SYRACUSE NY – Nils Fredland will be calling a contra dance to the O’Shanigans’ tunes on Friday March 11th from 8-11 pm. The Dance is at the Fayetteville NY dance hall (directions below). O’Shanigans is Tim Ball on fiddle, Phil Robinson on guitar and Mike Ludgate on mandolin.

THE CALLER — Nils Fredland is a popular caller at and in demand at the big festivals for a reason: he has been making music, leading dances, and bringing people together for twenty years as a teacher; singer and song leader; trombonist; contra, square, and community dance caller; story teller; and workshop leader. Nils is really fantastic! More details: 8:00 - 11:00 pm Friday Mar 11th at The United Church of Fayetteville on 310 E. Genesee Street in Fayetteville, NY. Sponsored by Syracuse Country Dancers! Admission $7- Don’t miss them this dance! This is an authentic old New England style venue with a newly refinished dance floor! Bring clean shoes, a water bottle and YOUR FRIENDS! All dances taught, No partner needed.

THE BAND — The O’Shanigans contra dance band perform Celtic, American and world Fiddle tunes suitable for contra dancing,  general entertainment and weddings. Fiddle and dance tunes from: New England, Southern Appalachia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Finland, Sweden and the Middle East! They currently combine the skills of two of Ithaca’s most experienced open music jam leaders with an incredibly talented young fiddler and violinist, joined by occasional special guests. They have their own sound gear and a publicity network to help gain attention for your event. They love to play their music for weddings and especially for contra dances! The O’Shanigans is: Phil Robinson on guitar (Ithaca Bluegrass jam leader, multi-instrumentalist), Tim Ball on fiddle (Contrapasso, Tunescape, IC violinist and etc) and Michael Ludgate on mandolin (Canaan jam leader, waltz jam originator, CMEMME member and etc). They sometimes substitute other well qualified musicians if any of these members are not available for a particular event and call themselves NO’Shanigans!

The contra dance band O’Shanigans was originally formed by Phil Robinson to fill a fun gig for Saint Patrick’s Day in March of 2009. The members shift and change a bit, but Phil and Mike are usually at the core. Yes, you guessed the name was coined as a spin off on the word shenanigans and that first Irish gig! But they play way more than Irish! They have not lost their sense of humor even while hitting a few bumps in the road!  Email address  oshanigans@canaaninstitute.org Their web page is here  http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html

GOOGLE MAPS DIRECTIONS to this DANCE — http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode&q=310+E.+Genesee+Street+in+310+E+Genesee+St%2C+Fayetteville%2C+NY+13066&sll=42.44623%2C-76.47966&sspn=0.004061%2C0.009645&ie=UTF8&hq=310+E.+Genesee+Street&hnear=310+E+Genesee+St%2C+Fayetteville%2C+NY+13066&ll=43.028369%2C-76.00713&spn=0.008439%2C0.01929&z=16

VERBAL DIRECTIONS to this DANCE — From I-481 take exit 3E, and follow Route 5 east for three miles to Fayetteville. The church is at 310 E. Genesee Street, between Walnut Street and Chapel Street. It is a brick church with a very tall, very pointy red steeple. You can get to the parking lot from Walnut Street (one-way going south), the church driveway (on the east side of the church, also one-way going south), or Chapel Street http://www.syracusecountrydancers.org/Directions.html#ucf

PARKING — TONS OF EASY FREE PARKING right behind the church! Zoom in on this link for a look! http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode&q=310+E.+Genesee+Street+in+310+E+Genesee+St%2C+Fayetteville%2C+NY+13066&sll=42.44623%2C-76.47966&sspn=0.004061%2C0.009645&ie=UTF8&hq=310+E.+Genesee+Street&hnear=310+E+Genesee+St%2C+Fayetteville%2C+Onondaga%2C+New+York+13066&t=h&ll=43.028745%2C-76.007012&spn=0.001041%2C0.002411&z=19

FROM THE DANCERS AND MUSICIANS about O’Shanigans — “The O’Shanigans rocked the hall tonight! You guys sure know how to throw a party!” “I was really glad to get to dance to your music- that was tons of fun!!” “Super dance on Friday! You guys were peppy, and there were some imaginative arrangements that made even old, familiar tunes sound fresh. Hooray for the O’Shanigans!” “It was invigorating music, great company and fun caller!” “Do play for us again!” “It was fun dancing and even more so to the tunes of O’Shanigans!” “It was great!” “Mike, you and Phil and Tim were SOLID! I had a blast and my daughter had fun too! Thanks for playing, and thanks Ray for the goodies!” “We’ve heard great stuff about you guys: We’d love to have you play at our dance!” “Wow! I have not seen that kind of energy at the Friday Dance in long time, you guys were great!” “That was the most amazing medley … was there something Middle Eastern in there?” “You guys were way out there like in Hungary or somewhere? … then you brought it back home with that old-time tune … the best version of that I have ever heard!” “The band was absolutely wonderful last night!”

SALT CITY — “Just after the Revolutionary War, more settlers came to the area, mostly to trade with the Onondaga Nation. Ephraim Webster left the Continental Army to settle in 1784, and Asa Danforth, another revolutionary war hero, and Comfort Tyler, whose engineering skill contributed to regional development, arrived four years later. All three settled in Onondaga Hollow south of the present city center, which was then marshy. Salt was discovered in several swamps in Syracuse, which brought more settlers to the area, and eventually gave the city the nickname “Salt City”.” source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse,_New_York

BAND on WEB http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html
BAND on FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/oshanigans
CALLER’S WEBSITE http://www.nilsfredland.com/
VENUE WEBSITE http://www.syracusecountrydancers.org/index.html
EVENT POSTER http://canaaninstitute.org/docs/Oshanigans_current_poster.pdf
FACEBOOK EVENT http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168431443208943

About Contra Dancing: WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST DANCE Contra dancing is easy to learn. It’s so easy to learn that you don’t take lessons. Just show up at a dance and by the end of the first night you’ll have learned all the dance moves and you will be able to enjoy the next dance even more. People are friendly and welcoming to beginners. The age range is from kids to folks that have been around for a while. Both singles and doubles come to contra dances and women as well as men ask people to dance. It is usual that you change partners after every dance. You will meet people in a relaxed, pleasant, smoke and alcohol free atmosphere. The patterns of the dance can be a tad confusing at first but remember everyone had a first time and that other dancers will help you. Listen to the caller and the music and go with the flow of the dance. Some people find they get dizzy at first. Looking directly at the person you are dancing with eliminates this sensation. For many, the music is what keeps them coming back as it is exciting and lively. People come to dance, hear the music, socialize and have a good time.

WHAT TO WEAR? Wear smooth soled shoes and comfortable light weight clothing. Some halls require non-street shoes so make sure the soles of shoes aren’t bringing grit onto the dance floor. Most people bring a bottle of drinking water. Contra dancing is joyous so it’s important that you bring a smile. Adapted from http://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/music.html

More information About Contra Dancing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance
http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayDance.com/US_NY_ITH_TCCD
http://hands4dancers.org/
http://www.syracusecountrydancers.org/
http://contra.binghamtondance.org/contra_calendar.htm
http://www.thedancegypsy.com/

OSWEGO NY – Ontario Center for Performing Arts is sponsoring this month’s contra dance, Friday December 3rd, 7:30 - 10:30 pm. $7.00 per person, $15.00 per family, $3.00 per students. A newcomer’s workshop begins at 7:00.  The music will be provided by The O’Shanigans (from Ithaca), with caller Bob Nicholson. Location is at The McCrobie Civic Center, 41 Lake St., Oswego, NY.  Please check out the Music Hall’s new website, which spotlights each seasons showcase of Musical performances AND for each first Friday of the month, our featured contra dance musicians and callers: http://oswegomusichall.org/ O’Shanigans is Tim Ball on fiddle, Phil Robinson on guitar and Mike Ludgate on mandolin. Band web site http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html

GOOGLE MAPS DIRECTIONS to this DANCE — http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=McCrobie+Bldg.,+41+Lake+st.,+Oswego+NY&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=37.325633,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=McCrobie+Bldg.,&hnear=41+Lake+St,+Oswego,+New+York+13126&z=16

ITHACA NY — Fri SEPT 17th An O’Shanigans dance party at Bethel Grove! The O’Shanigans are back for a fabulous Contra Dance at Bethel Grove Community Center with the marvelous Nancy Spero calling the dances at 1825 Slaterville Road (Rt 79 about 4 miles east of Ithaca) Ithaca NY from 8-11 pm. Don’t miss this c…elebration of the roots of New England folk dance! This is an authentic Old New England style venue with a newly refinished wooden dance floor! Bring clean shoes, a water bottle and YOUR FRIENDS! All dances taught, No partner needed. Admission $6- Sponsored by: TCCD - Tompkins County Country Dances.

O’Shanigans is Tim Ball on fiddle, Mike Ludgate on mandolin and tenor banjo and Phil Robinson on guitar.

BAND WEBSITE http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html
VENUE WEBSITE http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayDance.com?key=US_NY_ITH_TCCD
VENUE’S POSTER http://canaaninstitute.org/photos/TCCD_Insert_current.pdf
BAND’S EVENT POSTER http://canaaninstitute.org/docs/Oshanigans_current_poster.pdf
FACEBOOK EVENT http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138051732905626

NPR: Youth Flock To Contra Dancing — Contra dancing has been around since the 1700s. If you don’t know it — it’s kind of like square dancing but with long lines of dancers. The dance is having a renaissance around the country thanks to a thriving youth scene and incredibly lively acoustic music. Article by Marika Partridge on All Things Considered NPR July 2nd 2010 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128273050

DIRECTIONS to this DANCE — http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayVenue.com?key=US_NY_ITH_BG Bethel Grove Community Center 1825 Slaterville Road (NYS Rt.79) (from Ithaca take State Street east to Rt. 79, about four miles from the Ithaca Commons; a few hundred yards past the Bible Church) Google Maps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode&q=1825+Slaterville+Rd%2C+Ithaca%2C+NY+14850&sll=42.41161%2C-76.29505&sspn=0.008523%2C0.01929&ie=UTF8&hq&hnear=1825+Slaterville+Rd%2C+Ithaca%2C+Tompkins%2C+New+York+14850&ll=42.40552%2C-76.432515&spn=0.034097%2C0.077162&z=14

More information About Contra Dancing:
http://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/music.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance
http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayDance.com/US_NY_ITH_TCCD
http://hands4dancers.org/
http://www.syracusecountrydancers.org/
http://contra.binghamtondance.org/contra_calendar.htm
http://www.thedancegypsy.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTtEOaruqr4
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128273050

Hot New Local Contra Dance Band Debuts with West Coast Dance Caller

On Friday October 23rd, Ithaca’s hottest new contra dance band, The O’Shanigans, will provide lively traditional world music for a contra dance at Bethel Grove Community Center on Rt. 79 just east of Ithaca NY. The dances will be called by renowned west coast caller Woody Lane. The dance starts promptly at 8:00 pm and runs until 11:00 pm with a short break about halfway through. Admission is only $6.00. All dances are taught from scratch. No partner is needed to attend. Contra dances are held at this venue every Friday. Contra dancing a fun friendly mix-and-match type of dance; always with live fiddle music.

Facebook event page http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154226023782

Brief description of the band:

The O’Shanigans perform Celtic, American and world fiddle dance tunes suitable for general entertainment and contra dances. The band combines the skills of an incredibly talented young fiddler.with two of Ithaca’s most experienced open music jam leaders. The O’Shanigans is: Tim Ball on fiddle (Contrapasso, Tunescape, Ithaca College violinist and etc), Phil Robinson on guitar (Ithaca Bluegrass jam leader, multi-instrumentalist), and Michael Ludgate on mandolin and tenor banjo (Canaan jam leader, waltz jam originator, Cornell Middle East Ensemble member and etc). The band O’Shanigans was originally formed by Phil Robinson to fill a fun gig for a Saint Patrick’s Day in March of 2009. The band name was coined as a spin off on the word shenanigans and that first Irish gig! Web page http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html Booking: oshanigans@canaaninstitute.org

About the dance caller:

Woody Lane : Dance Caller, Teacher and Percussive Dancer

Woody calls contra, squares, mixers, and circle dances for all levels of dancers, from weddings and community dances to venues for experienced dancers, such as contramanias and weekend dance camps. He generally calls modern contras, although occasional chestnuts are fun, and he enjoy calling smooth, active contras that dancers really enjoy. He can also call good fast squares, and will call one or more in an evening depending on the crowd and the music. His teaching is clear and precise, and he tries to generate excitement and exhilaration on the dance floor.

Woody has called extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest and West Coast and for the past few years has toured across the United States. He has done dances in Denver, Washington DC (Glen Echo), Baltimore, North Carolina (including Brasstown), Georgia, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky. New York, Anchorage, and many other places around the US and Canada.

Woody used to live in West Virginia, where he was first exposed to the feeling and rhythms of Appalachian music and dance. There, he danced to old-time string music in small community halls in the mountains. he first learned to call in the early 1980’s at the Augusta Heritage Workshops in West Virginia and has been calling dances ever since. Woody has lived and called in Madison, WI and Ithaca, NY. He moved to Oregon in 1990. In the past few years, he has expanded his calling to be on staff at dance and music camps, including Fiddle Tunes, Bear Hug (Montana), and Raincoast Ruckus (Vancouver, BC).

Woody Lane is also an accomplished percussive dancer and will usually do some stepdancing when he calls. He began clogging in the late 1970’s in West Virginia. He taught clogging in Ithaca and was one of the founding members of the famous “Limberjacks” clogging team in New York in the early I 980s. In Wisconsin, he was on the “Kickapoo Cloggers” and was founding member of the “Barking Frog Cloggers” - an eclectic dance troupe that specialized in unusual formations and rhythms. Over the past ten years in Oregon, his dancing has evolved into a more complex style of flatfooting that adds a rhythmic accompaniment to the music. In the Pacific Northwest, he is well-known for his percussive dance, and will join bands as a percussive element. At festivals and dances, he often teaches percussive dance workshops that include clogging, flatfooting, rhythms, and waltz clog.

More about Contra Dancing:

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST DANCE Contra dancing is easy to learn. It’s so easy to learn that you don’t take lessons. Just show up at a dance and by the end of the first night you’ll have learned all the dance moves and you will be able to enjoy the next dance even more. People are friendly and welcoming to beginners. The age range is from kids to folks that have been around for a while. Both singles and doubles come to contra dances and women as well as men ask people to dance. It is usual that you change partners after every dance. You will meet people in a relaxed, pleasant, smoke and alcohol free atmosphere. The patterns of the dance can be a tad confusing at first but remember everyone had a first time and that other dancers will help you. Listen to the caller and the music and go with the flow of the dance. Some people find they get dizzy at first. Looking directly at the person you are dancing with eliminates this sensation. For many, the music is what keeps them coming back as it is exciting and lively. People come to dance, hear the music, socialize and have a good time.

WHAT TO WEAR? Wear smooth soled shoes and comfortable light weight clothing. Some halls require non-street shoes so make sure the soles of shoes aren’t bringing grit onto the dance floor. Most people bring a bottle of drinking water. Contra dancing is joyous so it’s important that you bring a smile. [ source http://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/music.html ]

More INFO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance

Locally http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayDance.com/US_NY_ITH_TCCD

and http://hands4dancers.org/

More details about O’Shanigans band members – all currently reside in Ithaca NY area:

Phil Robinson - [ Guitar with O'Shanigans, also mandolin, fiddle, sitar and 5-string banjo ] Phil’s grandmother and mother both played piano and sang, and his father played saxophone in a swing band. His family noticed early on that Phil had perfect pitch, so they encouraged him to learn piano and music theory as a young child and even bought him a baby grand piano on which to practice. He competed in National Piano Players Guild auditions and earned several honorary certificates as a boy. In elementary school, Phil learned recorder, baritone horn, and tenor sax as well.

As he degenerated into a rebellious teen, Phil thought electric guitar would be way cooler than anything, so at 13 he bought a bizarre bright blue electric with dozens of semi-functional buttons to play with. He managed to plug it into his mom’s 8-track tape player and use it as his first amplifier. Hard rock was his earliest influence, with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Angus Young of AC/DC, and Alex Lifeson of Rush being his favorite guitarists to try to emulate. Phil took a few lessons but mostly practiced scales and chords endlessly, whiling away several hours a day, many years in a row, from junior high school through grad school.

After the initial funky guitar, Phil acquired a Fender Jazzmaster, then a Gibson Les Paul Standard, and finally a gorgeous red Fender Stratocaster that he still plays today. In high school and college, Phil played with various rock cover bands. He started to enjoy jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish, learned many of their songs, and he loves soloing to that kind of music. Also, Phil started to get serious about learning classical guitar, playing pieces by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Isaac Albeniz, Bach, Fernando Sor, and many other composers.

With some semblance of maturity settling in recently, Phil got into Old-Time, bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, zydeco, and contra dance music. And since everyone and his/her canine plays the guitar in Ithaca, Phil decided to branch out and teach himself fiddle, mandolin, 5-string banjo, and sitar (out of an appreciation for classical Indian music). Phil leads a local bluegrass jam and he sometimes attends Jay Ungar and Molly Mason’s Ashokan Fiddle and Dance camps (Southern Week). Monday evenings in the summer, Phil makes regular appearances with Your Friends and Neighbors at the contra dances on the Ithaca Commons.

Tim Ball - [ Fiddle ] Tim Ball plays fiddle in Contrapasso and Tunescape, and is frequently heard entertaining audiences and lifting the feet of dancers across central New York in the company of these groups and many other fine musicians. A recent graduate of the Ithaca College School of Music where he studied violin with Susan Waterbury, he brings training in classical music and jazz improvization together with a love of social dancing and a great respect for the traditional music of New England, Ireland, Quebec, and the many other regions that have lent their influence to contra dance musicians everywhere.

Tim’s first instrument was the tin whistle. He began taking violin lessons when he was 9, and almost immediately began to teach himself the traditional tunes that he had learned on the whistle. Around the time that he started college, he started to play regularly with the Monday night open band in Ithaca. Eventually he and pianist Roberta Truscello formed Contrapasso. That was truly a “gateway” experience; he has been performing with many musicians around the region ever since.

Michael Ludgate - [ Mandolin with O'Shanigans, also fiddle and Irish tenor banjo ] Michael comes from a long local line of Ithaca musicians. His grandfather Moe Harper was a local jazz clarinet and tenor saxophone player in the Ithaca area in the 1940’s through the 1960’s Moe’s wife Ina, played violin in a more classical style. Mike’s mother Roberta played flute and piano and was popular as a piano accompanist for a variety of musical tasks. Mike remembers vividly the barbershop quartets training in the living room as a child with coaching from his mom. This was the beginning of Michael’s musical education. He always tinkers with the keys of any keyboard he walks by, but never took a lesson - he says he wishes he did. He started on trombone in 4th grade at the public schools in Dryden NY .. taking some lessons from one of his grandfather’s jazz friends, Woody Peters along the way. When his sister took up flute, he just couldn’t resist noodling with woodwinds and started playing scales and simple tunes on flute and saxophone and clarinet.

This instrumental distraction continues today; Michael picked up his grandmother’s violin in 2002 and taught himself to read treble clef with help from a Suzuki book. Then his spouse took pity on him (or herself) and offered to pay for lessons. He took lessons on violin from Rebecca Geiger Hamlin for three years and at that same time started hosting the weekly Wednesday fiddle tune jam from his home. He also plays rudimentary guitar, thanks to Phil Shapiro’s guitar class. Mike has studied Irish tenor banjo, with thanks to Harry Lawless of Traonach. He learned the basics of playing fiddle tunes for contra dancers from Ted Crane and Pamela Goddard’s many open band opportunities. Michael started the Upstate NY area’s only waltz band a couple years ago - this is an open band that plays once per month at the Bethel Grove Contra dances. Most recently Michael has developed a passion for mandolin which he plays mostly melodically in a Celtic style with some New England, bluegrass and old-time influence with thanks to Phil Banaszak, Tod Sukontarak and Tom Quigley. Michael loves and supports the open bands and open acoustic jams around the Ithaca area and attends many of them when time permits. Michael hosts a weekly contra tune jam (open jam) at his home in Brooktondale NY. Michael is also currently a member of the Cornell Middle Eastern Music Ensemble (CMEMME) where he studies Armenian, Turkish and other Middle Eastern fiddle styles under Harold Hagopian.

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The O’Shanigans will be performing at The Newark Valley Apple Festival at the historic Bement-Billings Farmstead. Musicians Phil Robinson (guitar), Tim Ball (fiddle) and Michael Ludgate (tenor banjo) - Sat Oct 3rd from 11:15 am - 1:00 pm along with lots of other bands and musicians! 2 days of Bluegrass, Old-Time, Irish, Celtic and New England fiddle and dance music on 3 stages!  The Newark Valley Historical Society hosts this Apple Festival, at the Bement-Billings Farmstead every year. The festival allows The Newark Valley Historical Society to showcase the history of the farmstead and the interpreters who explain the way things theyre in the days of the family who owned it. The event is open to the public for a nominal admission fee. Supervised parking is across the street in the field. Lots of music all weekend! Bluegrass, Old-time and Celtic! Enjoy traditional music and crafts, food, fun, and festivities. MORE INFO HERE http://tom-marie.com/Saturday_AF09.html and here http://www.nvhistory.org/

The venue: The Bement-Billings Farmstead is a living history museum which interprets domestic life, agricultural practices and the natural environment of the early 1800’s.   The property includes the original Bement farmhouse, a replica blacksmith shop, a reconstructed threshing barn, additional out-buildings, and 90 acres of the Bement family’s farm land.   Educational and community activities include formal school programs and community group tours, two major festivals each year, summer visitation hours, and a children’s day camp.   Several craft guilds practice 19th century skills.   Young people aged 9-18 participate in the Youth Interpreter program.

The O’Shanigans perform Celtic, American and World Fiddle tunes suitable for general entertainment and contra dances. They currently combine skills of two of Ithaca’s most experienced open music jam leaders with an incredibly talented young fiddler native to the Finger Lakes region. The O’Shanigans is: Phil Robinson on guitar (Ithaca Bluegrass jam leader, multi-instrumentalist, accomplished guitarist …), Tim Ball on fiddle (Contrapasso, Tunescape, IC violinist … ) and Michael Ludgate on mandolin (Canaan jam leader, Waltz jam originator, Cornell Middle Eastern Ensemble … ). O’Shanigans was originally started by Phil to satisfy a fun Saint Patrick’s Day gig. The musical members shift and change a bit as time passes, but Phil and or Mike are usually at the core. Yes you guessed it; the name was coined as a spin off on the word shenanigans and that first Irish gig! They have not lost their sense of humor even when they hit a few bumps in the road! More about O’Shanigans on their web page here http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html

The O’Shanigans perform Celtic and American Fiddle tunes suitable for general entertainment and contra dances. We currently combine the skills of two of Ithaca’s most experienced open music jam leaders with an incredibly talented young fiddler. We have our own sound gear and a publicity network to help gain attention for your event. The O’Shanigans is: Phil Robinson on guitar (Ithaca Bluegrass jam leader, multi-instrumentalist), Tim Ball on fiddle (Contrapasso, Tunescape, IC violinist and etc) and Michael Ludgate on mandolin (Canaan jam leader, waltz jam originator, CMEMME member and etc). We may substitute other well qualified musicians if any of these members are not available for a particular event.

The band O’Shanigans was originally formed by Phil Robinson to fill a fun gig for Saint Patrick’s Day in March of 2009. The original members shift and change a bit, but Phil and Mike are usually at the core. Yes, you guessed the name was coined as a spin off on the word shenanigans and that first Irish gig! We have not lost our sense of humor even when we hit a few bumps in the road! Our email address is oshanigans@canaaninstitute.org Our web page is here  http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html