Basics of Guitar Backing for Irish Tunes
Hosted by John Doyle
For Whom: All are welcome. Open to guitarists of all skill levels.
Join acclaimed Irish guitar player John Doyle to cover the finer points of his rhythm playing style. In this workshop, John will go over strumming patterns, chord voicings and substitutions, and discuss some of the nuances of his style. He will go over the kinds of choices that go into backing different kinds of tunes with different time signatures and feels. Join John for this in-depth workshop and get some insight into his propelling and exciting back-up style.
ABOUT JOHN DOYLE
Name many of the most notable recordings and/or performers in Irish music and it's a fair bet that John Doyle had something to do with them. Liz Carroll; Eileen Ivers; Karan Casey; Solas; Michael Black; Mary Black; the trio of McCusker, McGoldrick and Doyle; The Teetotalers (Martin Hayes, Kevin Crawford, John Doyle); and now Usher's Island (Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Mike McGoldrick, Paddy Glackin and John Doyle) - a vertible who's who of the greatest names in Irish music. These are just a very few of the stellar artists for whom John Doyle's signature guitar sound, singing or songwriting is essential.
From a musical family in Dublin, John’s influences include well known English folk singers Nic Jones, Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, and The Watersons; Scottish singers Dick Gaughan and John Martin; and fellow Irishmen Paul Brady and Al O’Donnell as well as his father, Sean Doyle - probably the biggest influence of all. John went on the road as a pro at 16 with the group Chanting House which he formed with Susan McKeown and which eventually included such great players as Seamus Egan, Eileen Ivers, & Donogh Hennessy. John went on to form the highly acclaimed super group, Solas, with Seamus Egan, John Williams, Karan Casey and Winifred Horan which took the folk and Celtic music worlds by storm, in no small part due to John’s powerhouse rhythmic guitar style and innovative arrangements. As a member of Solas, John performed to sold out audiences nationally and internationally as well as appearing on many national TV and radio programs: NBC’s The Today Show, various programs for National Public Radio and Public Radio International, A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, E-Town and World Cafe as part of that critically acclaimed group, he also received three NAIRD awards and a Grammy nomination for the band’s self-titled first recording.
After leaving Solas, John has gone on to perform and tour with other greats in the Folk, Celtic and Bluegrass worlds - as music director for folk icon Joan Baez, guitarist for Mary Chapin Carpenter, Eileen Ivers, Tim O’Brien (John was included on Tim’s 2006 Grammy-award winning CD, Fiddler’s Green), Linda Thompson, Kate Rusby, Cathie Ryan, Cherish the Ladies, and many others. He has appeared on soundtracks for the feature film, The Brothers McMullan, Soldier, PBS’s Out of Ireland and also composed the music for the film Uncle Robert’s Footsteps and the play Down the Flats as well as performing on countless recordings as guitarist and/or singer for other notable artists such as Kate Rusby, Linda Thompson, Tim O’Brien, Alison Brown, Seamus Egan, Eileen Ivers, Mick Moloney, Cathal McConnell, Karan Casey and so many others (check out the discography page for a full list). John is a featured regular for many years in the hugely popular BBC Scotland "Transatlantic Sessions" regularly broadcast in Ireland and at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow having performed there with Americana greats Jerry Douglas, Tim O'Brien, Rodney Crowell, Sara Watkins, Kathy Mattea, and many others.
There are few artists more respected in the genre or more in demand in the studio, as songwriter, as performer. A few recent highlights listed below:
2009, St. Patrick's Day - Performed as duo of Liz Carroll/John Doyle for President Obama, the full U.S Congress, Vice-President Biden, and then Taoiseach Brian Cowan
2010 - Received Grammy Nomination for "Best Traditional World Album" for "Double Play", Liz Carroll and John Doyle
2008-2010 - Toured with Joan Baez as her Music Director/guitarist/singer
2014-- Guitarist with Mary Chapin Carpenter
In recent years, John has focused primarily on writing songs based on the varied experiences of Irish emmigrants - his great grandfather on the torpedoed S.S. Arabic in 1915; famine victims on the coffin ships to Quebec; Confederate and Union Irish fighting against one another at Fredericksburg; an Irishman's journey through the First World War. In reviews, these songs on Doyle's 2012 release, "Shadow and Light" have been said "to be destined to be classics in the Irish folk music songbook. His talents as songwriter are rare and exquisite."
FOLK SCHOOL OF FAYETTEVILLE is a 501(c)3 non-profit music organization popularly known as Fayetteville Roots.
For over a 13 years we have carried out our mission to connnect community through music and food. Over that time we have fostered concerts & community/educational events in Northwest Arkansas. We believe in our music community and strive to create opportunies for connections and learning.
In 2022 one of our signature events, the Fayetteville Roots Festival, was paused. 2023 brings a new chapter and a new location for our organization. The Folk School of Fayetteville, located in the historic Walker Stone House near the Fayetteville Square, will open in late Spring 2023 with space for lessons, classes, workshops, jams, and more.
What is a Folk School and why do you need to know about it?
Folk Schools originated as a way for communities to learn from each other, especially vital to communities that didn’t have access to “formal education”. Folk Schools create an environment that encourages People teaching People, rather than a classical education approach of Professor and Student.
Folk School of Fayetteville is continuing this model by providing space for musicians to learn from each other, for new players to learn, and for long time musicians to develop new technique and skills — and this is available to ALL the FOLKS (people). Folk School is open to all genres, identities, and cultures, and is excited to host music that is as dynamic and varied as our community.
Folk School of Fayetteville is buit on the body of work (13 years) of Fayetteville Roots Festival, and is fostered on many of its guiding principles:
Create opportunities for our music community
Support and present multivaried music genres, identities, & cultures
Commitment to free & low-cost community learning
Creative re-use of existing urban spaces
Collaboration with the community & music/arts organizations
Low waste & low impact sustainable events
Find more Folk School of Fayetteville Events and Music events in Fayetteville
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