Sure, I occasionally dream of playing the fiddle. I’ve picked up the bodhran. I’ve stumbled over the penny whistle numerous times. But none are as satisfying. None offer the chance to grow as an individual quite the way the autoharp does. After seeing all the different autoharps and musical styles at the California Autoharp Gathering, I don’t think I will ever change. The autoharp must be the most individualistic instrument ever created.

I remember in college a guy in my dorm practiced Van Halen songs incessantly. He was dedicated. I bet today he is a master at sounding just like Eddie Van Halen when he wants to. That will never happen with the autoharp. There are too many unique styles and not enough autoharpers. My style evolved from never remembering hearing another autoharp and my own imagination.

I thought to myself many years ago, “I have 21 chords and 5 octaves, what can I do with this instrument?” And I’m still learning. Why on earth would ever want to change? Become another mediocre guitarist? Not me. I enjoy hearing the guitar like everyone else, I don’t care enough for it that I will ever become anything more than mediocre. Or should I do the same with the penny whistle, bodhran, or fiddle? Sure, I might explore a touch of those instruments, but ultimately, I will never be anything more than average, at best. Why do that when instead I can become a great autoharper!

Mediocrity will never equal success. If you can’t bring unending joy or piss someone off, you probably will never achieve much. What’s that phrase again–the greatest threat to any business is to be recognized as average. Because no one talks about average. They talk about things that upset them or make them happy.

For me, the autoharp fills that quota. I’m not the best autoharper out there. After seeing the amazing skill of folks like Bryan Bowers, Drew Smith and Ray Choi this weekend, I see just how much I need to practice and learn. But I’m also not the worst. I’m above average and a good performer.

I appreciate feedback from musicians concerned with my “limiting” choice of instrument. But they don’t understand it. They’ve never tried to master the autoharp. I challenge any musician who thinks it is limiting to practice 3 hours a day like that college dorm friend to see if they can imitate those autoharpers above. I bet they will give up and realize the autoharp offers we individuals much more than imitation will ever offer.

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast just released a new CD of Irish Celtic Music.  Now I need your help to Top the Charts. You see, the tough thing about trying to run a Top the Charts promo is my severe lack of time.

Taking care of my daughter full-time, I don’t much time to do any work. I still need to mail out Song Henge and spread the word through the Celtic Music Magazine. The only way for this to succeed is through repetition. Folks need to be made aware of the promo. Then, the message needs repeating a lot the day before the big event. That’s how messages like these succeed.

In all honesty, I can’t do it without your help. A few of you have already started talking about the event. Poitin is telling all their fans. But I need help spreading the word on forums, on social networks, everywhere you are online. Just spread the word.

Oh! And don’t forget to sign up to the Top the Charts instant notification system… Yeah. That’s a good name. You can do so right here.

I am releasing my very, very first solo CD as a digital download. The album is called Geography and was originally released under the pseudonym Ichabod, or as it will be listed online, Ichabod Zeuss.

What is Geography all about?

In 1998, I quit my day job for the first time intent on doing music full-time. Before doing so, I released my first solo CD. I loved it. I loved how well-produced it sounded. Even today, I listen to it and I smile. It had some good music on it.

The album was highly experimental. It was my attempt at Alternative Folk music featuring a mix of ethereal songs, bizarre drinking songs, Christian pop, American folk songs, and just plain absurd music. Come to think of it, maybe Ichabod Zeuss should be the pseudonym I use the next time I record something truly bizarre and absurd, instead of that other cool band name I love–Gollum in Chains. Hmmm…?

As with every first recording, this album had quite a few problems, and not just with marketing. It had technical problems.

Geography Is All Fixed Up

I recorded Geography with a new engineer. He was learning studio engineering, just like I was learning how to record and perform. The CD only cost me $8/hour to record. That was an amazing deal, but money was still tight. I let some things slip that I shouldn’t have. Most notably, “Reflexology” had a horrible out-of-tune note in my voice. “Freight Train” rocked, except in that one place where I skipped a beat. I was so proud of that album, yet I let these  errors stick.

However, thanks to modern technology and years of editing audio, I am thrilled to say that I fixed all of those problems. Now I can re-release the album knowing that any flaws to the album are not technical. They are just bizarre songwriting at it’s best… or worst… You decide.

As for me, I still love many of the songs on this CD. I still play “Irish Ballad”.

I still love “Freight Train”, a song by Elizabeth Cotton who worked for the Seeger family. She learned to play guitar from the Seegers by mirroring them. I learned the song from my dad.

Then there’s the misnamed “Reflexology”. It’s not at all about reflexology. I wrote the word “reflexology” on the same piece of paper where I wrote the song lyric. I wanted to learn more about reflexology. The name stuck.

“Monster in My Mirror” delights me to no end. I sing in the voice of Ernie. It made me happier recently when I saw that Grover actually sang a similar song on Sesame Street.

I still love the lyrics to “Dying Flame”. It’s a song about the how country music had lost all the country in it. How appropriate that is today!

Oh! And who can forget those incredibly deep lyrics to “Lounging in La La Land.” [insert sarcasm]

Okay. Maybe it’s not high art. But I am happy to see the album reborn. Because six months after releasing it, I realized that album was not helping me book gigs. So I released October Sessions before being forced to find a job.

My dreams of doing music full-time were shattered. Yet I found a temp job at the University of Texas at Austin. I started practicing daily on the South Mall at the university. In January 1999, the Brobdingnagian Bards were born on the South Mall. Six years later, I quit my day job for good!

Knowing what I know about marketing and promotion, I realize that if anything is to get recognition, you need a niche. I have far too many niches. Check out my booking page. There you see music for Renaissance festival, house concerts, Sci Fi Conventions, festivals, etc. I actually cleaned it up a while back. But the point stands. What is my musical focus? What do people know me for?

Quite honestly, I have never had anyone request that I play one of my instrumental tunes at a show. Yet, the next door neighbor took my instrumental CD to his art class and all of his student’s loved it. It served as great mood music for painting. In fact, artist friend Amanda Carman told me the same as we were driving to the Georgia Renaissance Festival this year.

That tells me that people do enjoy my instrumental music. But who’s gonna buy it? That’s the big question.

For that reason, I decided to separate the brands. Just like Coca Cola doesn’t sell Coca Cola lime soda, they sell Sprite. I’m gonna sell my instrumental music as Dream Dragon.

Why Dream Dragon?

Most of my instrumentals are ethereal tunes inspired by mythical creatures. A long time, I wrote a blog about the autoharp as an instrument of the elves. And re-reading it now, maybe I should’ve gone with an elven or fae theme. Ah well.

Nevertheless, I love the name. And I love dragons. So when I finally release that second album of instrumental autoharp music. This is the name you shall find it. In fact, I even setup a mailing list through Reverbnation for the new album. If you enjoy my instrumentals, please sign up today.

I should point out that despite the name change, my first instrumental album, Heart’s Ease, is no different from the version I released under my name. I also don’t plan to release a CD version of it with the name Dream Dragon, at least until I finish selling the original version.

Greetings Gunn Runners! Mage Records (my label), in conjunction with the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, is proud to release a brand new CD of Irish Celtic Music. In fact, that is the name of this amazing album.

The CD is released under the name Marc Gunn’s Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. It is a new compilation to promote my hit podcast. However, the album also features the incredible music of two of the podcast’s incredible bands: Poitin and FIMM.

I can’t say enough great things about these two bands. They have some absolutely brilliant music! Neither is signed to a record label. Neither are from the U.S.. Poitin is an awesome, award-winning group from the Czech Republic. FIMM is an all-female group from Rome, Italy.

Who are these indie Celtic musicians?

If you’ve never heard of these two amazing and obscure Celtic group, I won’t hold it against you. Neither has a big budget to promote their music. Poitin is fairly active online. I’ve followed their career for many years now. FIMM is currently on hiatus. I’m hoping we can change that.

But you won’t see them on PBS, like Celtic Thunder or Celtic Woman. You won’t hear them playing for a smash hit show like Riverdance.  In fact, you can’t even buy FIMM’s album at all…right now.

I’m hoping we can change all of that with the power of social networking and YOU!

I love these bands and I want you to fall in love with them too. So I want you to buy this CD… but NOT YET.

I need your help to Top The Celtic Top 10

On Wednesday, May 23, we are going to rocket this album up the charts on iTunes and Amazon.

Here’s how it works. On May 23rd, I will ask you to buy the song , “Memories of Ireland” on one of those two sites. You will tell all your friends to do the same. Then we will sit back and watch as Irish Celtic Music gets the attention it deserves.

It will skyrocket up the charts. That will offer it more visibility, which will in turn equal more sales, which will ultimately offer more visibility for the podcast, Poitin, FIMM, and all of the other amazing indie Celtic music groups online.

But to make that happen. I need your help.  Here’s how:

1. Go to http://www.celticmusicpodcast.com/topthecharts/ and sign up to the mailing list so I can send you a few notices on the 23rd. Yes. I will be sending several emails that day and as we approach that day. So be ready.
2. Share this post with your friends. Start talking about the compilation, this initiative and your plan to help.

Thank you so much for all your help! I look forward to seeing a smashing successful Top the Celtic Charts initiative.

Oh! Wanna listen to some of the album. I featured it in show Pub Songs Podcast #101 – Irish Celtic Music.

When Odin saw that the Final Battle of the Geeks approached, he scoured the fields and fjords for the greatest nerds he could find. Each had knowledge of subjects arcane and abstruse; each knew the pleasures and the torments that a fiery passion inflicts. Perceiving these qualities in them, the Father of All armed the dungeon crawlers with sound-scroll and word-spear, and charged them with a quest: to map the dangerous terrain of fanboy and hobbyist, reconnoiter the mainstream along with the fringe, and follow their passions to the ends of the earth. These brave web warriors have embraced their holy mission, taking a solemn vow to report on all things that appeal to their nerdy niche, for they know that Rag-NERD-rok draws nigh.

I met these fine folk at I-Con 31 last month. My music will be on their podcast soon.

I really should get back to sending my music to more podcasts. Any suggestions?

What would you consider is the quintessential American Celtic song or songs? Favorite bands performing the song?

My latest CD, Don’t Go Drinking With Hobbits, touts the lifestyle, virtues, and drinking of hobbits. It’s  been out quite a while now. Now I’m wondering what your favorite songs are on the CD? If there’s a consensus, I should probably promote those a bit more, huh?

So cast your vote. You can pick your top 3 songs.

I hope to see you there. Please make sure to share the facebook events I created to promote my performance.  Tell a friend.

First, let me thank you for subscribing to this list.

I’m really excited to announce that I’ll be back at I-Con this year. Thank you for your support in making  this happen.

Now I really need help getting people to my shows. It’s been two years since I’ve been there. I didn’t have great attendance then. So I really need some big shows to make this year’s event a success.

To that end, I set up a facebook group for I-Con.

Please join the event and SHARE SHARE SHARE!

In the meantime, here are my shows:
Friday    9:00pm – 10:00pm
Javits 101    The Celtfather Live! Sci Fi Drinking Songs

Saturday    12:00pm – 1:00pm
Javits 100    Firefly Drinking Songs

Saturday    6:00pm – 8:00pm
SAC Auditorium    Cabaret

Sunday    11:00am – 12:00pm
SAC Auditorium    The Celtfather Live! Sci Fi Drinking Songs

As a special bonus, Devo Spice and Voltaire will be there too.

Oh!  Make sure you join my I-Con Mailing List.