Philippe Varlet Irish Music

Introduction: I have been performing and teaching Irish music in the Washington, DC area for over 35 years. My primary instrument is the fiddle, but I also teach button accordion (B/C tuning), bouzouki, mandolin, tenor banjo, and guitar. Over the years, I have performed at the White House, the Irish Embassy, the National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian Institution, and other venues in the Washington D.C./Baltimore area. I have also performed at local festivals, Ceilis and Fleadhs, and countless private events, weddings, parties, etc. Currently, I lead several sessions a month at the Limerick Irish Pub in Wheaton MD, on Wednesday evenings (8-11pm) and Sunday afternoons (5-8pm). Over the years, I have taught many students of all ages in my home studio in Silver Spring, MD, and, more recently, online through the Skype video chat program. During that time, I have tested and perfected a progressive curriculum which takes students through the intricacies of the traditional style and the art of improvised variation. As an ethnomusicologist, I have done research on Irish traditional music for many years, particularly on history of the Irish dance repertoire as well as the history of early recordings (cylinders and 78rpms) of Irish music. I pass on this knowledge to my students, thus providing context for each new piece and giving them a sense of what it means to be a traditional player.