2003 Spring Tionol
Piper Eric Olson will be in Phoenix for a concert will be joined by members of Afan and other musicians after the concert for some dancing. On Saturday the Arizona Uilleann Pipers Society will be hosting a one-day piping workshop with Eric. A public concert will be held at the Irish Cultural Center on Friday, March 7th at 7 pm. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12. The workshop will be held at Fiddler’s Dream on Saturday, March 8th from 10 am to 4 pm. There will be a workshop fee assessed to participating members.
For more information on the Spring Tionol, please contact Caven Clark
Irish Cultural Center
1106 N Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ
Fiddlers Dream
1702 E Glendale Avenue, Phoenix
A Little About Eric
As with many people, Eric began his life-long sojourn with the muses too long ago to remember. (Yes, a LONG time ago!) Church choirs, grade school band, high school hayride sing-alongs all figured into the picture.
Guitar lead to banjo, banjo to bluegrass, bluegrass to mandolin and eventually the queen of instruments, the fiddle. Wouldn't you know, it was the Irish fiddle tunes that most deeply seduced his musical sensibility. But then the incomparable sound of the uilleann pipes caught his ear and slowly worked its way deeper into his soul until he was lost beyond hope-a willing captive of the demanding mistress.
In 1991, Eric bought a practice set from Eric Rigler (piper for "Braveheart", "Rob Roy", and the "Titanic"). In 1995, he acquired a concert D set and started the Mountain Road Ceili Band. What better way to refine the craft than to commit yourself to playing in public?
Currently, Eric accepts bookings either as a solo piper/pub song singer/teller of tales and bits of wit and whimsy.or as part of a traditional Irish ceili (pronounced "KAY-lee", Irish for dance, party, hoolie) band.
Eric comes to Swallow Hill with a commitment to keep his students focused our passion for the instrument, without sacrificing the pursuit of excellence. In the 1970s a few enterprising traditional musicians in Denver saw the need to establish an organization that would promote teaching and performance opportunities. Since then it has grown to a membership of many hundreds and provides instruction on most any traditional instrument. They offer numerous opportunities for traveling artist to find a venue and for aspiring newcomers to put their learning experiences into practice in the company of others. How wonderful it is that the key to blending these two goals is to keep in touch of the child within us. I guess that's why they call it "playing", isn't it?
To learn more about the Uilleann pipes, Afan, and the Arizona Irish Music Society check out the links below.
A Descripton of the Pipes by Patrick D'Arcy
webpage by Jason Smith