Liz Carroll with John Doyle, Homegrown Concert Flyer
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The American Folklife Center of the Library ofcongress presents Traditional music and dance "homegrown" in communities across the United States > < P Thursday *t\f *AM< 42 % -,$ % % April 2 1, 2005 12 NOON - 1 PM i Coolidge Auditorium Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building Closest Metro Stop: Library of Congress Cap~toIsouth (orange and I 0 First Street, SE, Washington, DC blue Ilne~)~located south of the Jefferson Bu~ldlng Cosponsored with the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Request ADA accommodations five days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or [email protected] For more information contact Thea Austen 202-707-1743 At the turn of the twentieth century, Chicago's General Because travel has become relatively affordable, Superintendent of Police collected all the lrish tunes he musicians can come together across borders more could find, trying to save what he thought was a dying frequently. Since the 1960s, when flute-player Frank tradition. Chief Francis O'Neill, along with the many Thornton reported that Chicago had 9 1 Irish-born musicians he collected from, situated Chicago as an musicians, networks have grown to include musicians across important place for lrish music. O'Neill (who was entitled continents, learning from one another and expanding their to be called "Chief" but preferred the simpler title of repertoires. Carroll's compositions have become part of the "Captain") collected and published around 3,500 tunes; his lrish music repertoire, and her tunes can be heard in songbooks are considered standards of lrish music and are Chicago pubs and across the ocean in Ireland's villages. referenced by many lrish musicians. His efforts placed Carroll is also active in the lrish music community: she Chicago's lrish immigrant musicians on the map of lrish teaches master classes, performs at festivals and frequently music. With its many festivals, schools and pubs, Chicago gives concerts throughout Chicago and the world. remains a hotbed of lrish music to this day. One example of Carroll's music stretching beyond Since O'Neill's time, Chicago has produced many Chicago's borders is her collaboration with guitarist and accomplished and dedicated lrish musicians, including Liz singer John Doyle. Though Doyle does not live in Chicago, Carroll and the late Joe Shannon,each of whom has been he and Liz Carroll play together often, and each has honored with a National Heritage Fellowship from the contributed to the other's recordings. Doyle has been National Endowment for the Arts. Noel Rice, founder of playing professionally since the age of 16, and he was one of the Academy of lrish Music at the lrish American Heritage the founding members of the renowned group Solas. Center; says that many lrish people believe that if people Doyle's first solo album established him as an accomplished are meant to play, they will play. On the other hand, many singer and composer. He has devoted much of his talent also believe that children have fewer opportunities to hear on the acoustic guitar to accompanying many leading lrish the music in the home or community than their parents or musicians and contributing to more than 60 recordings. grandparents had. While there are many opportunities to Carroll and Doyle continue the long-standing Chicago learn and listen to lrish music, it is important to create a tradition, reaching as far back as Chief Francis O'Neill in the community that encourages and supports musicians of all early 1900s of enjoying, playing and composing lrish music. skill levels. Chicago continues to support lrish musicians Together; they create innovative and intriguing music, through countless sessions, festivals and concerts, which bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary provide a strong and devoted community. As part of this lrish culture. Tamara Kubacki movement, Rice himself teaches approximately 60 students. Director of Ethnic and Folk Arts, Liz Carroll has been acknowledged as one of the Literature and Presenters Programs world's greatest lrish fiddlers since she was a teenager; Illinois Arts Council. when she won the Senior All-Ireland Championship in 1975. Since then, she has been hailed as a master of lrish The American Folklife Center was created by Congress in 1976 and placed at the Library of Congress to "preserve fiddling. In 1994, Carroll was awarded a National Heritage and present American Folklife"through programs of Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts for research, documentation, archival presentation, reference her commitment to lrish music. Carroll learned to play the service, live performance, exhibition, public programs, and fiddle when she was nine, and shortly thereafter began training.The Folklife Center includes the composing her own fiddle tunes. Carroll has recorded Archive of Folk Culture, which was several albums, composed over 200 tunes, and performed established in 1928 and is now one of the throughout the world. She is deeply connected to her largest collections of ethnographic hometown, Chicago, where she was born to lrish immigrant material from the United States and parents and still lives with her husband and two children. around the world. Check out our web site www.loc.gov/folklife .