What is it you want to talk about?

I want to talk about my violin that used to belong to my grandfather, and the Celtic music I play on it today

What is the story behind it?

The violin was a gift to my grandfather who learned to play as a child. I only found out about it after he passed away. In 2018 it was repaired and gifted to me and I use it to this day. As I learned to play the violin I started on Celtic tunes to get closer to my Irish heritage and am a part of the Wailing Banshees at smith.

What does it say about you, your family, or the associated people?

I find a deep connection to heritage in music, playing Celtic music on my grandfather’s violin not only continues his memory but also continues my grandmother’s. While my grandmother wanted a better life for her family in the U.S. she still sees herself as an Irish citizen and encourages me to embrace that side of myself. Celtic music often features tunes that remember a time and people past as well.

How are you going to present this story? How are you going to engage the listeners throughout the podcast?

The best part about a violin is that there are so many parts to it, so I plan to…

1. Take a tour of my violin’s features and the mini stories they hold such as the date it was made, where old cracks came from, what the bows are made of, why I gave it a name, etc.
2. Explore the case its held in and the little pieces of memorabilia I keep tucked away in it to remind me of my family such as photos of my grandfather and lose pieces of music
3. Quickly discuss the history of Celtic music and its development in Ireland and within the Irish diaspora. at the same time, note its key features, motifs, and themes. I will add some music examples here.

Finally I will talk about how I feel the music connects me to my family and heritage. This would be a good section to add some examples of my favorite songs and why I decided to join the Wailing Banshees at Smith.