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:
Linda Relph has been in the Texas Irish music scene since she relocated from California to Texas in the early 90s. Her background includes Texas style contest fiddling (she was the California State Ladies Champion four times), Celtic Rock (she was a founding member of The Killdares), and, with her former band Nine-8ths Irish, was a forerunner of the popular “Green-Grass” movement (bluegrass … [Read more...] about Linda Relph
Moderate Session Leader
Candy Schell plays fiddle, mandolin and button accordion has been in the bands Spriggan, The Ugly Customers, Castle Kelly, Bungle Rye and currently Crooked Road. She enjoys sessions and is almost always at the J. Gilligan’s session on Tuesday nights in Arlington, TX and sessions in and around Dallas. She is also a member of the TIMES Band & Session Players. … [Read more...] about Candy Schell
Guest Concert Performer | Moderate Session Leader
Brian Shaw has been playing acoustic music for 40 years including genres from Old Time, Contra Dance Bluegrass and Blues. Ask him to also tell you about his early days playing punk rock in the 80s-90s. He started playing Irish music around 2010 and has not looked back. He can be heard muttering to himself ‘why didn’t I start with Irish music sooner?’ at a session near you. He plays tenor … [Read more...] about Brian Shaw
Slow Session Leader
Kenny Tweedy was born in Boston of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Kenny rediscovered his Scottish roots while living in Scotland in the 90s. Upon repatriating to the states, he found himself dissatisfied with contemporary popular music. Kenny found his calling when he started playing Irish traditional dance music in the new millennium. For the past 18 years, Kenny has been anchoring sessions … [Read more...] about Kenny Tweedy
Workshop Presenter – iPad Apps for Traditional Musicians & Retreat Tunes Played Slowly | Slow Session Leader
Ian Varley is a native of New York, and has made Austin TX his home for the last 14 years. His day job is writing software, but he's been a professional touring and studio musician on and off since childhood. A recent convert to both Piano Accordion and traditional Irish music, he now holds down a weekly session in Austin, and he can always name a tune. Ian's given well-received talks at … [Read more...] about Ian Varley
Workshop Presenter – Supercharge Your Tune Learning & Introduction to the Irish Language (An Ghaeilge}| Lively Session Leader
Jeremy Welch has been singing his entire life, and has become an avid collector of songs from many musical traditions: Irish, Scottish, Maritimes, Americana, Bluegrass, and Cowboy, to name a few. His passion for keeping these singing traditions alive is evident whether he's on a stage or in a session. … [Read more...] about Jeremy Welch
Song Session Leader
