O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat
Teaching the Tradition of Irish Music
Kevin has been involved in Irish music since about 1979 after many years of interest in folk and jazz idioms. He has performed with Ken and Peggy Fleming continuously since 1988 and was a founding member of the Lone Star Ceili Band and the TIMES Band & Session Players. Kevin is moderately proficient on flute, whistles, guitar and cittern, but hopeless on bodhran.. … [Read more...] about Kevin Alewine
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012
This will be Karen Ballew’s 11th year to attend the O’Flaherty retreat, and she is very excited to be teaching the Gaelic Singing workshops! Karen’s love for sean-nós singing and songs in the Irish language inspired her to teach lessons in this music, which eventually led her to found The Gaelic Youth Chorus at The North Texas School of Irish Music in 2013. She would like to thank the … [Read more...] about Karen Ballew
Erica Braverman has been playing the concertina since 2014 and teaching beginner lessons in Austin, TX for the past three years. Playing tunes and dancing with friends always makes her smile on the inside, but it took a while for her to learn to play her instrument and smile on the outside at the same time - one of her proudest moments was when she heard that "you don't look like you have lockjaw … [Read more...] about Erica Braverman
Guitarist Joseph Carmichael has spent the past several years collecting an impressive resume in the world of traditional music. An in-demand accompanist in a wide array of Celtic and folk styles, he has performed with such musicians as Brendan Power, Cormac De Barra, Buddy Connolly, Oisín MacDiarmada, James Kelly, Liz Carroll, John Williams, and Brian Finnegan. Joseph's primary … [Read more...] about Joseph Carmichael
Sarah Copus is an award-winning, Billboard charting singer/songwriter and harpist. She has been performing and recording for over 8 years with her parent's platinum selling band, and more recently as a solo artist. For a musician under 16, she has had some extraordinary success: three albums hit the Billboard charts that feature her as lead singer, radio airplay across hundreds of … [Read more...] about Sarah Copus
Kristin Coyle is a fiddler from Houston, Texas. She is the lead singer and fiddler for Kristin Coyle and the Black Swans as well as the fiddler in Wyndnwyre. She is also a member of the Pride of Bedlam where you can sometimes see her perform as a fiddle-wielding pirate at the Texas Renaissance Festival and around Houston. Kristin has been playing some style of violin and fiddle for most of her … [Read more...] about Kristin Coyle
Guitarist Paul Dryer is no stranger to diverse music styles. Over the past 40 years, Paul has played in jazz, bluegrass, rock and gospel bands and numerous vocal groups. Originally from Kentucky, Paul has lived in the Dallas area since the early 1960's. He also plays mandolin, banjo, harmonica, whistle and Irish flute with the Dallas band 5 Second Rule, and … [Read more...] about Paul Dryer
Workshop — Irish Tunes Played on Harmonica | Guest Concert Performer
Michael Dugger has been playing Irish music since 1982 when he was a founding member of the early super Irish American music group, Scartaglen. He was also a founding member of Sunrush and The Kelly Band. Though he started out in the music playing the stringed instruments, a left hand injury pushed him in the direction of the button accordion. He has been playing the box since 2001. He’s has shown … [Read more...] about Mike Dugger
Her fiddle work has been described as "fearless and formidable . . . with captivating tone and intonation," Virginia-born Margaret Graham honed her traditional music skills playing at festivals with a vast array of talents. Margaret, an engineering student at Southern Methodist University, is a classically-trained violinist and former concertmistress of the Richmond Youth Symphony Orchestra. This … [Read more...] about Margaret Graham
Judd Heartsill was inspired to take up button accordion in 1997 after hearing the incomparable Jackie Daly play live with Patrick Street. He has recorded three albums with his friends from Houston's Irish Traditional band, "The Jig is Up", and also particularly enjoys playing for set dancers. He is really grateful to play with the wonderful Irish musicians around the state of Texas, and … [Read more...] about Judd Heartsill
