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O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat

Teaching Traditional Irish Music

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Session Leaders

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:

Dave Agee

September 18, 2021 By Ken Fleming

Photo of Dave Agee

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

Dave
Agee

Guest Concert Performer | Lively Session Leader

Joseph Beckey

June 9, 2022 By Ken Fleming

Photo of Joseph Beckey

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

Joseph
Beckey

Workshop Presenter – Pub Songs Sing-Along | Song Session Leader

Mark Bickford

August 28, 2023 By Ken Fleming

Photo of Mark Bickford

Information to be posted soon. … [Read more...] about Mark Bickford

Mark
Bickford

Guest Concert Performer | Moderate Session Leader

Angela Botzer

January 21, 2019 By Ken Fleming

Angela Botzer

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

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

May 12, 2022 By Ken Fleming

Photo of Grace Broadhead

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

Grace
Broadhead

Guest Concert Performer | Lively Session Leader

Matthew Cook

November 4, 2018 By Ken Fleming

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

Matthew
Cook

Song Session Leader

Janis Deane

January 21, 2019 By Ken Fleming

Janis Deane

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

Janis
Deane

Former Instructor – Whistle, Flute  |  Workshop Presenter – Vocal Health for Singers  |  Guest Concert Performer | Moderate Session Leader

2004, 2005, 2008, 2009

Paul Dryer

November 4, 2018 By Ken Fleming

Photo of Paul Dryer

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

Paul
Dryer

Workshop Presenter – Playing Irish Harmonica & Irish Harmonica Session | Guest Concert Performer

Michael Dugger

February 5, 2019 By Ken Fleming

Photo of Mike Dugger

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

Mike
Dugger

Workshop Presenter – How to Arrange Irish Tunes into Sets  |  Lively Session Leader  |  Guest Concert Performer

Angelika Eleni

August 20, 2020 By Ken Fleming

Angelika Ruiz Gualberto

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

Angelika
Eleni

Dance Session Leader

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Testimonials

Former Student

In a word – outstanding!  This is something I’ll look forward to attending every year from now on. 

Read all our testimonials…

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O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat

Traditional Irish Music Education Society (TIMES)
1320 Navaho Trail
Richardson, TX 75080
(469) 215-1840
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