About this Web Site

• Purpose
• Structure
• Criteria
• About Me
  
  

Updated July 15, 1999

 This Web page started off as a convenient way for me to inform a few friends in the Bay Area of upcoming music events that they would probably enjoy. Then I added a few recommended albums in response to requests from people who were buying gifts for friends "who liked Celtic music." In the course of gathering information, I realized that there was no single WWW site that listed more than about half of the upcoming traditional celtic music events in the Bay Area. So, I thought that maybe this was a service I could provide, combining information about upcoming events from various sources into one consolidated calendar. That still is the primary function of the page.

 The list of recommended albums kept getting longer and longer (because there is so much really good traditional music available now on CDs). So, I expanded the lists of recommendations, broke them into different traditions and added some background information. It is not my intent to become a comprehensive resource about celtic music such as the excellent Ceolas site. I have neither the expertise nor the time to do that. However, for those in the S.F. Bay area, this site may serve as a useful introduction to the broader or more specialized celtic music resources on the Web and in print.

 My current plan is that some pages will be updated frequently, and others updated only periodically or when I get new information. The Calendar of upcoming events is updated several times a month as soon as I get new information. The new CDs and What I'm Listening To pages are updated about once a month. The other pages get updated as I learn more about this music.

 Like most, I have strong opinions about different music, and, of course, I like my tastes more than yours. Since I write the page, I can inflict my tastes on others!

 I tend to favor the more traditional music from Ireland, Cape Breton, and Scotland. That does not mean I will not consider musicians who explore the edges of that tradition (e.g. Sharon Shannon and Natalie MacMaster), but that those who have wandered too far from the path won't find space here. In particular, I have allergic reactions to anything vaguely New Age like, and avoid most Celtic Rock. I like some folk music, and don't like some. Also, I am not particularly fond of ceili bands, though they are traditional. So musicians whose concerts and albums you will not see on this site include: Enya, Clannad, Wolfstone, Loreena McKennitt, Irish drinking songs.

 This page is a labor of love. I am not in any way connected to any commercial business involved with celtic music. I definitely have a day job (I'm a consumer advocate at the state Public Utilities Commission) that seriously gets in the way of doing things I enjoy and even updating this page.

I do not play any instrument. In fact, 8 years of piano lessons failed to reveal any talent whatsoever. Accordingly, my tastes are suspect. I enjoy the music, and the people I meet associated with the music. I hope I can contribute something back.

This is one of two largish web sites I maintain on a volunteer basis. The other deals with endangered canids (i.e wild dogs) around the world. To see my eclectic interests visit my homepage.