300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty - compiled by Lesl Harker

Rafferty, Mike compiled by Lesl Harker

300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty: "Traditional Irish Music on the wooden flute note-for-note as taught to me by himself".

The book was put together by Lesl Harker of the first 300 tunes she learned from Mike Rafferty over the years (flute player from County Galway - for more info on Mike, visit: www.raffertymusic.com 

Book spiral-bound 

In January, 2006, Lesl Harker, a long-time student of East Galway flutist Mike Rafferty, published 300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty, a book of transcriptions of Irish dance tunes from Mike's playing. The tunes in the book are transcribed note for note from Lesl's study tapes. The project has been approved by Mike and includes some notes on the tunes. These are also very playable by instruments other than flute. Mike's settings are often unique as well as easily recognizable by all musicians.

About Mike:

Mike was born in 1926. He grew up in Ballinakill, East Galway in the heart of a locality steeped in the very best of old-style traditional music. Mike is an outstanding exponent of the East Galway style of flute playing. He learned his music from his father, Tom Barrel who played flute and uilleann pipes. Mike emigrated to the United States in 1949 and has appeared at an extensive array of concerts and festivals all over America including the Smithsonian Institution's Bicentennial Festival of American Folklife in 1976 and toured with the Green Fields of America. Mike has appeared on many recordings and has recorded three albums with his daughter Mary; "The Dangerous Reel", "The Old Fireside Music", "The Road from Ballinakill" and most recently his solo CD "Speed 78". Mike has devoted a lifetime to exploring, performing and teaching traditional Irish music on both sides of the Atlantic. Recently, he was named Irish Echo's Traditional Musician of the Year.