Masters of tradition John Carty and Martin Hayes for classes and shows

John Carty, one of the finest names in Irish traditional music will be in Galway on Sunday, March 11 to give a Banjo Masterclass to emerging musicians at Maoin Cheoil na Gaillimhe/ Galway Music Resource Centre.

The masterclass in the city venue is in banjo, but John could equally give one in fiddle, as the London born, Roscommon based musician plays both instruments brilliantly – in addition to guitar and flute. The public will have an opportunity to see this master in action when he gives a concert in St Mary’s Chapel that evening at 8pm.

John began playing banjo as a child when music classes were being offered in the East End of London where the family lived. His reason for choosing the banjo was that his Roscommon-born father “played a bit and there was one in the house”. His father played plenty, usually with the London based Glenside Céilí band, so music was in the blood.

As it happened, John’s 10-year-old hands were too small for banjo and he started on the mandolin before graduating to the bigger instrument.

Later he also picked up the fiddle and “never looked back. If you do these things when you are young, you are more adept at them”.However, for years he felt more comfortable with the banjo, because it was the instrument he knew best.

“Then the fiddle started creeping in. There was a great interest in the music I was playing on it and people wanted to record it.”

Since moving back to Ireland 20 years ago, John has become one of the most popular and respected musicians on the trad scene here. He regularly plays and records with Matt Molloy of the Chieftains, while he is a founder member of the group, At the Racket and more recently joined Patrick Street. In 2003 he was honoured with the TG4 Musician of the Year Award, joining a list that includes Matt Molloy, Tommy Peoples, Paddy Keenan, Martin Hayes and Mary Bergin.

These days John probably plays more fiddle than banjo at gigs, but he gets lots of opportunity to keep up practice on his first instrument, as he teaches banjo in the World Irish Music Centre at UL.

“Because I teach it, I have to practice for hours and hours. You have to play it regularly because your hand would get tired otherwise, and also to build the intricacy I like to have.”

The banjo often gets bad press, which John thinks originated in American bluegrass music.

“It got a bit of stick there and that spread here.”

He acknowledges that someone who is “heavy handed with a banjo” can take over a session, in the same way that a concertina would, because it cuts through other instruments. But, in the hands of a good player, it’s a different matter and the same is true for other often scorned instruments.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.