Karen Ashbrook

In February 2017 in Southern California, 8 musicians took my first Mystery of Modes Workshop (pictured here!) Just a few months later in April, I taught it again to 18 participants in Maryland. Since then I have offered it a…

From 1998-2017 I ran the Sligo Creek Hedge School Irish music and culture summer camps for youth ages 6-20.  From the  little "Sprouts" (ages 6-8) to the Teen Celtic Band weeks, and of course Musician and Intro weeks for the…

We live in painful and interesting and hopeful times. It's been a time of discovery and  for those of us who are white, a time to support our community members of color. How phenomenal this is happening during Covid-19 quarantine-…

May 20

I should have landed in Shannon airport this morning and been happily playing in a pub in Ennis, County Clare.  In 2013, along with Jeanean Songco-Martin, painters and her family,  we had a 6:00 am arrival and by…

May 12th, 2020

We have now been home for 2 months.  So many adjustments and the "staycation" is turning into "adaptation" for the next several months.  Each week I relax a bit but also struggle to maintain or establish…