Brief history of Bodhran – An Overview

The bodhran is a frame drum made of either wood or metal with stretched-on skin covering it – not just used for Irish music! However, this versatile instrument also serves great as an instrument in Scottish folk and rock music performances.

Traditional performances of the bodhran involve various techniques for playing its back hand to achieve different sound qualities and pitch qualities by applying pressure to its head in different amounts.

Origins

The exact origins of the bodhran drum are difficult to ascertain, yet some indications point towards its usage as a musical instrument in Ireland for at least 100 years. Early 20th-century mentions and uses indicate its usage both musically and ritualistically until sometime around 1960.

Historically, the bodhran has long been linked to St Stephen’s Day when used in a ritual known as ‘Hunting of the Wren’. Irish warriors used this practice as a means of revenge against anyone they believed had betrayed Saint Stephen and hunted wrens on St Stephen’s day to try and exact revenge for its treachery.

Sean O Riada revolutionized its use as a mainstream musical instrument during his work in the 1960s, leading many renowned Irish traditional musicians like Johnny McDonagh and John Joe Kelly to develop new playing techniques on it that expanded its musical vocabulary and ensured it found its place within contemporary music.

Construction

Traditional Bodhrans were constructed using goat skin stretched across a circular wooden frame, but today they can be highly intricate musical instruments carefully built and designed to produce their desired sounds.

Bodhrans can be found throughout Ireland and Scotland as well as many other parts of the world, making them a favorite percussion instrument used at folk sessions and ensemble performances.

The name ‘bodhran” derives from Irish Gaelic meaning “deaf”, although its definition encompasses other connotations: for instance ‘ni hinnte ata an guth bodhar”, referring to dull sound produced by calves; quality of misty or murky water bodies, etc.

Bodhran is also used in modern Scottish, where its meaning has expanded to encompass ‘dildurn’ – bothered, confused, annoyed or troubled.

Sounds

The Bodhran is one of the most beloved Celtic drums, popularly used in traditional Scottish and other musical traditions. Consisting of a frame drum covered with stretched skin over an unbowed circular wooden frame, its name derives its popularity.

There are various techniques for playing a bodhran, depending on its style and player. A hand style utilizes the knuckles for rhythm; there is one-sided and two-sided stick styles;

As a starting point for learning the bodhran, purchasing a kit may be the ideal way to begin learning. These kits typically contain a cipin or tipper as well as books and DVDs that will guide your progression as an artist. When choosing your instrument it should feel secure without dropping and provide enough maneuverability so you can play freely and comfortably.

Techniques

The Bodhran is an ancient instrument which has become immensely popular with musicians worldwide. Producing low, staccato sounds, it serves as the basis of many forms of traditional Irish music.

This humble frame drum can be found across cultures all around the globe and its exact origins remain unclear; most experts speculate that its inspiration comes from tambourines commonly found in southern continental Europe.

A bodhran is composed of wood and goat or cowhide skin stretched over its wooden frame and secured using tacking or glueing techniques. Traditionally, one or more crossbars within the frame were used to hold onto this skin – these days this practice is less prevalent among modern bodhrans.

Styles

Traditionally, the bodhran is a circular frame drum covered with goat skin. Nowadays they come in all sorts of sizes from small to large.

The bodhran first gained widespread acclaim during the folk revival in the 1960s. Sean O Riada of Ceoltoiri Chualann first introduced it to audiences.

O Riada used the bodhran as the focal point of his band’s sound, elevating its status and making it part of their signature sound.

Since then, bodhran playing has grown and transformed into a sophisticated art form, exploring all of its musical potential. Some bodhran players even incorporate techniques from other drumming traditions into their playing style.

Is Bodhran easy to learn?

As an Irish music enthusiast or someone just beginning their exploration into percussion instruments, a bodhran is an excellent instrument to get started learning.

Bodhrans are traditional frame drums composed of goat, calf or synthetic material stretched over a wooden shell that produce a wide variety of sounds.

It’s Easy to Learn

Those interested in playing the bodhran will find that it is one of the easiest instruments to master; all it requires is patience and practice!

The Bodhran is an ancient percussion instrument often seen at Irish music sessions and celebrations, offering an enjoyable way to bring people together through shared musical experience. It makes an excellent addition to any ensemble and offers a fun way to bring everyone together through shared musical experience.

The Bodhran is a traditional Irish drum made out of wood with goatskin stretched across one side and an open-ended rim on the other. While relatively simple in nature, this versatile instrument can also provide great entertainment!

It’s Affordable

Bodhrans for beginners are an affordable and accessible instrument option, perfect for anyone on a tight budget or who don’t have much to spend. Learning bodhran is straightforward and it can be used across numerous musical genres.

A bodhran is a centuries-old Irish drum, used in various musical traditions around the globe and still widely utilized today.

However, it’s essential to keep in mind that playing a bodhran can be extremely challenging if you are unfamiliar with its playing techniques and you need a good instrument. Thus, regular practice is key and investing in quality instruments should also be prioritized.

Waltons Music Retail Group provides an expansive selection of bodhrans, both tunable and non-tunable models – so that you’re sure to find your ideal instrument here!

It’s Versatile

No matter your goal is, from expanding percussive skills to exploring Irish folk music, the bodhran is a versatile instrument with easy learning capabilities that is sure to enhance both experience and interest.

Though not as complex as fiddle or guitar playing, you can learn bodhran on your own with patience and dedication. Remember that no professional musician becomes great overnight; don’t give up if it doesn’t click first time around!

The Bodhran has quickly become one of the world’s most beloved instruments, particularly among some of its best-known practitioners such as Sean O Riada, Peadar Mercier and Johnny McDonagh.

The Bodhran is an 18th-century frame drum used to add rhythmic accompaniment for traditional Irish and Celtic music. Easy and affordable to learn, making this an excellent option for beginning players.

It’s Traditional

The Bodhran is a traditional Irish hand-held frame drum with a goatskin head that has long been in use in religious ceremonies.

Today, the bodhran is played using both two-handed and bare-hand techniques. First made famous worldwide by Irish musicians Sean O Riada and Peadar Mercier during their performances of two-handed bodhran in the 1960s, it quickly gained international acclaim and has become an international phenomenon.

Even though the bodhran is an easy instrument to learn, some maneuvers and hand movements do require skill. Therefore, it’s advisable to spend some time watching professional bodhran players before trying your own technique.

Reinventing the Music Festival.

The best music festivals are those which can evolve over time. This success can be measured by increasing ticket sales and a growing number of headline performers. This kind of growth can be achieved with good control and logistics. What are the key elements?

A music festival that repeats the same format year after année with the same acts performing every year is more likely to experience a decline with the inevitable closure. To keep their events relevant and appealing to a wider audience, music festival organizers must be creative every year. There will be many competing music festivals doing the same thing and organisers will see their event decline if they don’t do anything to improve its appeal. How can organizers reinvent their festivals and ensure their financial success in the future?

Mixing Genres

Many music festivals began by focusing on a particular music genre. Older festivals are more familiar with pop and rock music. Music tastes change all the time. Festivals that include more music genres will have a wider appeal. For festivals that are located in large open spaces, the easiest way to achieve this is to create specific stages, shows, and areas within the festival. A mixed-genre music festival may have a DJ of techno and a pop artist on separate stages.

 The Irish Bodhran drum is a frame drum with a shallow body and a single-skin head. It is common throughout Irish traditional music and other features.

Theme development.
A music festival can be distinguished from others by having a different theme every year and striking designs. You can achieve this with excellent stage design and lighting, creative marketing campaigns and PR activities. By encouraging festival-goers to participate and show their support, themes can be a great way of promoting participation.

Add Attractions and Facilities
Festival-goers can enjoy more by adding attractions such as fairground rides, or creating arts and crafts areas. Glamping is a popular option at many festivals. This can be done by improving the vendor selection and facilities. Festival-goers are always most unhappy with the lack of toilets and bars. This will make it more appealing.

A music festival that grows and improves over time will not only attract more festival-goers, but also increase the demand for vendors, sponsors, and performers. Volunteer recruitment will also be easier, which is a positive effect. For any live music experience, there is always a demand for new things. Music festivals need to be constantly reinvented to ensure a bright future.

Festival Pro is a software platform that allows festival organizers to manage all aspects of their events. These guys have many years of experience in event management and they are performers as well. Festival Pro is simple to use, has many features, and includes modules that allow you to manage artists, contractors and venues/stages. You can also manage volunteers, vendors, sponsors, guests, sponsors, donors, and cashless payments.

Climate change in music festival

Music festivals have the unfortunate situation of both contributing to the climate crisis and being burdened by their own practices. Plastic cups overflowing with bright lights and booming sounds consume energy. Fans and artists fly and drive from all corners of the globe. Festivals create bliss in parks and camps for a few days. The GrubHub-sponsored stage is where they sell the transgressive power and beauty of song. The summers are becoming hotter and more severe, and outdoor spaces are less available. Music is useless if it doesn’t hurt us.

“This summer we have seen a lot of record-breaking heat waves, downpours, and flood events meteorologically. Extreme heat and storms can be a problem when thousands of people gather outdoors or under partially covered conditions,” Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, said.

Governors Ball celebrated its 10th year with a multiday celebration in New York last month. After the 2019 festival was a disaster, organizers moved the festival to Citi Field. Citi Field is close to the subway and offers “flexibility with possible weather events”. After teasing a possible cancellation due to a storm, organizers decided that the festival’s last day would be open on Sunday afternoon. The stages became darkened as it began to rain within hours. The speaker commanded everyone to evacuate the island immediately. Teenagers piled on the pressure and tore down brand signage and cut through the plexiglass backdrops for photos. Chaos ensued as thousands of people poured onto Ward’s Island Bridge, causing destruction to everything.

When we all rise up, change happens.

Come join us at CHANGE Festival and rise up against the climate crisis to create a better tomorrow.

We rose to the challenge presented by Coronavirus in 2020 and transformed our lives overnight. Despite the immense pain caused by this virus, 2020 brought many people closer to nature, helped us lower our ecological footprint, strengthened our communities, and allowed us to take a step back and reflect. We demonstrated that we can adapt to rapid and radical change. What can we do now to urgently unite in order to tackle a greater challenge, the climate and environmental crisis?

CHANGE Festival 2021 invites you to stand up for a better future. We will be sharing stories and inspiring each other about how we can make a difference individually and collectively. This is an opportunity to get together and celebrate our ability to make a difference.

Get up and listen to others, speak up, feel, witness, dream, create, hope, and act.

Tips for enjoying a music festival

Music festivals are a wonderful way to share live music with your friends. You can treat it as a vacation away from home, and most often enjoy camping. Music festivals are best done in the summer and warm weather. Music festivals can last anywhere from 2 to 3 days to as long as 1 or 2 weeks.

These are some great tips to help you enjoy the music.

* Friends – Go with as many friends you can. This will increase the fun.

* Drinks and booze You can enjoy the music festival with or without alcohol.

* Money – Take money with you to buy food and to take a trip around the local area. Keep your money safe from thieves.

* You will smell – To avoid the horrible toilets at music festivals, get some vicks vapour. Rub it under your nose before you go to the toilets.

* Wristband: Place the wristband on the opposite arm of the one you eat to go to the bathroom.

Equipment – Take only what you absolutely need. It is not a good idea to have a lot of equipment, especially in the heat.

* Save – Students should save money while they are away on a festival. Many festivals offer a cup recycling program where you can save around 10p to 10c on your next drink by purchasing a drink and returning the cup. These can quickly add up.

* A suitable tent – You should bring a waterproof tent with you in case it rains over night. There is nothing worse than your tent getting soaked overnight while you’re asleep in it.

* Stay together – While you and your friends may be crowded at a concert, make sure you stay together. Music festivals can get very busy. It will be difficult to find your friend after losing them.

* Mark your Territory. This will make it easy to recognize your territory. This is a good idea as it helps you find your tent when you return to your campsite.

Dont forget to bring your favorite music instrument weather it is Bodhran or Concertina to have a wonderful music session

Essence Music Festival

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know, but were afraid of asking!

Are you a fan of the Essence Music Festival (or have you attended it)? This is one of the most important events of the year, and you should not miss it. The annual event attracts some of the most prominent names in music, including Janet Jackson and Mary J. Blige.

What’s the Essence Music Festival?
The largest African-American gathering is the Essence Music Festival. The festival attracts thousands of people each year to celebrate African-American culture and music. On the 15th anniversary of the festival, the three-day event attracted the largest crowd in 2010. The Louisiana Superdome was sold out for the entire three-day event.

Who goes to the Festival?
Every year, festival attendees come from every corner of the United States. International attendees can also be counted in the hundreds, if not thousands. Although the majority of festival attendees are African-Americans, people from all races are welcome to attend.

When will the Festival be held?
Each year, the Essence Music Festival takes place on the first Friday, Saturday, or Sunday of July.

Where is this Festival?
New Orleans, Louisiana hosts the Essence Music Festival.

What is the Festival’s cost?
Cost to attend the Essence Music Festival depends on many factors, including how you travel and which hotel you choose to stay at. Also, what concert tickets you purchase. Most people prefer to fly to the festival, as it is located in the south. You will find the best Southwest Airlines deal if you live near one. However, it is a good idea to book in advance as seats are often limited and sell quickly. This weekend is usually expensive for hotels. If you are staying in the French Quarter, close to the Essence Music Festival events, expect to pay $200 per night. The cost of concert tickets varies each year. They typically range from $50-$200 per person depending on the place they are seated.

How can most people get to the Festival
To book a trip to the festival, most people will use a travel agent. Many travel agencies offer travel packages that include transport and hotel, as well as tickets to the festival. A travel agent can help you book your Essence Music Festival trip. Some agents also offer payment plans where you can pay a deposit and then make monthly payments.