Fintan Vallely''s survey of Irish traditional music examines a wide range of topics relating to the histo ry of the genre, the characters, past and present who engage with the music and an analysis of the way the media represe nts it. '

"The Companion to Irish Traditional Music is not just the ideal reference for the interested enthusiast and session player, it also provides a unique resource for every library, school and home with an interest in the distinctive rituals, qualities and history of Irish traditional music and song."--BOOK JACKET.

Focus: Irish Traditional Music is an introduction to the instrumental and vocal traditions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as Irish music in the context of the Irish diaspora. Ireland's size relative to Britain or to the mainland of Europe is small, yet its impact on musical traditions beyond its shores has been significant, from the performance of jigs and reels in pub sessions as far-flung as Japan and Cape Town, to the worldwide phenomenon of Riverdance. Focus: Irish Traditional Music interweaves dance, film, language, history, and other interdisciplinary features of Ireland and its diaspora. The accompanying CD presents both traditional and contemporary sounds of Irish music at home and abroad.

Volume I of Playing Outside the Lines is the first of a comprehensive four-part method book series offering beginning to advanced Irish traditional flute instruction for Boehm and simple system flutists in graduated books, chapters, and exercises. Volume I provides foundations for playing within the framework of Irish traditional music and the basis for the remaining three volumes of the series. This four-part series is the first of its kind, containing more than 600 technical exercises, rich and nuanced discussions of Irish flute style and cultural context, previously undocumented techniques, side-by-side explanations for Boehm and simple system flutists (as well as information for musicians transitioning between the two instruments), audio excerpts, simple system flute care and purchasing information, and resources for further study. By the end of the four-part series, Boehm and simple system flutists of any background will have the tools necessary to play Irish music with a deep understanding of the tradition as well as with individual creativity. Brook Ferguson, Principal Flutist of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, calls Playing Outside the Lines "an invaluable resource for any flutist." Renowned performer and author Robert Dick says, "Leslie Anne Harrison’s Playing Outside the Lines is a marvelous gift to all interested in Irish music. Her clear and detailed writing is a huge boon to those embracing the traditional Irish flute and is truly enlightening to those (like me) who want to delve into this music while playing the Boehm flute. From tiniest detail to largest form, Leslie Anne Harrison is there every step of the way. Playing Outside the Lines is a major contribution to flute pedagogy." Includes access to online audio.

There is growing recognition and understanding of music’s fundamentally spatial natures, with significances of space found both in the immediacy of musical practices and in connection to broader identities and ideas around music. Whereas previous publications have looked at connections between music and space through singular lenses (such as how they are linked to ethnic identities or how musical images of a city are constructed), this book sets out to explore intersections between multiple scales and kinds of musical spaces. It complements the investigation of broader power structures and place-based identities by a detailed focus on the moments of music-making and musical environments, revealing the mutual shaping of these levels. The book overcomes a Eurocentric focus on a typically narrow range of musics (especially European and North American classical and popular forms) with case studies on a diverse set of genres and global contexts, inspiring a range of ethnographic, text-based, historical, and practice-based approaches.

Volume II of Playing Outside the Lines is the second of a comprehensive four-part Irish flute method book series offering beginning to advanced Irish traditional flute instruction for Boehm and simple system flutists in graduated books, chapters, and exercises. Building on the foundation provided in Volume I and providing the framework for the remaining two volumes of the series, Volume II offers a detailed introduction to Irish traditional flute ornamentation. Volume II contains ornamentation fingering charts, 40 tune versions, 69 accompanying audio tracks, and nearly 200 exercises. Playing Outside the Lines is the first Irish flute method book series of its kind, containing more than 600 technical exercises, rich and nuanced discussions of Irish flute style and cultural context, previously undocumented techniques, side-by-side explanations for Boehm and simple system flutists (as well as information for musicians transitioning between the two instruments), audio excerpts, simple system flute care and purchasing information, and resources for further study. By the end of the four-part series, Boehm and simple system flutists of any background will have the tools necessary to play Irish music with a deep understanding of the tradition as well as with individual creativity. “A fantastic bible of Irish flute playing. Harrison is a very meticulous and thorough author.” —Viviana Guzman, The Flute View Magazine“ An invaluable resource for any flutist.” —Brook Ferguson, Principal Flutist of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra “Leslie Anne Harrison’s Playing Outside the Lines is a marvelous gift to all interested in Irish music. Her clear and detailed writing is a huge boon to those embracing the traditional Irish flute and is truly enlightening to those (like me) who want to delve into this music while playing the Boehm flute. From tiniest detail to largest form, Leslie Anne Harrison is there every step of the way. Playing Outside the Linesis a major contribution to flute pedagogy.” —Robert Dick, Performer and Author of The Other Flute

Volume III of Playing Outside the Lines is the third of a comprehensive four-part Irish flute method book series offering beginning to advanced Irish traditional flute instruction for Boehm and simple system flutists in graduated books, chapters, and exercises. Building on the foundation provided in the first two books of the series, Volume III dives into more complicated Irish traditional flute ornamentation such as rolls, short rolls, crans, and breath-ornament techniques. Volume III contains ornamentation fingering charts; advanced ornamentation options, explanations, and placement guidelines; 62 accompanying audio tracks; and more than 170 exercises. Playing Outside the Lines is the first Irish flute method book series of its kind, containing more than 600 technical exercises, rich and nuanced discussions of Irish flute style and cultural context, previously undocumented techniques, side-by-side explanations for Boehm and simple system flutists (as well as information for musicians transitioning between the two instruments), audio excerpts, simple system flute care and purchasing information, and resources for further study. By the end of the four-part series, Boehm and simple system flutists of any background will have the tools necessary to play Irish music with a deep understanding of the tradition as well as with individual creativity. “A fantastic bible of Irish flute playing. Harrison is a very meticulous and thorough author.” —Viviana Guzman, The Flute View Magazine “An invaluable resource for any flutist.” —Brook Ferguson, Principal Flutist of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra “Leslie Anne Harrison’s Playing Outside the Lines is a marvelous gift to all interested in Irish music. Her clear and detailed writing is a huge boon to those embracing the traditional Irish flute and is truly enlightening to those (like me) who want to delve into this music while playing the Boehm flute. From tiniest detail to largest form, Leslie Anne Harrison is there every step of the way. Playing Outside the Lines is a major contribution to flute pedagogy.” —Robert Dick, Performer and Author of The Other Flute

Northern Ireland remains a divided community in which traditional culture is widely understood as a marker of religious affiliation and ethnic identity. David Cooper provides an analysis of the characteristics of traditional music performed in Northern Ireland, as well as an ethnographic and ethnomusicological study of a group of traditional musicians from County Antrim. In particular, he offers a consideration of the cultural dynamics of Northern Ireland with respect to traditional music.

Collecting Music in the Aran Islands, a critical historiographical study of the practice of documenting traditional music, is the first to focus on the archipelago off the west coast of Ireland. Deirdre Ní Chonghaile argues for a framework to fully contextualize and understand this process of music curation.