Grey Larsen says when he first heard the sound of the traditional Irish flute, at age fifteen, it felt like something “penetrating into the middle of my chest.” So began his life-long love affair with the instrument and the music it makes. Not so unusual really except that Grey Larsen grew up far from the western hills of the Emerald Isle, the fields that the flute calls home.
Grey Larsen hails from Ohio, and attributes his knowledge of melodies to the Irish immigrants he met and played with there. Some were farmers who crossed the Atlantic and brought with them their love and mastery of the tunes they grew up with in County Sligo. With their guidance, Larsen himself became a master.
Guests:
Grey Larsen, author of “The Essential Guide to Irish Flute” and “Tin Whistle.” His new album is “Dark of the Moon.”