I had an interesting day today! I drove down to CSU-Monterey Bay in Seaside (about 40 miles from Santa Cruz) and sang "An Mhaighdean Mhara" on tape for an NPR (National Public Radio) presenter (KAZU) who's doing a story on the Irish language! He became interested in the language when he heard about the "tongue study" that's happening at UCSC and, after speaking with the researchers, he wanted to know more about the use of the language in the arts, and "why the language should be preserved." I gave him a bit of an interview on tape as well...don't know how much of it he'll use, if any.

I had actually brought CDs of several wonderful Irish sean nós singers with me, but the fellow who had been going to help with the CDs was ill today, so we were left with just me to provide an example. I did tell him that a) I'm not Irish (that really should be obvious from my accent, but hey...) and b) I'm hardly an expert on sean nós singing, having only been doing it for about eight years, but I guess it was any port in a storm! And hopefully it will give a positive spin on the language, as, after speaking with the researchers, he really thought that it was pretty much dead.

He'll let me know when the show is to be broadcasted. I don't know how many other people he's interviewing for this, so I may end up on whatever radio's version of the cutting room floor is, but we'll see! An Ghaeilge abú

What were the CDs of sean nós that you had to show them?

Can't remember most of the CD names (they're in the car), but I had stuff by Nan Tom Teaimín, Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin (An Dara Craiceann), and Conal Ó Gallchobhair, as well as a couple of compilation CDs. I'd hoped to play Pádraigín singing "An Bhean Chaointe" at the very least, as she does it so very beautifully. but they were stuck with me an An Mhaighdean Mhara when the CD guy got sick.

I'm sure you did a great job.
Let us know if there is an internet link that we can tune into.

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