In this interview, renowned Irish Fiddler Martin Hayes shares his deep understanding of musical expression, personal style, and creating a beautiful sound in this interview with author Judy Minot. Martin offers practical tips on practicing, playing with feeling, balancing tradition with innovation in Irish music and conquering stage fright.

Memorable Quotes:

"There's only one fundamental mistake really, in performance as far as I'm concerned, which is do I get into it or not?"

"It is all deep. There's no there's no other way around it."

"The only authority in the music, the real authority, is actually the melody. Respecting the melody is the key."

"It's actually when you have lost the pulse that the impulse to speed up comes."

Guest Martin Hayes is regarded as one of the most significant talents in the world of Irish traditional music. His unique sound, his mastery of the violin, his acknowledgement of the past and his shaping of the future of the music, combine to create a formidable artistic intelligence. He has drawn inspiration from many musical genres, but remains grounded in the music he grew up with in East County Clare. In addition to his solo playing, Martin is known for his longstanding creative partnership with guitarist Dennis Cahill, and as a member of the Irish "superband" The Gloaming. Martin has continued to push the boundaries of the "traditional" in Irish music with groups like the Common Ground Ensemble and the Martin Hayes Quartet.

Podcast host Judy Minot is a music educator and musician, and the author of the award-winning book Best Practice, Inspiration and Ideas for Traditional Musicians. Judy is an evangelist for the power of trad/folk/roots music to bring richness to our adult lives. Judy herself has never been a professional musician. She enjoyed a long and successful career in broadcast television and in digital marketing, picking up two platinum records and a platinum video, multiple awards. She holds a 4th degree black belt in the martial art of aikido, is a certified yoga teacher, a regular contributor to Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and has sung on the stage of Carnegie Hall. She teaches Best Practice concepts online and in person around the world.

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Resources

Martin Hayes Official Website - https://www.martinhayes.com/

The Gloaming - https://thegloaming.com/