Learning tunes

My husband runs a website development company so he's a bit of a tech geek. But I can't blame him for making fun of me when I break out my tape recorder, (yes, you heard it right - tape recorder) to learn tunes. In this day and age with the advancements in technology you would think there is a better way to learn tunes.

There are different types of computer software, such as Transcribe and The Amazing Slow Downer, that take the tune and slow it down without changing the key so you can learn it right off your handy dandy laptop. However, if you're heading to a session and you want to learn the tunes that your peers play, you can't really break out your laptop to record. That's where my little tape recorder comes in.

I have a hard time learning tunes by ear when they are racing at lightning speed. I'm one of those fiddlers who has to learn every single little note before I consider the tune complete. So for me I have to tape the tune and then go home and listen and try to learn it by hitting play, stop, rewind, play, stop, rewind...

I guess my point is, with technology growing so rapidly, there are still some old fashion ways of doing things. How do you learn tunes?

The art to recording

For some reason, we can play like rock stars in our living rooms but put a microphone in front of us and some recording equipment in back and we fold. It can be a bit stressful knowing that if you make a mistake, one tiny mistake, it's being recorded. And for some reason, that's scary.

Here are a few tips to follow before you head into the studio:

1. Practice recording. My husband makes fun of me because my home recording devise is, yup, you guessed it, a tape recorder. But boy does it come in handy when learning tunes. I find it very helpful to record myself sometimes so I can hear what other people hear when listening to me. It's amazing what you'll learn about your playing. I find that my mistakes are in different spots than where I thought. So I record myself playing and practice the weak spots before heading into the recording studio. This does a couple of things: It makes me completely aware of what I need to work on and it gives me confidence when I finally get into the studio that I know what it is going to sound like.

2.Get lots of rest the night before. You can't really be on your game if you're tired. And it is tiring to record. I recently recorded 6 tune sets with my band, Muddy Boots which doesn't sound like a lot but some of our tune sets are 6 minutes long. So if you make a mistake at the end of the set, you have to re-record the entire set. (That is if you're all recording in the same room). It's seems simple enough but go into the studio fully refreshed because when you leave, you're going to be exhausted.

3. Have fun. We sometimes get so nervous about the process of recording we forget to have fun with it and it shows in the music. So take a deep breath, smile and rock it out!

Heading into the recording studio

As with most bands who come to the point of getting sick of playing kick-ass tunes in their living room, my band Muddy Boots, is heading into the recording studio this week. We're planning to lay down 5 tracks of rockin' Irish fiddle tune sets.

It's hard to believe but we have been playing together on a weekly basis for almost 7 months now. We've played two gigs, one for a benefit to raise money for Jerry Holland and one at the Richmond Farmer's Market. And it's now time we get our there and share what we have been working on so off to the recording studio we go.

I'll post the finished product when it's...well, finished. In the meantime, you can catch some of us playing at the Wednesday night Irish session at Radio Bean, in Burlington.

Tony DeMarco coming back to Vermont

This is a picture of Jerry Holland and Tony DeMarco playing tunes at the Red Shoe Pub in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

Tony DeMarco played in Vermont a fews year back for a memorial concert in honor of the late and great Johnny Cunningham. I had never heard of Tony DeMarco before that day. He's a big teddy bear of a guy and as he walked out on stage that night I couldn't imagine what kind of music was going to come out of his fiddle. Once he sat down and began to play, I quickly realized that I was not in the know. This man made my jaw drop with his fiddle playing. He was incredible.

DeMarco is a Brooklyn native with Irish and Italian in his blood. He plays County Sligo style Irish fiddle with lot of crisp ornamentation, fast rhythms and he improvises like nobody's business.

DeMarco is one of the musicians that will take the stage with Ashley MacIsaac and John Doyle next month at Chandler Music Hall to raise money for Jerry Holland's battle with cancer.

John Doyle, a master at his craft

I first met John Doyle at the Champlain Valley Folk Festival when he performed with fiddler, Liz Carroll. He was standing by one of the booth's checking out CD's. I thought it would be a good opportunity to go introduce myself so I walked over, pulled out his CD with Liz Carroll called In Play and I said "I hear the guitar playing on this one rocks." He just giggled as I introduced myself.

I was spending the weekend, as most people do for this weekend long festival, and throughout my time there I just followed him and Liz around like a puppy dog. The two of them together bring more energy to the stage then any duo I have ever seen. Their music is so rhythmic and catchy, it just makes me want to dance. John plays with such passion that he can't keep still when he's on stage. He smiles, dances in place and just plain rocks.

John is well known for his past guitar playing in the band Solas. He sings, he plays guitar exceptionally well and he's a ripping fiddle player, as I found out at a late night session during this memorable festival.

A little back history about my relationship with Liz Carroll: I was taking fiddle lessons with Sarah Blair. I told her that I want to play fast and in tune. She said "listen to Liz Carroll." So not only did I run out and by some CD's but I signed up for a week long workshop in the Catskills where she was teaching.

So here I was at the Champlain Valley Folk Festival listening to a session hosted by Liz Carroll, John Doyle, and other great musicians when Liz looks at me and invites me into the inner circle to start a tune. My heart was racing. I had Liz on one side and John on the other. I was in heaven. I started some tunes that I knew I could get through and there I was playing with two of my heroes. It was amazing.

So as you can imagine I was psyched to find out that John Doyle will return to Vermont on December 8, to play with Ashely MacIsacc and other very talented musicians, in a benefit to raise money for Jerry Holland's battle with Cancer.

I also hear that John Doyle will be giving a guitar workshop so for those interested call (802) 728.6464 or click here for more information.

Jerry Holland, master Cape Breton fiddler

Jerry Holland has mastered one of the most elegant instruments in the string family, the fiddle. Let's face it, he literally wrote the book when it comes to Cape Breton fiddle music. There isn't a Celtic band out there that doesn't have at least one of his tunes in their repertoire. And if you have ever heard him play, you understand why his music is so loved throughout the world. His playing reflects his soft humor, his quick whit and his passion for this rhythmic tradition they call Cape Breton music.

In the last 5 or so years, Jerry has been visiting Vermont from his home in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia taking on fiddle students, playing for house parties and concerts and touching the lives of more Vermonters than I can count.

Next month, on Saturday, December 8, Chandler Music Hall in Randolph, Vermont, will play host to Ashley MacIsaac, Cape Breton Fidding sensation; John Doyle, guitar player extrordinaire; fiddler,Tony DeMarco; and bohdran drum player, Anna Colliton, as they play a benefit concert to honor Jerry, his music and his commitment to carrying on the tradition. All the proceeds will go directly to helping Jerry fight his battle with cancer.

This should be an amazing concert. Hope to see you there!

If you can't make the concert but would like to contribute to the Jerry Holland fund, click here.