On any given Sunday afternoon, you will find Tom Rota down at the pub.
Not just any pub, mind you, but the Brian Boru Public House on Center Street in Portland.
Now, there are lots of reasons to head for a cozy Irish pub. But Rota is there mainly for the music. To listen, and to play.
He's there to be with like-minded folks, specifically, other locals who love to play traditional Irish music. Rota, who plays the Uilleann pipes (or Irish pipes), is a staple of the Sunday afternoon jam sessions at Brian Boru. The sessions started about 10 years ago, when musicians just started showing up to play with other Irish music fans.
Now the sessions are a regular thing, held on Sundays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Anyone can show up to play, and anyone can show up to listen.
Rota, 37, works as a technical support consultant when he's not playing. He also has a master's degree in Traditional Irish Dance Music from the University of Limerick in Ireland.
Rota recently took a few minutes to answer questions about Irish music and about the weekly sessions at Brian Boru.
For more information, call the pub at 780-1506.
Q.: Why did you start playing Irish music?
A.: I started playing Irish music a little over 10 years ago. At the time, I was working for an Irish record label, Green Linnet, in Connecticut. I was already playing bluegrass, folk and rock on the banjo and guitar. I had grown up with Irish music in the house I am of Irish and Italian descent but did not really become obsessed with it until working at the record label.
There, I was inundated with the music and the musicians and slowly developed a fascination with the Uilleann pipes. Green Linnet actually gave me my first practice set of pipes as a Christmas bonus, and that got me started playing the music.
Q.: What is Irish music exactly?
A.: Most people, when they hear the term Irish music, think of the ballad tradition, songs like the "Wild Rover" or "Whiskey in the Jar," that are commonly heard on St. Patrick's Day in all the bars. This is a very different genre than what we play.
We play the traditional dance music of Ireland. That means the jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas, slides and airs of Ireland. The music is primarily instrumental, although we welcome a song here and there.
The tunes are traditionally played for dancing, and the tune types are generally associated with the type of dance that is done to them. While we love playing for dancers, space is fairly limited at the (Brian Boru) session, and the focus is generally on the music alone. There are literally thousands of distinct Irish tunes.
Q.: How many people show up to play at the Brian Boru on Sundays? Where do they come from?
A.: On any given Sunday, we may have as many as 12 or 15 musicians playing away.
The average is more like seven or eight players, and that amount is pretty consistent. Occasionally there will be a slow day with only three or four musicians.
Most of the players are from this area, but there are several regulars from New Hampshire, Vermont and even Massachusetts.
In addition, the session is listed on the Internet. and we often get vacationing guests from all over the world. There are several people from Ireland, including some professional musicians, who show up whenever they are in town. It's a healthy mix of regulars and special guest stars. All are welcome.
Q.: Are there a lot of people with no Irish heritage who play Irish music around here? Why do you think the music is so popular?
A.: I would say most of the musicians around here have some Irish background, but there are definitely many that do not. It is not a pre-requisite by any means, and there are quite a few well-known professional players who are not the least bit Irish.
That said, a lot of the musicians do come to the music through their family background, and it is often passed down through the generations in this way.
I think the music is popular because it is inherently beautiful, exciting and moving music. Irish music is fairly simple structurally but can become very complex due to variation, ornamentation and arrangement of the tunes.
It ranges from haunting slow airs to extremely fast reels and encompasses all the emotions in between. People often relate to it even if they have never heard it before.
The hive of sound created by seven or eight different instruments all playing the same tune at breakneck speed can be impressive.
There is no attitude or image, generally, to this music. It is fun, honest and pure music, from the heart, and is usually performed with a sense of humor and an earnest dedication. People can appreciate that in this day and age.
Q.: Where do you find the tunes? Is there Irish sheet music floating around?
A.: There is a nearly infinite amount of information and sheet music available for traditional Irish music. There are numerous tune collections in print and hundreds of Web sites where tunes can be downloaded.
Historically, however, tunes are passed from one musician to the other and are usually learned by ear, not from sheet music.
Q.: Why is there such a lively Irish music scene in southern Maine?
A.: The Portland area has many people of Irish heritage. This creates both the wealth of musicians and an audience base.
The Irish music scene here has been strong throughout history. There are several pockets of traditional players that have been active in this area since the '70s several of them are regulars at the session. We owe them a great debt in keeping the music alive and well in Maine for all that time.
I love Portland for many reasons, but one of the tops is that I can play my music here. That's what brought me here and what keeps me here. On top of that, the Irish music scene is growing and expanding all the time, players and fans.
Q.: What are your goals as far as your music? To play for money? To play festivals? To just keep playing?
A.: My primary goal is always to improve as a piper and overall musician. I want to learn hundreds of tunes and continue to develop my style and technique.
Since Irish music is such a niche market, I am able to play for money and that has actually been quite helpful over the years. I try not to let that be the focus of my playing, but it has become important. I am currently in a traditional Irish band called Boghat. We are working on developing our sound and would very much like to increase the number of gigs and events we play. To that end, we have started a Web site, www.boghat.com, with all of our information for bookings, etc.
In many instances, Irish music is treated as a kind of background music, not as a main attraction. That is perfectly fine for weddings and social or business occasions, but I would like to get more people to take it seriously as a music form.
Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at: rrouthier@pressherald.com
