Temple Bar TradFest is Ireland’s largest festival of traditional music and beyond. It takes place every January in Dublin, Ireland. I attended my very first TradFest just last month and I can say with all honesty that it was like a dream come true. The thrill of visiting a new city in a country with such […]
An introduction to Irish trad music
Even as a lifelong music enthusiast, I was unfamiliar with the term “trad music” until just a few months ago. I figured it was short for “traditional music” – and it is. But I was unaware that it’s the term used to describe, in one country, especially, almost a way of life. The country I’m […]
The moment you’ve all been waiting for…
I’ve said before that this blog is a passion project of mine. Music, in general, has played such an important role in my life since I was quite young. In more recent decades, roots music and its offshoots (namely Americana and alt-country) have become my sustenance. This type of music and the stories spun by […]
What is roots music?
Now that the site is live and I’ve told the story behind how it all started, it’s a good time to focus on the music. Other than being the inspiration for this blog, what exactly is roots music? This is where it gets interesting. It’s not just one type or genre of music. Rather, it’s […]
Music + travel: How it all started for me
This post contains affiliate links. Read full disclosure here. “People have been on the move throughout history, and music has always moved with them.” I came across this quote a few years ago at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona (the MIM is outstanding, by the way). It caused me to stop and […]