We started off with whistle lessons with Mary Martin-Ingoldsby. She is the most adorable little Irish woman - she was so excited to see us and she was an amazing whistle player. We learned three tunes all by ear with her, which was quite a stretch for me as I've never learned any music by ear in my entire life. It would have been awesome if someone would have told me that whistle fingerings were the same as flute fingerings, but since I wasn't at the pre-trip sessions at ASU this past semester, I had to find that out on my own about 30 minutes in to our lesson. Let's just say Mary probably thought I had been touched by some divine musical power during the second half of the lesson because my playing improved so much and so quickly.
After whistle lessons, we got a tour of the facilities at the music building and stopped to use the computers in the computer lab. The lab was not at all what we were used to - it was 12 desktop PC's, circa early 2000's, and an old printer. I think we were all taken aback by it and we started to realize how lucky we are to have the kinds of resources that we do in the states. I mean, UGA has top-of-the-line, brand new Macs with the latest and most cutting edge software and I just get so used to seeing it all the time I guess I don't realize the amount of funding it takes to provide that kind of technology to students. We were all very humbled by what we saw at UCC.
We then had our first lecture, on Native Irish Singing, in a freezing cold room - we were more than happy to attempt to sing some version of the Irish language if it meant we could go somewhere warmer. The whole music building was actually pretty much freezing and we were all turning into little ice cubes. I know for a fact that my skin was blue. We had lunch provided in what looked like the teacher's lounge, and then we had our first lessons with our instrument teachers. Me and the three other flute players met with our teacher for one hour and struggled with the practice native flutes that we're using over here - there are no keys and the holes that we have to cover are so far apart I couldn't even find them half the time. We also had to learn by ear again, which was a struggle for most of us and we are all classically trained.
my huge practice flute and my little-bitty tin whistleAfter our lessons got out, we headed back to the hotel and prepared for our 6:30 pub session - the highlight of my... well, life.
We went to a little pub called Sin-é that was just down the street from our hotel. I think we were all a little shocked when we walked in to the place, but it quickly turned into excitement and awe. This place was absolutely covered with all kinds of posters, pictures, flyers, jerseys... probably one of everything in the whole world. All of the tables had empty liquor bottles on them that held really tall taper candles, and at the time we entered, the man who ran the place was lighting them. I can't even begin to describe this man. Literally, he defies all verbal definitions. It's my goal to get a picture with him before I leave, but suffice to say - he is a pirate. A real, live, modern day pirate walking among us. He had long, white and black striped hair pulled back in a pony tail, white eyelashes and facial hair, the most yellow teeth and nails I've ever seen on a person, and the most amazing copper colored eyes. I literally could not stop staring at him with total fascination. We sat down at the bar and I immediately noticed amazing music playing in this bar - I got to talking with the pirate man about music and he told me that Iron & Wine was his favorite band and they had played upstairs at this very bar. He also told me, in the most amazing Irish accent ever, that I had just walked into a pirate ship. No doubt.
After talking to him for a while, I ended up asking him to write down some good bands for me, stuff that I probably wouldn't hear in the states. I was expecting a piece of register tape with some names scribbled down, but I cannot even begin to express my total state of shock and amazement when he handed me this:
If you had any doubt that I was talking to a real pirate, I'm sure it's gone now. I will treasure that piece of paper for the rest of my life - that is EASILY the most flabbergasting thing any human being has ever placed in my hands.
We stayed at Sin-é for quite a while, talking with the other bartenders, who were all absolutely some of the most interesting people I have ever met in my life. By this time, the session playing had started too, and our amazing professor, Dr. Schneeloch-Bingham (Dr. S), was invited to sit and play with the other musicians. It was so cool to see how honored she was - it was clear that she was probably having one of the greatest moments of her life.
Dr. S is in the green pants
The flute player in the red t-shirt with his back to the camera is Liam - he insisted that I write his number down, so if anyone is looking to call an Irish flute player, I've got you all set up.We eventually left the bar at around 10:00, reluctant as I was. I'll be back at that place the second I get a chance - never in my life have I been so intrigued by anything. I'm sure I'll have all kinds of stories to tell about that place when I come home.
Today was very low key. We started with a little scavenger hunt in Cork... we all had to pair up and find different businesses in the city. My partner, Ashley, and I had to find Bresnan's Victuallers which turned out to be a butcher shop located in the Old English Market.
Dr. S and Dr. Meister travelled to West Cork with our whistle teacher and her husband for the rest of the day, and we were set loose to kind of do as we pleased. I stopped in a couple stores, but mostly I just took a nap and read my book... I wanted to take it easy while I had the chance because I'm still not over my cold and it's turning into a really nasty cough. We'll be super busy for the rest of our time here, so I figured it was a good idea to take advantage of some quiet alone time while most other people were out sightseeing.
Tomorrow we travel to a little village on the coast - I believe it's called Kinsale, but I'll confirm that when we get back tomorrow evening. Supposedly we're going to get to eat some really amazing seafood. Then it's a full week of lessons and then the trip is almost over. I can't believe it - time is flying and crawling at the same time. It's very surreal. I can't wait for Megan Robertson to get over here in a few days. Obviously, I'm taking her to Sin-é.
And if I don't come back to America, I probably got kidnapped by pirates, but don't worry - I'll be more than happy about it.
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