John Joe’s love for the bodhrán inspires him to teach the beat to people
HE first started playing the bodhrán at the tender age of six and it’s brought him on a journey touring around the world and finally settling in Sligo, where he married Hawk’s Well Director, Marie O’Byrne.
Now Manchester’s John Joe Kelly is leading bodhrán workshops starting this week in the Hawk’s Well, which he describes as a crash course for people interested in playing the instrument.
Music has been such an integral part of his life and he said it was through his Irish parents that his love for music came from.
He told the Sligo Champion: “I was six years old when I first started playing the bodhrán, it was very young I suppose. I was making a lot of noise as a six year old!
“My parents came from Ireland, counties Meath and Tyrone and they really introduced me to music from an early age.”
It’s something he stuck with and began going to classes and he was only 16 when he turned professional.
“When I was 20 I joined the band Flook and it really took off from there, we’ve been touring in Europe, America, Asia, to name a few places.”
He’s played with many different musicians from Sharon Shannon, Michael McGoldrick and Tim O’Brien.
“I know many people associate the bodhrán with a trad setting but I also look outside that, how it can be fused with other types of music. “I suppose I sort of see the bodhrán as universal in a sense. Take for example my collaboration with Tim O’Brien, who plays bluegrass.
“That’s the thing, over the last 20 or so years I’ve been looking at different styles, adding a modern, funky twist.”
John Joe is still very much a part of Flook, who have been together over 20 years and he was on his way over to the UK to record a new album with the band, which he describes as his second family.
He explained that the bodhrán workshops came about after he was giving private lessons and people were asking him about learning the bodhrán.
“Adults especially were interested and I said I’d do six-week courses to see how they go.
“The reaction has been good and there are various times for adults and kids. There’s beginner classes for kids aged between 7 and 12, experienced classes for ages 13 and above and then adult classes for both beginners and experienced too.”
John Joe said that like learning any other instrument, it’s about putting the time into practising. “Like anything else, it can all depend on whether people put the practise in.
“If people want to go to the trad form of playing once they get the technique it’s fairly easy, the regular beat of trad.
“Then there’s more uptempo styles, like jazz and funky music, there are so many styles and a lot of choices.
“I’ve learned that bodhrán music had got a bit more sophisticated and these workshops are something that I’ve been planning to do for quite awhile.
“If people come along and take a shine to it then hopefully they might come back.
“It’s like a crash course for beginners and then there will be a few experienced players too,” John Joe added.
Aside from his workshops and recording the new album with Flook, John Joe has a very busy 2018 ahead.
“There’s a big festival, Celtic Connections, coming up in Glasgow on Thursday and I’m playing at that along with Michael McGoldrick and there’s plenty more stuff happening too so I’ ll be busy,” John Joe added.
His wife Marie is Director of the Hawk’s Well and she too shares his love of music. “We had a lovely wedding last September in Ennis.”
The bodhrán workshops are taking place in the Hawk’s Well starting this week and running until February 19 th.
They are taking place on Mondays and the schedule is as follows; adult workshops beginners, 6pm-7pm, €60; experienced, 7.30pm9pm, €85. Children’s workshops beginners, 7-12 years; 3.30pm-4pm €42; experienced, 13+ years; 4.30pm-5.15pm €50. See www. hawkswell.com for more.