Hi all...
I've had many - MANY! - years of inactivity online in virtually every sphere. The reasons? Well, the net. It just became too bickery, too troll-y, too uncivilised. At least the places where I tended to hang out became all those things. The Mandolin Cafe was always a tad more civil.
And in meatspace, I hung up the mando for many years. The reasons? Way way too many to bore you with. But a lot of it boils down to that old demon that stalks the player of any instrument, self-confidence - the inclination to compare oneself with others, to feel that one's not quite up to the mark.
Anyhow. In recent months I've been making tentative forays back into the session scene in London. And I've got my hands on a really delightful Eastman which sounds (to these ears) sweet as a nut and plays like butter.
And I've turned my attention to a little project which I hope will be of some use to those with an interest in Irish music on the mandolin. Essentially I've created a website where I'm beginning to assemble an archive of recordings of myself playing tunes on the mando, with links to more info on The Session. The idea is that those relatively unfamiliar with the Irish Traditional Music genre will be able to get an idea how various tunes sound. A learning aid; maybe a stimulus for getting a few new tunes under the fingers. The key features are that each tune is played through once only and unaccompanied. I'm hoping that this format is a good learning aid.
The web address is http://www.theirishmandolin.com
Please visit and let me know what you think.
And, it's good to be back.
Aidan
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