Straight outta Ireland

Audrey M. Marks
Stillwater NewsPress

August 12, 2006 10:38 am

— The atrium of Stillwater’s Best Western on Friday could easily have been the Celtic islands as children pranced barefoot in the plush green carpet and musicians held their monthly Irish and Scottish jam session.
The musical assembly began meeting on the second Friday of every month on St. Patrick’s Day this year so musicians could share their passion for Celtic music and culture.
Roger and Carol Graham, Scottish enthusiasts from Perkins, said the sessions began after several musicians from around the state began thinking of ways to play together and bring their heritage and culture to the community.
“Stillwater was ideal,” said Carol, noting the central location between Oklahoma City and Tulsa where many musicians and enthusiasts like herself reside. She said through the Stillwater Convention and Visitors Bureau and the help of Cristy Morrison, the sessions were made a reality.
The first site they scouted was the Best Western, and Carol said they couldn’t ask for a better place.
“The acoustics are great,” said Carol, adding the group “found ourselves at home amongst the (motel’s) managers with Irish heritage.”
Traveling from Tulsa, Steve Mayfield said Irish and Scottish music and culture has surpassed being a hobby and become a lifestyle.
His musical career began at 11 years old when he picked up a guitar and started playing rock and roll. He said he was lured by the siren song of traditional Irish and Scottish music.
Mayfield plays the bouzouki, a long-necked stringed instrument similar to a mandolin. He said the bouzouki was originally a Greek stringed lyre, but became associated with Irish music in the late 1960s.
“To learn (to play the bouzouki) you have to flush everything you think about country-western music,” said Mayfield.
Mayfield said the instrument isn’t the only difference, as Irish and Scottish music differs than most popular genres.
“The music is so radically different; the melody stands alone,” said Mayfield. He noted Celtic music is not structured and has a primal and ancient sound that “strikes that chord not often struck.”
Roger agreed with Mayfield, adding since there is no sheet music to read, it is played through “feeling” the music.
Mayfield said the traditional Irish dance music is not like western, folk or rock music which have an underlying chord structure. Mayfield explained these styles don’t compare to Irish and Scottish music, with its closest relative being jazz.
John Novell, a flutist, said he became interested in Celtic music through its underground resurgence. The former member of a jazz band in Oklahoma City became bored with his ordinary routine and began searching out a new and exciting style of music.
He said listening to modern Celtic rock sparked the interest to begin research but in a backward manner where he finally reached the music’s origins.
“(Celtic music) has a strong draw, it’s really fun to play and not like all the other country bands,” said Novell.
Curtis Burns, a Stillwater resident, attends the jam sessions equipped with his Highland bagpipes.
Burns became interested in bagpiping after attending an Oklahoma State University graduation ceremony. He said after some discussions with friends and research online, he decided to pick up the instrument.
“It’s not that hard to get into it, but it’s hard to learn,” said Burns, who is self-taught.
Burns said he uses instruction books, listening to bagpipe music, Internet forums, and recently attended a conference in Kansas City to pick up “clues and hints.”
He said his musical background in the saxophone is an advantage as the finger placement is similar. Friday night was the third time he played during the jam session at the Best Western.
Additionally, Stillwater resident Ann Geppert adds a sweet mellow sound by playing the hammered dulcimer.
While country music may rank supreme in the southwest among the younger crowd, Novell said Irish and Scottish music has taken on a more youthful following in larger metropolitan areas, such as Boston and Chicago.
“It’s a matter of exposure,” explained Novell, who said it is more common to see many 20-somethings form Irish rock bands.
“And there’s no clinic you can go to if you’ve been exposed,” joked Mayfield.
The musical event has a following in Stillwater, as Roger noted there were regulars in attendance.
“We see a lot of the same people and turn around and see people we’ve never seen before,” said Carol.
Roger said the event additionally attracts motel patrons, and Brannigans Sports Bar and Grill customers “if they drink enough.”
The sessions will continue every second Friday at the Best Western from 7-10 p.m. Organizers are planning a Celtic Music and Heritage Festival in Stillwater next summer through partnerships with the United Oklahoma Scottish Clans, Irish-American Club of Tulsa, Celtic Fringe Club and the Stillwater Convention and Visitors Bureau. The event has been named as part of the Oklahoma Centennial Project.

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