Ah Surely - Irish Music and Dance
Irish lore, history, and culture come alive as the Ah Surely trio weaves traditional Irish music and step dance together into an interactive foot-tapping, hand-clapping presentation. Students are fascinated by unusual instruments such as the uilleann pipes (a quieter cousin of the Scottish Highland bagpipes), bodhran (hand drum), fiddle, penny whistle, and guitar. And everyone can participate in using the universal musical instrument – the human voice – with lively traditional songs. For the climax of each program, a number of students join the band for an Irish ceili (music and dance party) on stage, either “jamming” with the band or learning and dancing a simple Irish jig step. Ah Surely has performed interactive programs for schools, community arts programs, and corporate events throughout Georgia, including Spivey Hall’s Young People’s Concert Series, The Rialto Center for the Arts, and for the Oscar N. Jonas Foundation’s Artist in Residency program.
Social Media: Facebook
Disciplines: Music, Dance
Grade Levels: Pre-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Post-secondary
Core Content Curriculum Areas: Music, Dance, English/Language Arts, Social Studies/History
Specialized Content Areas: World Cultures, Character Education
Special Populations: At-Risk Students, Gifted Students, Students with Disabilities
Additional Populations: Arts & Early Learning, Seniors/Arts & Aging, Arts & Persons with Disabilities, Arts in Rural Communities
Pre-Service Learning and Professional Development: Professional Development for K-12 Teachers
Geographic Availability: Metro Atlanta, North Georgia, Middle Georgia, South Georgia
Booking info:
Interested schools may book through John Maschinot at celticcompany@gmail.com. or call 678-595-8939. After an oral agreement I ask if the school will send me a contract, or if they will allow me to send one to them.
Web Presence:
www.thecelticcompany.com has resources for presenters. Presenters are also welcome to call and chat about their needs.
Program Fees:
- Performances: In metro Atlanta: 1 performance $600; 2 back-to-back $750; $150 for each additional performance. Travel fee may apply outside metro Atlanta.
- Workshops: Please contact artist to discuss options.
Artistic Profile:
John Maschinot has been performing professionally on the Irish uilleann pipes and Irish flute since 1982. In 1984 he formed the Buddy O’Reilly band, which went on to become the leading Irish music band in the region. Since then he’s performed on concert and festival stage and produced many festivals and musical productions as well, including the popular Atlanta Celtic Christmas, which celebrated it’s 27th season in 2018 at The Rialto Center for the Arts.
An award winning “old-time” fiddler, Evan Kinney was born into a musical family: his mother a singer and his father a fiddler in the old Georgia tradition. With guitar, banjo and fiddle in hand he’s proven his versatility by performing with quite an array of musicians of many stripes: Ah Surely, The Amazing Spud Brothers and the Buddy O’Reilly band. A talented vocalist and songwriter, his renditions of traditional American and Irish songs are both authentic and straight from the heart.
A graduate of Clayton State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, Olivia Bradley has performed with professionals such as Sarah Brightman, Louise Barry, Peter Sheridan, Emmet Cahill, John Doyle, Dave Curley, and Cormac de Barra, as well as with John Maschinot as a member of the Celtic Company and Ah Surely. Olivia is also currently a member of the Celtic Angels, touring the country as part of their Christmas and Spring national tours.
Teaching Experience:
John Maschinot has been a teaching artist for over 25 years, both as a soloist and with several ensembles. For over 15 of those years he’s been a member of the teaching artist ensemble Celtic Fire, working under the umbrella of Young Audiences of Atlanta and Arts 4 Learning. He’s presented programs focusing on traditional music and dance at hundreds of schools, libraries and workshops, impacting thousands of students of all grade levels and adults as well. In 2010 he received the “Stars of the South” award from Irish-American magazine for outstanding service and dedication to Irish culture in the Southeast.
Under the leadership of veteran teaching artist John Maschinot, Ah Surely has presented at many large and small school assemblies. They recently completed a series of school programs presented by The Creative Arts Guild and sponsored by the Jonas Foundation in Whitfield County, GA, and have appeared at Spivey Hall’s Young People’s Concert series.
Sample Programs:
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From Ireland to America: Ah Surely takes students on an evocative journey – “From Ireland to America”. Students will learn the importance of music and dance in Irish culture and how coming to America and interacting with other cultures created new styles and new genres of music and dance. Students will also learn about the uniquely Irish uilleann pipes, a soft-spoken version of the bagpipes, as well as the fiddle, penny whistle, guitar, and bodhran (hand drum). And of course, percussive Irish step dance is an integral part of the program. Student volunteers will participate in an Irish céilí (music and dance party) by learning a simple dance and joining the band on banjo and bodhrans. “From Ireland to America” satisfies a number of Georgia Performance Standards for Fine Arts and for Social Studies.
Primary Art Form: Music and Dance
Content/Curriculum Area: Fine Arts, Social Studies
Grade Levels Served: K-12, Post-Secondary
Number of Students: 350 plus (limited only by auditorium size)
Program Length: 45 minutes
Facility Requirements: Minimum performance area – approximately 15′ wide by 8′ deep
Single program: $750, Two back to back programs: $900, plus milage. Fee for several programs or residencies can be negotiated.
Tech Requirements: Sound system needed for 75 or more students (artist can provide sound system upon request)
- Listing ID: 5989