Legendary Northern Irish Singer/Songwriter Tommy Sands will Perform at Mountain City Traditional Arts, Wednesday, Oct 26
Legendary Northern Irish singer,
songwriter and social activist Tommy Sands will perform at Mountain City
Traditional Arts in Frostburg on Wednesday, Oct 26th at 7:30 pm.
Come join him
on a riveting journey to learn how music can change the world.
Sands’ songwriting has drawn the
admiration of Nobel Poet Laureate Seamus Heaney and the father of folk music
Pete Seeger. And "Sing Out" magazine describes him as "the most
powerful songwriter in Ireland, if not the rest of the world."
From the pioneering days with the highly influential
Sands Family, bringing Irish Music from New York’s Carnegie Hall to Moscow’s
Olympic Stadium, Sands has developed into one of the most powerful songwriters
and enchanting solo performers in Ireland today.
His songs, like There were Roses, and
Daughters and Sons, which have been recorded by Joan Baez, Kathy Matthea,
Dolores Keane, Sean Keane, Frank Patterson, Dick Gaughan, The Dubliners and
many others have been translated into many languages and are currently included
in the English language syllabus in German secondary schools.
Mountain City Traditional Arts is a
program of Frostburg State University and the Maryland Traditions Program of
the State Arts Council. For more information call
301-687-8040.
Frostburg State University’s Mountain City Traditional Arts will present uilleann piper and flute and whistle player Seán Gavin in a performance on Sunday, Aug. 28, at 4 p.m. at 25 E. Main St. in Frostburg. The live entertainment is open to the public through general admission with a suggested donation of $15.
Gavin is one of the most highly regarded Irish musicians of his generation. In 2016, he became the first and only musician born outside Ireland to win the prestigious Seán Ó Riada gold medal. He tours regularly with the groups Bua and Téada, both of which have gleaned top praise from Irish music critics around the globe.
In addition to performing, Gavin was the musical director for the PBS program “I Am Ireland” and for the long-running “Atlantic Steps.” He’s one of the most highly sought-after instructors of Irish music and recently authored a popular tutor book, “The Tin Whistle Method.”
Gavin was encouraged in music by his father Mick, a fiddler from County Clare, and his brother Michael, a multi-instrumentalist; at age 12, he started playing the uilleann pipes. He spent a decade playing and studying with Chicago’s finest Irish musicians, particularly Sligo flute-legend Kevin Henry. Since then, he has toured extensively around the globe, with multiple radio, TV and festival appearances. Currently, Gavin is back in his native Detroit, where he continues to play, teach and promote traditional Irish music.
This event is supported by funding from the Maryland State Arts Council. MCTA is a program of FSU in partnership with the Maryland Traditions Program of the State Arts Council.
FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.
The
Ronstadt Brothers will perform an eclectic tour of Americana music anchored by the
Post-Modern Southwest on Sunday, May 1, at 4 pm at Mountain City Traditional
Arts, 25 E. Main Street, Frostburg.
Ronstadt
Brothers, Michael and Peter, are keeping their family’s music legacy alive.
While their aunt, Linda Ronstadt, is the most famous of the Ronstadt family,
Michael and Peter represent the fifth generation of musicians in a family where
musical virtuosity runs deep. The Ronstadt Brothers present a new and fresh take
on the traditional Southwestern and Mexican folk songs and offer innovative
original material to millennials discovering the treasure of roots music. An
aural illustration of inception to creation, this musical journey will take you
from the past to the present steeped in the Americana vein, carrying forward a
sound closely tied in its infancy to their aunt Linda and their father Michael.
For
two decades, Michael G. Ronstadt has entertained audiences throughout North
America on cello, guitar and voice. An exceptional musician-composer conversant
with a wide range of styles, he not only executes captivating solo
performances, but participates regularly in duo and trio situations with a
diverse camp of young, innovative musician-songwriters including Lisa Biales and
David Trotta. His versatile talents have been tapped for concert and studio
work by such artists as David Bromberg, Linda Ronstadt, Muriel Anderson and
Craig Bickhardt.
Michael
G. displays genre-blending explorations on cello and guitar in complement to
thought-provoking lyrics. To say his originals are unusual is an
understatement. They set the bar at Olympian heights in their depth and
breadth. In addition to his solo recordings as well as those with Ronstadt Brothers,Michael G. is a much
sought-after studio musician, who has appeared on more than fifty albums in the
last dozen years. Dan Buckley writing for The Tucson Citizen noted his “amazing
command of the typical and exotic sounds of the cello, a true virtuoso and a
man of instinctive musicality.” Michael holds both a Master and Bachelor of
Music in Cello Performance and studied under esteemed pedagogues Yehuda Hanani,
Nancy Green and Dr. Gordon Epperson.
Starting
out on violin in grade school, Peter “Petie” Ronstadt traded “up” to bass
guitar and upright bass in middle school, playing in the school’s orchestra and
jazz band. The band director tapped Petie to play tuba in the concert band as
well. He continued on all three instruments in his high school concert,
marching and jazz bands.
Petie
first explored composing in high school, during which time he founded an indie
rock group, The Goodbye Kiss, in which he played guitar and sang. This led to a
record deal with a small Southern California label and the release of a
self-titled EP. It was this set of circumstances that provided the engineering
education and fueled Petie’s passion for the recording process. He teamed up
with bassist Sam Eagon (a member of Los Tucsonenses) and founded LandMark Sound
Recorders, a studio in Tucson, where they continue to serve the regional music
community.
Petie’s keen ear and his sensitive songwriting – such as the
exquisite imagery heard in “Hummingbird” – are key to Ronstadt Brothers’ future
tradition-building. Whether harmonizing with father and brother or quietly
offering his own compositions, Petie demonstrates an engaging, easy-going stage
presence.
Thursday, March 3, 2022
MCTA Resumes Live Concerts With April Verch and Cody Walters
Sunday, March 13 at 4 pm.
Frostburg State University’s Mountain City Traditional Arts will resume its live concert series with a concert by husband-and-wife duo April Verch and Cody Walters on Sunday, March 13, at 4 p.m. at 25 E. Main St. in Frostburg. The live entertainment is open to the public through general admission with a suggested donation of $15.
Be it regional Canadian roots, American old-time, 5 0’s country, Scandinavian folk music or something original that sounds as though it’s been around for a century, Verch and Walters have a love and reverence for the music and traditions that have been passed down to them. Their performances showcase endless creativity and versatility as they transition effortlessly from traditional Ottawa Valley step dancing and fiddle tunes, to old-time fiddle-banjo duets with tight-knit vocal harmonies, to innovative sandpaper foot percussion, all contrasted against Verch’s soprano voice.
The duo’s diverse repertoire and unbridled passion come to life on stage with a presence that is versatile, robust and masterfully executed. Audiences remark at their sincerity in sharing stories between tunes. Their ability to preserve the authentic folk traditions of the past and reintroduce them into the musical landscape of the present is a testament to their masterful musicianship and widespread appeal.
Together, Verch and Walters are exemplary tradition-bearing performers – never forgetting the roots of the music, that connection to the people in the audience or on the dance floor, to the community sparked by a good song. To them, “It’s about joining together to celebrate everyday life, through music.”
This event is supported by funding from the Maryland State Arts Council. MCTA is a program of FSU in partnership with FrostburgFirst and the Maryland Traditions Program of the State Arts Council.
FSU is following CDC guidance based on current area conditions. Currently, masks are to be worn indoors in the presence of others, regardless of vaccination status. Event attendees are encouraged to visit www.frostburg.edu/checkin for symptom monitoring. Users can display the portal’s “Reduced Risk” badge on a mobile device for admission, or they may respond to symptom-check questions posted at events.
FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.