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Friday, 2021-02-13
Updates, Features, & Events
Hello AmeriCeltic Reader,
Features:
• Freight and Salvage's Sound Engineer, Brian Walker, offers a primer on Playing with Others Over The Internet and his assessment of JackTrip Studio and SonoBus. (See Below)
Online Events & Outdoor Events with Social Distancing:
• On Friday, February 12th, 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM PDT it's Accordion Fridays, with TOP NOTCH Celtic accordion masters streaming Online via Facebook Live. (See Below)
• On Friday, February 12th, at 1:00 PM, Sin Silver, will perform piano bar show with the theme 'Love Songs & Lonely Songs'. Stay safe at home, and stream it online from from 'Murray's Pub' (her recreation/piano room) in Concord, CA. (See Below)
• THIS WEEKEND, from Friday, February 12th, 5:00 PM - Sunday, February 14th, 5:00 PM brings the San Francisco Pipers Club San Francisco Tionól online via Zoom. (See Below)
• On Friday, February 12th, 7:00 PM, join Kathryn Rose entertains with Folktastic Fridays With Kathryn Rose, via Facebook LIVE from Portland, OR. (See Below)
• On Saturday, February 13th at 2:00 PM PST John Whelan conducts the 13th in his new series of Online Master Sessions, featuring The Conneely family (Bernadette, Kathleen, Michael and Pauline)! (See Below)
• On Saturday, February 13th, at 8:00 PM, The Black Donnellys, Dave Rooney and Dave Browne, will stream their high-energy show to you from the RiRa @ Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV as you stay safely sequestered in your homes. (See Below)
• On Sunday, February 14th, at 3:00 PM PST Tune Supply presents online, Valentine's Day from Far Away, featuring 60+ musicians, singers, and dancers from five countries. (See Below)
• On Monday, February 15th, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Michael Eskin offers a free, Irish Whistle Master Class Workshop live on Zoom! (See Below)
• On February 20th and Sunday, February 21st, Jim & Suzie Malcolm will conclude their Virtual Tour in PNW online via Zoom. (See Below)
• From Friday evening, April 9th through Sunday evening, April 11th, the Spring Harmony 2021 will happen online on Zoom, sponsored by the San Francisco Folk Music Club. (See Below)
Indoor Events:
NOTICE! Due to public health officials orders for social distancing to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections, all in person events and festivals, especially those involving singing, wind instruments, etc. have been postponed or cancelled, and many will continued to be cancelled at least through the Winter. If you have plans to attend ANY such event, large or small, we recommend that you call and confirm that they are NOT cancelled.
Please support our sustaining Sponsors with your Celtic business!
• Co-Founder Cecilia Fábos-Becker's e-book Ancestry & DNA: Beyond the basics, is available for download now! (See Below)
• The United Irish Cultural Center, hosts outdoor dining under their 1800 sq.ft. 'Big Top', and many Irish and other events in their large facility in San Francisco, CA. (See Below)
Cedar Dobson offers one-on-one whistle lessons live on Zoom! (See Below)
Michael Eskin offers one-on-one Irish whistle and flute, Uilleann pipes, and Anglo concertina lessons live on Zoom! (See Below)
• Sport your Celtic heritage! AmeriCeltic offers a colorful array of items, each emblazoned with the AmeriCeltic logo. (See Below)
The Celtic Tea Shoppe, in San Jose is your source for Celtic and Celtic inspired carry-out fresh baked foods, confections and rare teas! (See Below)
• While Lark In The Morning in Berkeley, CA and Exploring Music in the outer sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, CA are closed for walk-ins, both stores are open for online sales and lessons. (See Below)
• Publican Stan Gamble has just recently re-opened The Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant, offering outdoor service 7 days a week from 4pm to late. (See Below)
Sláinte Pub offers a full menu of great food and drink with outdoor dining service Wednesday through Sunday from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM at their location at Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. (See Below)
The Plough and Stars, a SF Legacy Business, and THE place for Live Traditional Music in the inner Richmond district of San Francisco. (See Below)
The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant, local Irish Pub bringing the culture of Ireland to downtown at 5th and Howard in San Francisco. (See Below)
• The Celtic Society of Monterey Bay, has a 32 year record of producing Celtic Concerts in various venues in and around Santa Cruz and Monterey, CA. (See Below)
Catherine Barry's Irish Culture Bay Area , offers a succinct listing of Irish events around Bay Area. (See Below)

Scan our feature articles below, or as always, you can click here to check the full listings on our website.

AmeriCeltic Mobile
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JackTrip & SonoBus
JackTrip & SonoBus

Playing with Others Over The Internet

JackTrip Studio & SonoBus

By Brian Walker

The technology for playing music with others over the internet has been around for many years, but only recently, during the pandemic, has there been widespread interest. The problem for musicians is that video platforms like zoom do not handle audio in a way that is conducive to playing music together with another person at the same time - it works fine if one person is muted and one not, but if two people try to play at the same time, there is a lag (called 'latency') that makes it very difficult to play together.

The main reason for this latency has to do with the way data (in this case, your sound) travels on the internet. All data that travels on the internet travels in 'packets'. When you click on a link to go to a web site, the data to load that page on your computer arrives in small packets, and then they are assembled by your modem and computer to display the web page. Sometimes those packets take different routes and arrive at different times, but it's generally not an issue for most of what we do on the internet (loading websites, reading emails, watching videos, etc) but for musicians to play together, we need to send audio in two directions as quickly as possible- we need to hear each other as we would if we were in the same room, not with a lag (A.K.A. 'Latency').

The speed of light dictates how quickly we can send data to other places so distance, (along with the speed of your internet connection, network traffic and your audio setup) are factors that contribute to the latency. Most people find that playing together with under 15 milliseconds of latency is workable, but depending on the type of music being played, a higher latency may be tolerable. Anything over 30 ms will make playing together much more difficult and latency over 75ms is impossible. For this reason, we make every effort to reduce latency for a better musical experience.

Here's an explanation of Latency from the SonoBus website: Even if all the Internet equipment your audio passes through were capable of operating with no processing time, the speed of light, (186,282 miles per second) means a sound played in San Diego, CA would travel to Sydney, Australia, a trip of 7500 miles, in 0.040 seconds (40 ms). For comparison, consider an in person session, where the same sound travels at 1100 feet per second (the speed of sound in air). That 40 ms delay would be the equivalent of playing with someone sitting 44 feet away.

Fortunately, there are ways to 'tune' your connection to your music partner to reduce (but not eliminate) the latency. The quality of the audio affects latency because higher quality audio requires more data to be sent which can increase latency, while lower quality audio requires less data and therefore can decrease latency, but at the cost of your audio quality.

When we make these adjustments, we can control is the size of the packets. The term for this is different in various programs; it can be called 'Frames per Packet' or 'Frames per Period' or 'Samples', 'Buffer' etc. The idea is that choosing a larger audio buffer size sends bigger 'chunks' of audio in each packet, which take longer to pass through the entire system, which creates a longer delay/latency, but provides higher quality audio. So, larger audio buffer size means more latency but higher audio quality and a smaller audio buffer size means less latency but lower audio quality.

There are some best practices (regardless of which method you use) that will reduce your latency and improve your experience:

  •  If at all possible use a direct, wired connection to your modem instead of WiFi -  WiFi connections are generally slower.
  • Wear headphones or earbuds when you're playing- this will eliminate echo problems and reduces latency due to the short distance between your ears and the speakers.
  •  Use a separate microphone - you will get a better sound on your voice or instrument and and it reduces latency due to the short distance between the sound source and the microphone.

Here are some applications for playing music over the internet (I will attempt to keep this page updated as my research continues)

JackTrip Studio:

(https://www.jacktrip.org/studio.html)
JackTrip Studio offers a 'plug-and-play' system for playing music with others. It was originally designed for non-technical people, so it makes the process much more simple than other methods. It consists of a proprietary raspberry-pi audio interface and all settings are on their audio servers (although they do provide the option for people to make their own audio servers).

JackTrip Pros:

  • Easy to use ('plug-and-play')
  • You don't need an audio interface
  • Allows control of Audio Quality (sample rate), Samples (A.K.A. 'frames-per-period'), Queue (size of jitter buffer)
  • Includes Reverb, Compression, Limiting & auto-pan features.

JackTrip Cons:

  • Requires purchase of proprietary hardware (~$150)
  • They charge for server time (but at $1 per hour for under 10 participants isn't bad)
  • Audio servers are sometimes buggy (but improving rapidly)

SonoBus:

(https://sonobus.net/)
SonoBus is a free application for streaming high-quality, low-latency peer-to-peer audio between devices over the internet. It is extremely configurable, but requires some skill to tune the settings successfully.

SonoBus Pros:

  • Software is free (no hardware to buy)
  • Allows control of Send Format & Quality & Size of Jitter buffer (for received audio)
  • Includes Recording, Reverb, Compression, Limiting & Gate features
  • Peer-to-peer (doesn't require an audio server)
SonoBus Cons:
  • A learning curve for people not familiar with the software or the underlying principles.
  • Works best if you have an audio interface and a microphone
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Salane
Shipcats

Accordion Fridays

Celtic Accordion World Masters in Concert

Online via Facebook Live!

Accordion Fridays is back with LOTS of fiery, gifted artists from the US, Canada and Europe doing free live video streams. Shipcats (Hamburg, Germany), Rowan Lipkovits (Vancouver, Canada), Calvaleigh Rasmussen (Berkeley, CA), and Salane's The Dark Family Hour. There will be a great mix of folk, jazz, soul, rock, and comedy so don't miss out!

Check out the box and click the links to see live online concerts and then look for the little red LIVE button.

More info about the artists:

Shipcats, (Vanessa Cetin and Renee de la Prade), are a duo of high-energy, multi-instrumentalist women with a maritime flair. They're based in Hamburg, Germany, and play a mix of sea music, surf-rock infused with roma rhythms, punk songs, carribean music and whatever else feels like it would make a good party! Accordion, baritone ukulele, saxophone, foot percussion, harmony vocals... fun times! https://www.facebook.com/Accordion-Babes-128066897203923

Rowan Lipkovits is well-known as a co-host of Vancouver, Canada's "Accordion Noir Radio Show". He's got a delightful, soulful take on everything from Cure songs to sea chanties, a smoky voice and a penchant for storytelling. Rowan also founded and toured with The Creaking Planks; a band lovingly described as the jug band of the damned. https://www.facebook.com/accordionnoir

Calvaleigh Rasmussen plays dance music from across the centuries, weaving medieval songs with strands of 20th century folk music into big cozy sound tapestries. You'll hear lots of European and American folk music, lots of great rhythm and a bit of singing, live from Berkeley, California. https://www.facebook.com/calvaleigh.rasmussen

Salane's 'The Dark Family Hour': dark mysterious music, polkas and waltzes, psychedelia, comedy and Tom Waits covers. Salane is an unforgettable performer who brings us to other worlds. Oakland, CA USA https://www.facebook.com/The-Dark-Family-Hour-105784227882339

All shows are LIVE, FREE, and HAVE ACCORDIONS. You know you want - some bellows-shaking cheer!

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Sin Silver

Sin Silver

Friday, February 12th, 1:00 - 2:00 PM PDT

Online via Facebook LIVE, from Concord, CA

Sin Silver is an Irish singer songwriter based in the Bay Area in California. To watch the show, go to Sin Silver's Facebook Profile, and then look for the little red LIVE button.

Sin live-streams from 'Murray's Pub' (her recreation/piano room) every week and this week's theme is 'Love Songs & Lonely Songs'. Find Sin's Live Performance by checking Sin's Facebook Profile, or go to www.livestream.com/watch and search for Sin Silver.

During the live stream, just drop your requests in the comments.

Virtual Tip Jar:
PayPal https://www.paypal.me/sinsilversin
Venmo @Sin-Silver

With a unique style, her 'Irish piano' and angelic voice are delighting audiences. A featured artist at Northern California's Graton Casino Resort, she brings a unique flavor to her craft. Whether she is playing her expertly crafted originals, covers with her own twist or celtic music, Sin Silver is someone that deserves to be heard live.

Check out her website here:  www.sinsilverandtheavenue.com or email her at sinsilverandtheavenue@gmail.com.

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San Francisco Pipers Tionól
Schedule
Friday (2/12)
5 PM - Welcome party/open hangout until whenever
Saturday (2/13)
10 AM - 12 PM - Master Class with Máire Ní Ghráda
1 PM - 3 PM - Master Class with Debbie Quigley
3 PM - 5 PM/? - Open hangout until whenever
Sunday (2/14)
10 AM - 12 PM - Master Class with Tommy Martin
1 PM - 3 PM - Making Wooden Reeds with Michael Hubbert
3 PM - 5 PM - Piper's Chair featuring both prerecorded as
well as live performances.
5 PM - ? - Open hangout until whenever Zoom shuts us down
for having too much fun

San Francisco Pipers Club West Coast Tionól

Friday, February 12th, 5:00 PM - Sunday, February 14th, 5:00 PM

Online via Zoom Join the Zoom Event

Please join this weekend for the 2021 West Coast Tionol, for the best in Uilleann Piping. Zoom link above. Send your registration fee of $50 (or $20 per class) via PayPal 'Send Money' to piperssfuilleann@gmail.com.

Zoom Link for the Weekend
Below is the zoom meeting link that will cover the entire weekend's events. Just find it anytime over the weekend and join in as you please. However, while classes are underway please be considerate of our instructors and other attendees and mute your mic when not speaking.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81659131096
Meeting ID: 816 5913 1096

San Francisco Pipers Club Website
San Francisco Pipers Club Facebook Page
San Francisco Pipers Club Facebook Event

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Kathryn Rose
Kathryn Rose

Folktastic Fridays with Kathryn Rose

Friday, February 12th 7:00 PM

Online via Facebook Live

Join Kathryn for Folktastic Fridays! Click Here to go to her Facebook Profile, and then look for the little red LIVE button.

Kathryn Rose is a folk singer and recording artist from Oregon. She has been singing since she could talk and grew up listening to Irish and Scottish folk music.

Kathryn says:
Join Me For My FRIDAY Evening Live-Stream Show!! Message Me With Any Requests. Your tips mean more than you could ever know!
paypal.me/kathrynrosefolk or Venmo -- @kathrynrosefolk
I Am Official Now!! Listen - Buy The New CD Here!! https://kathrynrose.hearnow.com/

Kathryn began seriously collecting songs after her grandmother passed away and she discovered a treasure trove of handwritten Irish folk songs tucked inside the piano bench. After that discovery, Kathryn transitioned from a classical singing background into the folk world. Her favorite musical style is Sean-nós, and she is working on her Gaeilge to perform more of these songs in the future. She performs folk music from both sides of the pond, with an emphasis on Ireland and even a dash of Gaeilge here and there.

Kathryn accompanies herself on the tenor guitar, but at various times in her life has had encounters with the piano, violin, lap harp, ukulele, and tin whistle. Her influences include Susan McKeown, Christy Moore, the Clancy Brothers, Seamus Begley, Sarah Ghriallais, Moya Brennan, and more. With her melodic voice, her love of world cultures and her attention to detail, she continues the tradition of Celtic folk music as an artist, a performer and an inspiration for peace and harmony in a complicated world. Kathryn and her husband live in somewhat peaceful harmony with their brood of hooligan cats.

More on Kathryn Rose Facebook Profile: https://facebook.com/kathrynrosefolk or check the Facebook Event.

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John Whelan
John Whelan

John Whelan Master Sessions #14

The Conneely family (Bernadette, Kathleen, Michael and Pauline)
Saturday, February 13th, 2:00 PM

Online via Zoom

Seven-time All-Ireland Button Accordion Champion John Whelan is one of the world's best living Irish button accordion players. John was raised in the vibrant London Irish music scene of the 1970s, and learned his craft from such legends as Lucy Farr, Roger Sherlock, Paddy Taylor, Mick O Connor and his teacher Brendan Mulkaire. Along with his All-Ireland Championships, he was twice awarded musician of the year from the Irish Music Association. He has over 15 CDs and has performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. John's music has been featured on such TV shows as 'Sex in the City,' 'History's Mysteries' and 'History Detective.' John performs with the John Whelan Band and has also teamed up with his old pal Brian Conway forming the group Gailfean, which also features Máirtin De Cógáin and Don Penzien have released their first new CD. For over a decade, John has performed 'Monday's with John' every Monday evening on his Facebook Profile.

Since last March, John has stepped up his online activities, and his latest project is Master Sessions with John Whelan.

John says:
My next Whelan Master Session is happening next Saturday, February 13th, 2:00 PM, with my friends The Conneely family (Bernadette, Kathleen, Michael and Pauline).

The Conneely family are Bernadette, Kathleen, Michael and Pauline. We grew up in Bedford, England; our parents, Michael and Lizzie, were from counties Galway and Longford. We have great memories of being at home listening and dancing to recordings of Paddy Killoran, James Morrison, Mairtín Byrnes, Joe Burke, Andy McGann, Matt Molloy, Kathleen Collins and Liz Carroll… to name a few.

Dad played the fiddle, whistle and accordion, and he’s still playing today at 81. Mum’s family were also musical; she came from a long line of champion step dancers and her brother played the accordion. In our early-mid teens we had the pleasure and privilege of attending music classes with Brendan Mulkere, may he rest in peace.

Our mother Lizzie was the life and soul of our home and we are so grateful that Mum and Dad’s passion and love for the music was handed down to us. It was a great house to grow up in, full of music, dance, love and laughter!

The Saturday master session is open to players and listeners of all levels, from anywhere in the world. It'll start at 2pm Pacific time, 5pm Eastern time, 10pm GMT, and run for two hours. The master sessions do have a requested $20 donation for attending and we need at least 30 attendees to ensure the musicians are adequately compensated, so please share this with anyone you know who might be interested. Just email John at whelanbx1@me.com for more details.

All attendees need to do is make their donation via paypal.me/buttonboxman or by Venmo to John-Whelan-37, and make sure to note that it is for Whelan Master Session #9. We'll send out the Zoom link and tune list for the master session on Friday, and any last-minute sign-ups will get the link and tune list about an hour before the session starts on Saturday.

Easily sharable information on all John's master sessions lives here.

P.S. John's Wednesday 'Taking Time' slow session is still continuing as well - Check it out here: http://johnwhelanmusic.com/slow-session. It remains free and open to all, and we'll send out a tune list and Zoom link for tomorrow's 'Taking Time' Wednesday sessions. Email John at whelanbx1@me.com to get on the list or for more details.

Get more details on Johns website: http://johnwhelanmusic.com

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Black Donnellys
The Black Donnellys

The Black Donnellys LIVE

Dave Rooney and Dave Browne
Saturday, January 23nd, 8:00 PM

Facebook LIVE, from the RiRa @ Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV

Each Saturday, The Black Donnellys, (Dave Rooney and Dave Browne), stream their high-energy show to you from Las Vegas, NV as you stay safe at home.

Watch the Black Donnellys streaming show via Facebook LIVE by pointing your browser to the Black Donnellys Facebook Page, where you will find the little red LIVE button.

The Daves say:
Tune into our Residency Gig at Rira at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay!! Join us and our audience for a live performance and a few Requests!!

Last year, the two Daves from Dublin had the crazy idea to attempt a new World Record: 60 shows. 50 states. 40 days. What could go wrong? Find out what happened along the road as their beloved Irish band, The Black Donnellys set out to break this ambitious world record when Vision Films and Frequency Pictures present An Irish Story: This Is My Home.

The film was released, on March 17th, Saint Patrick's Day, 2020 and is available on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Vimeo. Here is a link to the WATCH IT NOW!

For more, check Dave Browne's Facebook Profile.

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John Redmond

Tune Supply Presents:
Valentine's Day from Far Away

Sunday February 14th, 3:00 PM PST

Online via YouTube Live Event, or Facebook Live, or Instagram Live

Concert Lineup
Adryon de León, Aidan Connolly, Alan Murray, Alasdair White, Alex LoRe, Andie Tanning, Andrew Finn Magill, Anna Colliton, Annamaria Mottola, Ashley Davis, Brenda Castles, Caitlin Warbelow, Carolyn Kendrick, Cesar Pastor, Chloe Feoranzo, Chris Ranney, Colin Farrell, Dan Walsh, Danielle Enblom, Dave Barckow, David Munnelly, Dennis Lichtman, Donie Carroll, Doug Carter, Dwight Kilian, Dylan Meek, Eileen Gannon, Eimear Arkins, Ethan Setiawan, Frances Cunningham, Gabriel Donohue, Gerry O'Beirne, Greg Anderson, Haley Richardson, Hannah Read, James Yoshizawa, Jason Sypher, Jefferson Hamer, John Redmond, Katie Linnane, Katie McNally, Laura Metcalf, Louise Barry, Louise Bichan, Máirtín de Cógáin, Manus McGuire, Mari Black, Maria Schafer, Marta Cook, Matt Mancuso, Matt McClintock, Matt Stapleton, Mick Moloney, Natalie Haas, Neil Pearlman, Niall O'Leary, Nic Zuppardi, Nicolas Sokolic, Rebecca Strange, Robert Ryan, Rupert Boyd, Santiago Molina, Sara Milonovich, Sean Emch, Sergio Ribnikov Gunnarsson, Shannon Heaton, Tara O'Grady, The Overlook, Tim Britton, and Tony DePaolo.

Tune Supply continues to bring tunes from our homes to yours with our next epic concert on Valentine's Day, featuring Valentine's Day from Far Away with 60+ musicians, singers, and dancers from five countries in an epic concert celebrating love and friendship in difficult times.

Watch LIVE on :
YouTube Live
Facebook Live
Instagram Live

The performances are all free and open to the public...however, we are of course paying the artists for their time and work, since that's what Tune Supply is about! If you'd like to chip in, you can do so at the Tune Supply Fund, with our sincere thanks for helping us help musicians, while providing a bit of extra joyful tuneage for the community. https://donorbox.org/ts-artist-fund.

More in the Facebook Event
Check the Tune Supply Website

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Michael Eskin
Michael Eskin

Irish Whistle Master Class with Michael Eskin

Monday, February 15th, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM PST

Live via Zoom

Free workshop best suited for intermediate level tin whistle players with some experience on the instrument.

This week we'll be back to the theme format, and we will be covering how to play 'Slow Airs'.

It would be ideal if you already can play some tunes on the instrument and have at least some basic understanding of ornamentation on the whistle. This is not a new beginner's class, but certainly newer players may benefit from the workshop.

Here’s the Zoom meeting link:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6193681854?pwd=eXd3L2ZEeWNnMDBZYVI0RkJ2c3Vudz09
or if you prefer:
Meeting ID: 6193681854
Password: session

Bookmark my Website here: http://michaeleskin.com/whistle

Check the Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/216422536688999

This workshop is free, but if you find the event useful, I would very much appreciate it if you would consider donating a few dollars to my PayPal tip jar:
https://paypal.me/MichaelEskin
Venmo: @MichaelEskin

Michael Eskin
http://michaeleskin.com
Michael's Facebook Profile

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Jim Malcolm
Jim Malcolm

Jim and Susie Malcolm
Virtual Tour of NM, CA, OR, WA

Friday, February 20th and Sunday February 21st, 2020

Online via Zoom

Concert Schedule
Email susie@jimmalcolm.com for reservations
• Friday, January 29th, 7:00 PM (MST), Las Cruces, NM
• Saturday, January 30th, 3:00 PM, Santa Monica, CA
• Sunday, January 31st 3:00 PM, Tehachapi, CA
• Tuesday, February 2nd 7:30 PM, Soquel, CA
• Thursday, February 4th 7:30 PM, Berkeley & San Francisco, CA
• Friday, February 5th 7:30 PM, Lakeport, CA
• Sunday, February 7th 3:00 PM, Auburn, CA
• Monday, February 8th 7:00 PM, Mendocino, CA
• Saturday February 20th 7:00 PM, Salem, OR
• Sunday, February 21st 2:00 PM, Bellingham, WA

Jim Malcolm's family roots are in Perthshire and Strathclyde, and he is a graduate of Edinburgh University. Like many folk musicians, he began his career by singing in pubs, clubs and hotels in his native country. Solo tours to England, Ireland, Denmark and Germany followed, and then further adventures to such far-off places as Uganda in Africa. Joining the already established and popular Celtic folk/rock band Old Blind Dogs brought him fame in the acoustic music festival scene across Europe and North America.

Video - Jim Malcolm: Flowers of Edinburgh

Malcolm is considered one of the finest voices and interpreters of Robert Burns songs in Scottish traditional music today. He was the lead singer for the world-renowned band Old Blind Dogs for eight years before returning to his solo career as a singer-songwriter.

A Jim Malcolm concert is always an entertaining mix of his own and traditional songs, including those of Burns, peppered with funny stories and observations in the tradition of Scottish bards through the ages. An accomplished guitarist, he plays mostly in the Celtic tuning dadgad. He is also considered to be one of the top simultaneous guitar and harmonica players in the world.

For this tour Jim will be joined by his wife Susie Malcolm, herself a prizewinning traditional singer. Susie has a special interest in the bothy ballad tradition and loves the old ballads, though she is in her element adding harmony to Jim’s performances.

Malcolm has recorded ten solo CDs, and has performed his songs with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In 2004, he was voted songwriter of the year at the annual Scots Traditional Music Awards. Along with his own songs, he enjoys reworking old songs that form the kernel of Scotland's great folk tradition.

Website: https://www.jimmalcolm.com
Donations: PayPal.me/TheMalkies or to PayPal account jim@jimmalcolm.com.

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dulcimers
Important! Watch this video first!
To be able to find the events, you will need to use the latest version of Zoom and know how to move from the 'lobby' to a 'breakout' room to and back. Bruce Reid has prepared this training video to show you how:

How to attend Camp Harmony on Zoom and navigate Breakout Rooms.

Spring Harmony 2021

Friday evening, April 9th through Sunday evening, April 11th
Pacific Daylight Time

Online via Zoom
Sponsored by the San Francisco Folk Music Club

Join with friends new and old to celebrate our global music community with participatory workshops, concerts, and open sessions for singing, playing, and dancing to traditional music. Spring Harmony 2021 is a benefit in support of Camp Harmony, our annual New Year's gathering, and other San Francisco Folk Music Club programs.

Spring Harmony 2021 is open to musical friends everywhere. Donation $0 - $100 or more! (suggested donation $10 per day) No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

  • You must register to gain entry to the event.
  • Registration will open on March 1st and close on April 1st.
  • Workshop proposals will be accepted through March 15th. (See registration form for details.)

Register at: sffmc.org

If you would like to volunteer for this event, prior or during, in any capacity, please contact us at:onlinecampharmony@gmail.com

Please share this with folks near and far who may not yet be members of the SFFMC, as attendance will be open to all.

As with in-person camp and our online New Year's Camp, there will be Workshops, Jam Spaces, Dances, Games, Jokes, Stories, Friends, late-night singing

Leading workshops and other events is reserved for Folk Club members so be sure to confirm that you are a paid member and invite friends who would enjoy going to this online event, maybe to become members and lead something! Please visit the main website www.sffmc.org to become a member through the 'join us' tab.

And if you'd like to lead a workshop, dance, other activity, or perform in a concert this year, let us know within the registration form questions at the end of the form. Likewise, are you a wiz at Zoom? Let us know and help us fill a chore slot!

Check www.sffmc.org regularly for updates on zoom tutorials, what to plan for, and on workshop session spaces as they fill up early. For Questions, you can contact the registrars at onlinecampharmony@gmail.com.

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Book GIF
Break Through your Ancestry Brick Walls!
A printable e-book
by Cecilia Fábos-Becker
Ancestry & DNA
Family History Research: Beyond the Basics

There are many good basic manuals, both in print and online, that can help you get started researching your ancestors and finding lost cousins, but in over fifty years of research into our own Scots-Irish, Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry, I've learned what works well and what doesn't, as well as many useful sources and links.

Now, I have written a book, Ancestry & DNA - Beyond the Basics , to help you, and all Americans find their origins. My book will be especially useful to especially Celtic Americans doing family history research, and it is available for immediate download!

Celia 2016
Author Celia Fábos-Becker
My Book includes:
• Introduction to Family History Documents
• What are REAL Primary Sources?
• America's Dark Age (1783 to 1850)
• Finding Family Records with online services
• Introduction to Family History DNA
• Using DNA Tests to help Find Family History
• How autosomal, MtDNA, or Y-DNA tests can help
• DNA Testing Company Reviews
• Loads of Examples
Download Ancestry & DNA - Beyond the Basics here:
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UICC

United Irish Cultural Center

Wawona Gates Outdoor Dining

2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco, CA

Dining Dates
• Saturday, February 13th, 1 - 7 PM Outdoor Dining Under the Big Top
• Saturday, February 20th, 1 - 7 PM Outdoor Dining Under the Big Top
• Saturday, February 27th, 1 - 7 PM Outdoor Dining Under the Big Top
• Sunday, February 28th, 10 - 12:30 PM Outdoor Pancake Breakfast

Food Menu options:
1. Grilled Hamburger
2. Grilled Cheeseburger
3. Herb's Meatball Sandwich
4. Grilled Hot Dog on Bun
5. Ron's Grilled Cheese
6. Irish Sausage on Roll with Grilled Onions
7. Chicken Wings with choice of sauce
Full Bar:
Draft Guinness and 805
Bud and Bud Light
Coors and Coors Light
Sierra Nevada Hazy IPA
Lagunitas IPA
Corona and Modelo
Heineken
Magner's Cider
White Claw
Hess Wine
Prosecco

Wawona Gates Outdoor Dining with Full Bar returns on Saturday, February 13th from 1:00 - 6:00 PM.

The United Irish Cultural Center operates a large event facility near the Zoo in San Francisco, serving the Irish and other Cultural communities, at 2700 45th Ave in the Sunset District of San Francisco near the Zoo.

Since January 2021, we have a 1,800 square foot open-sided canopy to cover the outdoor dining space.
'Outdoor Dining Under the Big Top' Facebook Event
Pancakes Sunday Facebook Event

UICC website
UICC Facebook Page

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Michael Eskin
Michael Eskin

Tin Whistle, Irish Flute, Uilleann Pipes
and Anglo Concertina Lessons with Michael Eskin

Live via Zoom

I am now offering beginner and intermediate level on-line lessons using Zoom for Tin Whistle, Irish Flute, Uilleann pipes, and Anglo Concertina.

I don't have a fixed teaching curriculum. My focus is entirely on learning your goals, understanding your challenges, identifying areas to work on, and then giving you the feedback and specific tools you can use to take your playing to the next level.

I started out playing classical flute when I was 6 years old. I've now been playing Uilleann pipes, flute, and whistle in sessions for over 20 years and Anglo Concertina for 15 years. My concertina playing is based on the style and technique I learned from Noel Hill at his workshops.

Before COVID-19, I was the co-host of the weekly session for over 20 years at The Ould Sod Pub in San Diego, CA as well in the paid hosting rotation for the session at The Auld Dubliner in Long Beach, CA. Since COVID-19 restrictions went into place, I've been hosting a weekly session on Tuesday nights on Zoom that has turned into a lovely and consistently popular event.

My rate is $45.00 for a 45-minute lesson.

If you have any questions, please email me at: seisiuneer@gmail.com or call me at 619-368-1854.

Cheers and thanks,
Michael Eskin
http://tradlessons.com Michael on Facebook.

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AmeriCeltic Products
AmeriCeltic Logo Items

→ AmeriCeltic Logo Gifts! ←

Shirt, Hat, Mug, Apron or Patch

5 FULLY EMBROIDERED - MADE IN USA

Celebrate your rich AmeriCeltic history and heritage in style and class and support AmeriCeltic by sporting a shirt, hat, mug, apron or patch, all except the mug, embroidered in full color with the AmeriCeltic logo! And don't forget to give one to yourself!

Click Here for the full line-up of AmeriCeltic Logo items.

The AmeriCeltic logo, styled like a coat of arms, commemorates your MIXED, Scots, Irish, Welsh Celtic American heritage! Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the thirteen colonies of mostly Scots, Scots-Irish, Irish and Welsh who joined with many others from many other countries, and together fought tyranny to assert our Independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Click for more information about the AmeriCeltic Logo design

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AC logo 2017

The Celtic Tea Shoppe

Home of Artisan Candies

4432 Pearl Avenue, San Jose CA | 408-267-7090

The Celtic Tea Shoppe offers a great selection of Celtic and Celtic inspired foods, including:
• Meat Pies
• Sausage Rolls
• Liquor Cakes
• Irish Soda Bread
• Salted Caramels
• Gift Boxes
• Premium Loose-leaf Teas

Everything is handmade at our shoppe in San José, CA and curbside pickup service and shipping are available.

To check The Celtic Tea Shoppe Facebook Page, Click Here!

Call us directly at 408-267-7090 or check our website www.celticteashoppe.com for all our other baked goods and confections. To order, contact Kristen Scott with a call to 408-267-7090, or an email to sales@artisancandies

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Lark In The Morning SF Store
New Store in San Francisco

Lark In The Morning Stores in Berkeley and San Francisco

Tuesday - Saturday, noon - 6 PM
Sundays, noon - 5:00 PM

Lark In The Morning, 830 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA
and Exploring Music, 814 Clement Street, Inner Richmond of San Francisco

OPEN for your ONLINE BUSINESS!
Eric says:
"Our Berkeley location, 830 Gilman St, Berkeley, CA, is open for online lessons and instrument sales and Exploring Music, 814 Clement Street in San Francisco, CA, is open and actively seeking new online students. Lark Berkeley is offering free lessons with the purchase of a ukulele or guitar!"

Thorn Land and Eric Azumi

Lark in the Morning has been a folk musician's favorite since 1974 and has musical instruments and instructional material from all over the world.

Shop online at https://larkinthemorning.com, call us at 707-964-5569, or check out our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/LarkInAM.

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DukeofEdinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant
Across from Apple Park

Breaking News at The Duke

The Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant

10801 N. Wolfe Road, Cupertino, CA, 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM every day of the year

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Publican Stan Gamble and his partners have an update! Many of you have heard the rumors about the The Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant.

When this pandemic is over, 'The Duke'! will be moving to new quarters just across the parking lot from our current location!
For details, Watch the official Video!

The Duke is, and will remain, THE only Authentic, (and we do mean AUTHENTIC!), British Pub in the Bay Area, located across the street from Apple Headquarters on Wolfe Road in Cupertino.

The atmosphere at the 'The Duke', is the same as you would find in any pub in the British Isles, full of friendly patrons who come in to socialize, play darts, have a pint or two, and eat a meal. If you are looking for a comfortable elegance, pints of beer and authentic food, in an authentic English Pub, there is no a better choice in the Bay Area. The Duke offers a large number of beers on draft and by the bottle. Almost anything English, Scottish or Irish is available. Murphy's Irish Stout brewed in Cork, Ireland and Scotch Eggs is always a good choice.

The servers are excellent and very knowledgeable about the beer and food menu. The menu is expansive and worth exploring. The dark pubsy feel with old regulars in their respective, but not crowded corners around lunch hour in Cupertino, is a great boon.

You can't find more 'authentic' atmosphere, because the entire building was built in jolly old England, then disassembled, shipped and reassembled on site in Cupertino. With the red velvet seating and wall paper and ornate, dim lighting, you are transported to London as soon as you enter the etched glass door.

More info. on The Duke Facebook Page, website www.theduke.com or call 408-446-3853.

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Slainte2018

Sláinte Pub, Oakland

Please DONATE!

Sláinte Pub, 131 Broadway, Oakland, CA

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE but ACCEPTING DONATIONS

Since opening in April 2017, Sláinte has also featured some of the finest local and regional singers and musicians, in live, acoustic performance and quickly become the hot new place for Irish music in the East Bay.

Host Jackie says:
Well folks, Sláinte has joined the rest of the Bay Area bars, pubs, and restaurants that are "hibernating" for the winter. We've held on trying everything we could think of but we've exhausted our reserves, are low on supplies, and after meeting with some trusted advisors, we've decided to temporarily close our doors.

Rest assured, we will do everything we can to reopen as soon as we safely can but we can't keep asking our volunteers to risk themselves with our recent numbers. With the weather changing and the drastic drop in hours and numbers we feel that this is the best and only option for us right now. Please keep the craic alive and our fundraiser in mind while we take this time to figure out our next steps. We love you all so very much xxx.

The menu at Sláinte features Irish cuisine from Irish-born Executive Chef, Jackie Gallanagh, with dishes that include both imported & local ingredients and a bar menu of classic cocktails, a well-stocked selection of whisky, premium spirits, and local & imported beers.

More Details on the Sláinte Facebook Page.

Contact them at (510) 823-2644 @slainteoakland or check the website https://slainteoakland.com.

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Plough

Plough and Stars Fundraiser

Please DONATE!

The Plough and Stars Irish Pub, 116 Clement Street at 2nd Avenue, San Francisco

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE but ACCEPTING DONATIONS
The Plough, like many bars and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, is struggling to survive. It is extremely difficult to support our family and employees with no ability to earn an income.

We have long prided ourselves on being ago to place for Irish traditional experiences. Over the years we have been privileged to host many well-known musicians from Ireland and around the globe. The Plough hosts weekly traditional Irish seisuns and dance. At our Irish Seisuns customers listen as musicians share tunes or even learn to play themselves. The Plough is also a vital venue for bluegrass jams and gigs, as well as a place where local musicians can be heard. We want to make sure that the Plough can continue in those efforts. We have been so touched by the support of friends, musicians, dancers, and patrons. They are what make the Plough the institution that it is and we can't thank them enough for their support at this difficult time. Please consider a donation to help us continue at https://www.gofundme.com/f/sfplough. Thank You!
- Sean Heaney

The Plough and Stars Irish Pub, is known around the world for hosting incredible Irish music and pulling beautiful pints of Guinness since 1975. Since then, it has evolved to host live music every night of the week, except Monday, including all genres of music; Bluegrass, Country, Rock, Zydeco, acoustic Americana, and of course, Irish Traditional.

The first Saturday is always Americana Jukebox and every third Friday is Bluegrass Bonanza! We welcome you to stop in for a drink and try our famous, award winning pints of Guinness, or indulge in any of our other specials. We host Happy Hour all day every Monday with free pool, and the first Monday of the month has a Pub Quiz at 8:30 PM. Check out our website for a full calendar of events!

For a video of a Plough session from 2014, Click Here.

For more about the Plough, check www.theploughandstars.com, call 415-751-1122, or email Sean Heaney at sfplough@aol.com.

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Chieftain

The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant

198 5th St, San Francisco

CLOSED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant, is a bustling SoMa spot with Irish pub grub & beers on tap plus sports on the satellite TV.

This local Irish Pub brings the culture of Ireland to San Francisco, offering a full bar, Happy Hour specials, and a full Irish restaurant menu, including favorites like fish and chips which goes with any style of sport, music or fun.

'I am in the city every 2-3 months and The Chieftain is an absolutely integral part of every trip. Mark runs an amazing, authentic Irish pub. Major plus, the only place I know of in northern California to get Kilkenny!!'

'Walked in, Saturday night about 7pm and there was a table right inside the door. We had a shepherds pie and an Irish stew. The shepherds pie was actually made with lamb! The live music was great entertainment too!'

For a video of some the Chieftain's food menu, Click Here.

The Chieftain hosts live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Click Here for the current schedule! The live Irish traditional music and song session every Sunday evening is always great Craic! Here is a sample Irish Session from 2009: Live Irish Session at the Chieftain.

For the latest happenings, check the Chieftain facebook Page, or call 415-625-0436, or email Mark Nagle at mark@thechieftain.com or check www.thechieftain.com.

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csomb

Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay

The venerable Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay has a 32 year record of bringing world class Celtic musicians to the Monterey Bay Area and is a key sponsor of AmeriCeltic.

ALL EVENTS CANCELLED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Click here for full details of All Celtic Society of Monterey Bay Concerts on the CSoMB website! (Click on 'Video' button for videos.)

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ICBA

Irish Culture Bay Area

Catherine Barry maintains a separate Irish Culture Bay Area website, with a calendar focused on Bay Area Irish events, supported by the Consulate of Ireland in San Francisco.

ALL EVENTS CANCELLED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Click here for details of these events and more on the Irish Culture Bay Area website!

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Wanna help, comment or get published?

We publish articles or comments that relate to our Mission (see below), to our thousands of Celtic concordant readers. If you have one, email us: Tony and Celia Becker, americeltic@gmail.com

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Calendar
Click to display the combined AmeriCeltic Calendar, covering the Northern California Coast and Bay Area, and the Celtic Events Calendar, from Chuck Jamison, covering the Central Valley.
To submit an event for listing in our Calendars, email your Celtic event info., including Who, What, Where, Why & Description to us.
Coastal Celtic events - Email AmeriCeltic. Central Valley events - Email Chuck Jamison.
Click Here to use the online form.
We love videos! Include a link to an online video, and you will likely get featured in this weekly newsletter!
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AmeriCeltic Mission

AmeriCeltic is a user supported, non-profit service organization. Our Mission is to restore awareness, celebrate and preserve the culture and history of Celtic Americans by promoting live Celtic music, festivals, history & ancestry as well as report and comment on related current events. To help fund our efforts, click here or click on the Donate Button on our AmeriCeltic Website www.americeltic.net.

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AmeriCeltic · 3273 B Rocky Water Lane · San Jose, Ca 95148 · USA