Mick Moloney
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mick" Moloney is a traditional Irish
musician and scholar. Born in Limerick
, County Limerick
, he was an important figure on the Dublin folk-song revival in the 1960s. In 1973, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. He gained early fame as a member of Irish group The Johnstons
and The Emmet Spiceland but has since performed and recorded with a variety of groups and individuals, including Eugene O'Donnell and Séamus Egan
, and Marie & Martin Reilly; he also worked closely with The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem. In all, he has produced and performed on over forty albums. He also founded Green Fields of America
, an organization that promotes traditional Irish-American music. In 1992, Moloney received a Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania
. For his work in public folklore
, he received a National Heritage Fellowship
from the NEA, the highest honor a traditional artist can receive from the United States. In 1999, he was named "best tenor-banjo player" by Frets magazine. He has taught at several institutions in the United States and is currently a Global Distinguished Professor of Music and the Irish Studies at New York University
, where his field of expertise is Celtic music in the United States
. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Irish-American Studies at the City University of New York
.
Founded in 2000 by Professor Mick Moloney, The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (or WSHSO, for short) is a New York institution. Based at New York University and made up of musicians from the City’s Irish music community, the WSHSO plays traditional Irish music, with a focus on older tunes, tunes with history, and tunes with interesting stories attached.
Music of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
musician and scholar. Born in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, he was an important figure on the Dublin folk-song revival in the 1960s. In 1973, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. He gained early fame as a member of Irish group The Johnstons
The Johnstons
The Johnstons were an Irish close-harmony folk band, originally founded in Slane, County Meath, Ireland, consisting of Adrienne, Lucy and Michael Johnston. They began performing in the early 1960s in Slane....
and The Emmet Spiceland but has since performed and recorded with a variety of groups and individuals, including Eugene O'Donnell and Séamus Egan
Séamus Egan
Séamus Egan is an Irish musician.-Early days:Séamus Egan was born in Hatboro, Pennsylvania to Irish émigrés Jack and Ann Egan. At the age of three his parents moved the family back home to County Mayo, Ireland....
, and Marie & Martin Reilly; he also worked closely with The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem. In all, he has produced and performed on over forty albums. He also founded Green Fields of America
Green Fields of America
The Green Fields of America is an ensemble which performs and promotes Irish traditional music in the United States."The Green Fields of America" was formed in 1978 in Philadelphia and still led by musician and folklorist Mick Moloney. The band was created to present and tour some of Irish...
, an organization that promotes traditional Irish-American music. In 1992, Moloney received a Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. For his work in public folklore
Public folklore
Public folklore is the term for the work done by folklorists in public settings in the United States and Canada outside of universities and colleges, such as arts councils, museums, folklife festivals, radio stations, etc. The term is actually short for "public sector folklore" and was first used...
, he received a National Heritage Fellowship
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
from the NEA, the highest honor a traditional artist can receive from the United States. In 1999, he was named "best tenor-banjo player" by Frets magazine. He has taught at several institutions in the United States and is currently a Global Distinguished Professor of Music and the Irish Studies at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, where his field of expertise is Celtic music in the United States
Celtic music in the United States
Irish, Scottish music and Welsh Music have long been a major part of American music, at least as far back as the 18th century. Beginning in the 1960s, performers like the Clancy Brothers became stars in the Irish music scene, which dates back to at least the colonial era, when many Irish...
. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Irish-American Studies at the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
.
Founded in 2000 by Professor Mick Moloney, The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (or WSHSO, for short) is a New York institution. Based at New York University and made up of musicians from the City’s Irish music community, the WSHSO plays traditional Irish music, with a focus on older tunes, tunes with history, and tunes with interesting stories attached.
External links
- MickMoloney.com, official website.
- NYU Music Department page.
- "Exploring Broadway's Early Irish Period", interview on NPR's Fresh Air (March 20, 2006).