For more than 30 years, I have been teaching people how to play mandolin and fiddle. My specialty is in working with adults and seniors....

I wrote a blog post earlier about my personal experience growing up with music, and so this is an addendum to that. This is specifically...

We use our SweetMusic.Slack.com site which works on any browser (desktop) and smartphone (android, iphone). Slack is like Messenger on s...

We are still temporarily closed to the public during the Coronavirus pandemic. When Governor Baker announces phase 4 of the reopening pr...

My wife, Emily, is the love of my life. Everybody knows that. She's also one of the smartest people I know. She's the brains behind Sw...

Music and song have always been an important part of Acadian culture. The Acadians brought hundreds of old French songs, many of which we...

My story is probably similar to many other stories out there. I started on the violin and was exposed to "fiddle" music at an early age....

In the spring of 2017, Al Beleunis , a guitar player and business owner from Holyoke, approached m e about taking mandolin lessons. He w...

This is the standard method of practice that I have used myself for more than 50 years. I also teach it to my students. It takes the av...

The Irish bouzouki (Irish: búsúcaí) is an adaptation of the Greek bouzouki (Greek: μπουζούκι). The newer Greek tetrachordo (4 courses of ...

If you're lucky to be invited to play for a Feis, you're in for a treat! It's a delightful experience, and hard work! I've played for m...

Feis na nGleann was established in 1904 in the picturesque Glens of Antrim by a group of cultural enthusiasts who wished to preserve the ...

CARING FOR YOUR MANDOLIN IN COLD TEMPERATURES Your mandolin is made mostly of wood and before it was used to create your prized and beaut...

It's absolutely critical that you practice at least something every day! What you practice is also critical. Just playing a few tunes, ...

In 2013, I bought a Breedlove mandolin. It wasn't the first time I had bought an instrument for myself, or a family member, but it was ...

Over the years, I have created a variety of YouTube instructional videos for students. I am now opening them to the general public. Eac...

Periodically, I write reviews of artists that I think my students will enjoy. Today I am writing about Charles McCoy, aka Papa. Charlie ...

In the early part of the period, the Roman province of Gaul gives way to the Frankish kingdoms, led for some 250 years by the Merovingian...

Lark in the morning is one of my all-time favorite jigs to play and to teach. It's a 4 part double jig in 6/8. The length of this tune ma...

Perfect Christmas Gift of Music, only $249.00 This Violin Outfit is the perfect Christmas gift as it delivers good tone through a hand-ca...