O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat
Teaching Traditional Irish Music
Our session leaders are selected from students, former and current instructors and invited guests who are veteran session players. For more information about our nightly sessions led by instructors, go to PLAY ALONG SESSIONS. For the regular sessions and a review of our session guidelines, go to SESSIONS. See our SCHEDULE for times and days of these events. Here are session leaders for this year:
Multi-instrumental and Kansas native, David Agee, is a pillar of the Kansas City music community. Dave began his career playing blues and rock guitar in his youth then picked up bluegrass and traditional Irish music in his early twenties, splitting time between guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. Dave was a member of the first Irish band in Kansas City, Talisman, and was a founding member of Scartaglen, … [Read more...] about Dave Agee
Guest Concert Performer | Lively Session Leader
Joseph Beckey comes from a choral tradition until discovering Irish music at a pub in 2008. One of the musicians taught a class “Traditional Songs In Harmony” at the Center for Irish Music in St. Paul, MN. After that, he was hooked. He has taken numerous song classes as well as learning to play mandolin, guitar, bouzouki and bodhrán. Soon after learning his first chords, Joseph was … [Read more...] about Joseph Beckey
Workshop Presenter – Pub Songs Sing-Along | Song Session Leader
Information to be posted soon. … [Read more...] about Mark Bickford
Guest Concert Performer | Moderate Session Leader
A Washington, DC native, Angela Botzer has played traditional Irish music on the fiddle in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia area since the early 1980’s. She was a member of the DC-based bands Sodabread, and The Hedgerows, and has played for numerous ceilis and contradances. Angela has also had performances at the Irish Embassy in Washington, DC. When living in Oklahoma City, OK, she … [Read more...] about Angela Botzer
Workshop – Sí Beag Sí Mór and More: The Music of Turlough O’Carolan and Other Irish Bardic Musicians | Slow Session Leader
Grace Broadhead is a fiddler from Sandia Park, NM. She is a member of two local bands in Albuquerque, the Duke City Ceili Band and Jug O’ Punch. She is also a member of The Southwest Ramblers along with Dain Forsyth from Albuquerque, and Hughie Kennedy and Jason Turk from Cork, Ireland. In 2018 and 2019, Grace competed in the Midwest Fleadh. In 2019, her Newly Composed Tune “Chain Reaction” … [Read more...] about Grace Broadhead
Guest Concert Performer | Lively Session Leader
Matthew Cook has been singing all his life, but when the Irish genre took hold of him, the songs in his head were forever changed. The music touched a part of his heart and his soul that lay dormant, and he was instantly connected into the long history of Irish music. Now he plays and sings Irish Music in the DFW area as much as he possibly can. He plays with the bands Slugger’s Rule … [Read more...] about Matthew Cook
Song Session Leader
Janis Deane, M.Ed., CCC-SLP is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist and has more than 30 years of experience working with patients who have voice disorders, swallowing disorders, chronic cough and vocal cord dysfunction, and those requiring voice restoration following total laryngectomy. Janis is a classically trained singer, but also an avid instrumentalist. She has played Irish … [Read more...] about Janis Deane
Former Instructor – Whistle, Flute | Workshop Presenter – Vocal Health for Singers | Guest Concert Performer | Moderate Session Leader
2004, 2005, 2008, 2009
Paul is no stranger to diverse music styles. Originally from Kentucky, moving to Texas in the early 1960’s, his passion for music was ignited by the early 60’s rock scene. Paul has played in rock, jazz, bluegrass, swing and gospel bands and is currently active in Irish-Celtic music as past president of the Traditional Irish Music Education Society and heavily involved with the O’Flaherty Irish … [Read more...] about Paul Dryer
Workshop Presenter – Playing Irish Harmonica & Irish Harmonica Session | 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 Michael Dugger
Workshop Presenter – How to Arrange Irish Tunes into Sets | Lively Session Leader | Guest Concert Performer
Angelika Ruiz Gualberto is a performer from Dallas, Texas with over two decades of experience in competitive dance and music performance, along with other folk dance traditions. As a studio artist at the McAllen Creative Incubator, she directs the annual South Texas Irish Festival and established McAllen Irish Arts to develop an Irish traditional arts community in the Rio Grande Valley through … [Read more...] about Angelika Eleni
Dance Session Leader
