and, although it bothers some, I prefer it. Right now we are playing at Renaissance Faires, Weddings, Pubs, Coffee Houses, Parks, parties, Bookstores, street corners, or wherever we can play. Playing at different venues is more interesting than sticking to one thing year after year. What makes most people wonder about our style though seems to be our instruments.

Our Instruments.

When people first see us, they usually see a recorder and an Autoharp; two instruments most people associate with Elementary School. If you have had a chance to see us perform, you know that Marc plays an Autoharp like, well, like no one else ever has. He is self-taught on the instrument and plays it like a cross between a zither (harp) and a guitar. Marc does supply the rhythm for the group but he usually plays the chords with a melody or counter-melody in the background giving our music even more depth. The Autoharp already has more depth than most instruments with its 36 strings. I just like the fact that people always come up and say, "What instrument is that?" Anything that provides a means of introduction is a good idea as far as I'm concerned.

Now many people have asked why I play the recorder. It is somewhat considered the wrong instrument for Irish Jam Sessions and the like. I'd like to start by saying I can play the tin whistle, a popular Irish instrument, but I prefer the recorder for one main reason; it's chromatic. What that means is that I can play any music in any key without having to half-hole notes. Half-holing is putting a finger on half of a hole on an instrument usually to get a sharp or a flat. In other words, in the two octaves I can play, I can play any note on the piano. This includes all the white keys and the black keys. I have a tin whistle in the key of D, which is a common Irish key. If I want to play in a different key, it is very difficult. So difficult in fact that you will see musicians carrying a bag of 4 plus tin whistles, one for each key. My recorder can replace all of those and, I like the wooden sound it has. With my recorder, I can play an Irish tune, jump into a Bach piece, and then play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with a child down the street. I guess what it boils down to is I like the flexibility of the recorder.

The mandolin fits well in Irish music although it is a 16th century Italian instrument. As a melody instrument you can often find one in an Irish Jam Session. I originally chose it because, although I played guitar, I didn't want to carry a guitar around faire all day. Our original idea was to be very mobile and be wandering musicians at faire. In retrospect I think it worked out well because the mandolin seems to go better with the Autoharp than the guitar does.

Conclusion.

Our personalities and our instruments make up a large part of what our music is. Right now, I can honestly say that I would not change a thing. It continues to amaze me how much we improve and get recognized for our improvements. The most important thing is that we have fun while we do it. As long as you listen to us, we will continue to play. I want to thank you all for your support and attention.

Part Three coming soon about where we see ourselves in the coming years.

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