Michelle Bigenho: Irish Music
When I returned from fieldwork in Bolivia (1996) I decided to try Irish fiddling. Determined to avoid learning "by the A-B-C," for six months I sat at the sessions in Ithaca (NY), listened, and played almost nothing. So many years of classical music training and I seemed to have no ears. Then I cheated and peaked at the A-B-C! I played at sessions in Ithaca until I finished my degree. During six months of a postdoc, I played at sessions in Cambridge (UK). I have now settled into the session in Greenfield (MA). For more information on Irish music sessions, see the Sessioneer.