MIN:SEC “THE BANJO IN THE IRISH MUSIC SCENE” PODCAST
INTERVIEW WITH DONIE RYAN
PRODUCER: LEHMAN COLLEGE MEDIA RELATIONS
OFFICE
DURATION: 10 MINUTES 4 SECONDS
00:00 [MUSIC]
NEEM DEWJI:
This is Neem Dewji, a student at Lehman
College.
The banjo traveled from Africa to America in
the late eighteenth century with enslaved
Africans. In 1855, Irish Americans brought
the banjo back to their native land, where
its popularity quickly rose.
Banjo player Donie Ryan is originally from
Tipperary, Ireland. He picked up his first
banjo at the age of 10 and learned how to
play the instrument by ear. Ryan moved to
the United States after playing banjo in
Germany and has played in the New York
session scene for over eight years.
The CUNY Institute for Irish American 2
Studies invited Ryan to Lehman to perform
and talk about the banjo in traditional
Irish-American music.
00:55 [MUSIC PERMANFORMANCE BY DONIE RYAN]
DONIE RYAN:
Just like everyone in Ireland, kind of, it's
just passed down from family. It was passed
down to me from my father. And probably my
uncle who-- who played banjo. I probably
took it at around ten. I actually started
on the mandolin.
Because, you know, they were cheaper,
smaller, easier for a kid to play. My uncle
was the only one I knew in-- within 100
miles of me anyway. And it kind of-- the
banjo definitely got more popular over the
last-- 15, 20 years.
It was really starting to get popular in
kind of the '70s. So-- but there's no one I
could take lessons off of for the banjo.
So, I just took lessons with other
instruments. Just to learn the tunes. And
“The Banjo in the Irish Music Scene” Podcast 3
did that for a couple of years. And then
just picked up tunes off my father, really.
Just in pubs, and that year, and that kind
of stuff. I guess when I started playing it
after my father brought me the first
instrument, he was kind of like, "Well,
you'd better learn it now, son." After he
spent some money on it. (LAUGHTER)
02:02 It was a great way for me to make ex-- to
make money as a kid, kind of. We used to do
gigs, maybe two or three gigs a week. Just
in local pubs kind of a thing. Sessions.
Without equipment or anything. Just, you
know, three or four people playing. And
they still do that at home.
And then when I come to the States to visit
my sister, she was playing in a band out
here. So, I ended up getting into it that
way. Kind of gigging with them for a bit.
And then, I just started going to gigs. I
came out in '98. So I was around-- I was 23
at the time. I lived in Germany for awhile
“The Banjo in the Irish Music Scene” Podcast 4
and played music out there. And a little
bit toured around Europe, a little bit.
The Irish scene is huge in Europe. It's
actually bigger probably in Europe right
now. Back then, it wasn't, but it's-- it's
huge. You have a lot of-- bands coming from
Germany and France playing in Ireland. A
lot of people that do it, as a living, you
know. I'd say 95 percent of them. Most of
the tunes that-- would, say, Germans and
French would learn would have-- if-- if
they're Irish tunes, they're gonna have an
Irish influence from some part of Ireland.
And for me, locally, I suppose, living
around North Tip, Paddy O'Brien was a big
influence on the music. We used to play,
box player. Pretty famous, box player.
03:07 [MUSIC PERMANFORMANCE BY DONIE RYAN]
04:02 Regional style is-- is not as strong as it
used to be. 'Cause, you know, with CDs and
internet, and everything, people can freely
“The Banjo in the Irish Music Scene” Podcast 5
access any region of music.
So, in one respect, I suppose it's-- it's
kind of-- hasn't been good for music in one
way. But, in another way, it means that
musicians now-a-days are open to play, you
know, any type of music with different
styles. But, you have a lot of Irish-
American players out here that can play all
different styles. The only way to really
learn a regional music is to actually live
there, and-- and play there for-- for a good
number of years, you know.
And-- but that's har-- even harder to do
now-a-days. Because a lot of the older
players are dying off. So, a lot of the
regional stars will go with a lot of them.
But, I'm sure, you know, if you want to
learn an East Galway style, you really have
to find players in East Galway. And kind of
either play with them, or live there, kind
of a thing. You can notice a New York style
as well. Like, some of the older fiddle
“The Banjo in the Irish Music Scene” Podcast 6
players in the city here. When they
immigrated out here, passed it down to a
whole generation of Irish-Americans.
05:08 You know, a lot of the players in the city
were taught correctly. The banjo is heavily
influenced not so much by regional styles
but by actual banjo players, I find anyway,
so. My younger brother plays banjo, and he
plays completely different then me. And
we're from the same area. But his influence
is very O'Connor kind of-- who's a very
modern, contemporary player.
So, like all the young banjo players play
like that now. American banjos are actually
the best. American-- and then in Europe, I
suppose German banjos. I think the first
banjo that came into Ireland was with the
Traveling Minstrels in the 1800's-- 1845.
And that actually came from two Irish-
American guys that lived in America that
traveled with this band. You know, in
Ireland, it's-- it's a little bit different.
“The Banjo in the Irish Music Scene” Podcast 7
It's a bit easier in Ireland if you do play
music. But, I mean, I couldn't see any--
musicians don't really follow a trend kind
of a thing.
05:59 [MUSIC PERMANFORMANCE BY DONIE RYAN]
09:46 NEEM DEWJI:
Visit us at www.lehman.edu. This is a
production of the Lehman College Media
Relations Office.
[MUSIC]
10:04 * * *END OF AUDIO* * *
* * *END OF TRANSCRIPT* * *
“The Banjo in the Irish Music Scene” Podcast