Tradition in Tune: Exploring Celtic Music with Seán Heely

I am so excited to introduce you to today’s guest. Sean Heely is a world-class Scottish and Irish fiddler as well as a champion Gàidhlig singer, harpist, and composer. In our conversation, Seán shares his journey through music, exploring the deep connections between nature, culture, and the evolution of traditional music. He discusses his early influences, the importance of seasonal inspiration, and the role of community in preserving Celtic traditions. Seán also reflects on his experiences traveling and performing around the world, and his sources of inspiration.

Champion fiddler and singer Seán Heely is one of the most creatively versatile and captivating young artists of his generation. He is a U.S National Scottish Fiddle and U.S Gàidhlig singing Champion as well as an award-winning Irish Fiddler and harpist. Seán holds a degree from University of South Carolina in Violin Performance and was a 2019 Artist in Residence at Strathmore Music Center in Maryland. An educator in demand, Seán is has served as an Adjunct Instructor at American University, he has also been on the faculty at several summer camps such as Acadia Traditional School of Music and Arts, Boxwood Music Festival, Upper Potomac Fiddle Retreat, and Fiddle Hell Festival. He has performed in Scotland, Ireland, South America, Italy, Germany and at prestigious venues in the U.S such as the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C and Strathmore Music Center.

Irish fiddle legend Liz Carroll calls Seán: “One powerhouse of a fiddler”.

Seán has shared the stage with traditional music icons such as Bonnie Rideout, Liz

Carroll, Maeve Gilchrist, and along with his accolades in Traditional Music, Seán made his Classical solo debut with the Virginia Symphony in 2012 performing Mozart's 5th Violin Concerto.

In 2023, Seán was honored to win the prestigious Dan R. MacDonald Memorial

Prize from the Clan Donald Trust from the Gaelic Performing Arts as well as Male Musician of the year from Ireland Tonight Radio.

Seán has recorded four full length internationally acclaimed albums some of which have been featured on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta in Ireland, and NPR’s Thistle and Shamrock. Currently based in the Washington DC area, Seán performs nationally with the Seán Heely Celtic Band, Seán Heely's Celtic Christmas, The Glencoe Lads and Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra.

Links:

Sean Heely, https://www.seanheely.com/

Liz Carroll, https://www.lizcarroll.com/

Julie Fowlis, https://www.juliefowlis.com/

Bonnie Rideout, http://www.bonnierideout.com/

Sessions at MacMillan Spirit House, https://www.themacmillanspirithouse.com/

Alexander Carmichael, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Carmichael

Festival Interceltique de Lorient (Bretagne), https://www.festival-interceltique.bzh/

Fiddle Hell, https://www.fiddlehell.org/

Chapters

00:00 The Musical Journey Begins

07:28 Discovering Traditional Music and Community

11:16 The Gaelic Language and Its Influence

14:13 Exploring Instruments: Harp and Bouzouki

19:13 Tuning and Its Challenges in Performance

23:43 The Essence of Music Sessions

28:07 Global Experiences and Cultural Exchange

30:26 Teaching and Sharing Knowledge

40:32 Nature as Inspiration

47:49 Celtic Traditions and Seasonal Celebrations

53:26 Exploring Celtic Nations and Their Music