Eric Ryan-Johnson plays classical violin and Irish traditional fiddle. He teaches the Suzuki Violin Method and Irish fiddling, and has taught both at workshops, schools and festivals.
Suzuki Violin Instructor
Beginning at age four, Eric began studying Suzuki violin with Ernie Stanke in Madison, Wisconsin. As a child he received workshop instruction with Shinichi Suzuki. Eric earned his Bachelor of Music-Composition degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he also studied violin with Tyrone Greive. He has studied pedagogy with many distinguished Suzuki teachers, including Craig Timmerman, Kay Slone, Marilyn O'Boyle and Alice Joy Lewis. He is an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA), and has registered teacher training with SAA. His students have traveled to summer Suzuki institutes in Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas.
Irish Fiddle Instructor
Every summer Eric teaches two weeks of his very popular Irish fiddle camp. Many of his fiddle students play for local dances, and have participated in workshops and masterclasses with Winifred Horan (Solas), Daire Bracken (Slide), and Sean Regan (Gráda).
Performer
Here are just some of the various bands Eric has played with:
• Cavan, Gorm's Cup, and Ceotoiri Tulsa (all of Tulsa, OK) fiddle, some bouzouki, some vocals
• Field Day (Minneapolis/St Paul MN) fiddle
• Marques Bovre (Madison WI) fiddle & guitar
• The Bog People (Madison WI) fiddle & bouzouki
• Drowning Fishes, The Defectors, and Sauron (all of Madison WI) guitar & some vocals
• Irish ceilis, contradances, and dance performances in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Columbia MO, Minnesota and Wisconsin
Recordings
- With the Twin Cities' band Field Day: "Hunger No More - A Gift of Irish Music and Song" An Eire Arts CD to benefit Minnesota Food Share.
- Solo CD with Philip Duffy and Cris Foster: "The Wonderful Day."
- Various recordings: Marques Bovre, and other bands.
- And as a guest musician with various performers.
Influences
Former student Nathan Davis with Kevin Burke at the Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camp
Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill at the Willie Clancy Week
Miltown Malbay, County Clare
Reel: "Waiting for Nemo" by Eric Ryan-Johnson Here's a tune for all of you. Its named after a little friend of mine who used to take lessons from me. (His dad is a fabulous musician himself!) They have since moved to Kansas, and I hope they are doing well.
Whenever I was awaiting Nemo's arrival for lesson, I would fool around with this melody and write a little more of it. I hope you enjoy this tune!
(click on image below to enlarge:)
Joshua Bell Will one of the nation's greatest musicians be noticed in a D.C. Metro stop during rush hour? Violinist Joshua Bell experimented for a Sunday Magazine story by Gene Weingarten in The Washington Post:
The career of Joshua Bell is documented in this video vignette following his career from childhood to virtuoso violinist. From the Live From Lincoln Center broadcast on December 31, 2007. Hosted by Renee Fleming.:
Workshop with Sean Regan of Gráda For my students who went to the Gráda workshop on Thur, Apr 3, 2008, here is the jig that Sean Regan taught. This version of "Andy McGann's" is from the out-of-print Bulmer and Sharply collection, "Music from Ireland," Vol. 3.
(click on image to enlarge:)
For more another version, go to www.thesession.org/tunes/display/8000. ...and for info on Andy McGann, visit www.irishfiddle.com/andy_mcgann.html.
The Bothy Band Jigs: Old Hag You Have Killed Me/Dinny Delaney/Morrison's from 1977:
The Bothy Band - Live at the Embankment, Tallaght in 1976.
Pretty Peg/Craig's Pipes
Paddy Keenan - Uilleann Pipes Micheal O Dhomhnaill - Guitar Triona Ni Dhomhnaill - Vocals Donal Lunny - Bouzouki Kevin Burke - Fiddle Matt Molloy - Flute
Workshop with Daire Bracken of Slide
On September 1, 2008, several of my students participated in a workshop with Daire Bracken of Slide. Daire heard them play solo, discussed varying Irish fiddle styles with "The Star of Munster," and them taught them "Pachelbel's Reel."
(click to enlarge:)
There are a fair bit of musings about "Pachelbel's Reel" at www.thesession.org/tunes/display/487. Eileen Ivers plays it as "Pachelbel's Frolics" with Win Horan on Eileen's self-titled CD. There are also versions of recorded by Martin Hayes. And there theories that it may just happen to be a Scottish tune (gasp!) entitled "Kohler's Hornpipe>"
Planxty - Live in 1974 The Frost is All Over - with Johnny Moynihan singing & playing fiddle:
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! myspace code tutorials author:EileenContact & Booking Info
Contact Eric at "ericryanjohnson at cox.net" or call 918.592.4260.
For booking info of Cavan, contact Emerson Entertainment at "emersonentertainment at cox.net"
2009 Fiddle Camps
Here are photos from my 2009 Summer Irish Fiddle Camp sessions!
Slide
Session with "Slide" in Tulsa after workshop for students - April 2008 (courtesy of Hank at http://www.myspace.com/b0dhran):
Grada
Members of the band Grada after their workshop and concert, April 2008. With Cairde na Gael, Eric and other local musicians at Arnies Bar, 2nd & Elgin in Tulsa (courtesy of Hank at http://www.myspace.com/b0dhran):
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Hi Eric! Welcome to the mad space. Thanks for writing and sending that pic. Ah, the old Field Day daze. I still say we should have made a CD before it was over. Hope yer well. I like the tunes you've got going. Let us know if you ever come this way for a visit. All the best,
