Traditional Irish Music Sessions

Hosted by The Shannon Irish Dance Academy

Thursday(s). 8:00 PM to 8:45 PM on Floor B of our studio. All registered SIDA students are welcome to attend.

Director: Miss Marissa Nixon (Flute). Open Champion dancer. 9th Place & World Qualifier Mid-America Oireachtas 2024. Nationals re-caller 2024.

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann

Dublin-based Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) is the largest non-profit group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture. Started in 1951, CCÉ now has branches all over the world. To visit Comhaltas North America, please click here. 

Some of Shannon’s students are members of the Mid-Atlantic CCÉ Killoran Clancy Whelan branch, based in Queens, New York. If you’re an active SIDA student and would like membership information, please email rinceceol@aol.com.

To join the nearest Michigan branch, please email contact@detroitirishmusic.org. The Detroit Irish Music Association is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Instruments used in Traditional Irish Music Sessions:

  • Fiddle (violin)

  • Flute and Whistle

  • Uilleann pipes

  • Harp

  • Accordion and Concertina

  • Banjo

  • Mandolin

  • Guitar

  • Irish Bouzouki

  • Harmonica

  • Bodhrán and other Percussion

If you have any of the above instruments that you would like to donate to our school, please email us at shannonirishdancers@gmail.com to arrange a drop-off time at our studio. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Lessons:

Students at The Shannon Irish Dance Academy are proud to be taught by some of the world’s best Irish musicians. We highly recommend the following individuals if you’re interested in music lessons:

  • Miss Ann Marie Acosta, TCRG, ADCRG, MA, & Professional Musician. Virtual lessons. Multiple instruments offered. Call (917) 692-1332 or email rinceceol@aol.com.

  • Miss Shannon Quinn, Award Winning Artist from Atlantic Canada. Virtual lessons. Specializing in Irish Fiddle. Contact Miss Shannon HERE.

  • Irish Music Institute. With instructors throughout Ireland and North America, the IMI offers private online lessons with the highest caliber of musicians and singers in the world.

Midwest Fleadh 2025: April 26th, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northbrook, IL

The Fleadh, organized by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, stands as a prestigious Irish music competition. Specifically, the Midwest Fleadh serves as the regional stage for musicians from the North American Midwest and West, encompassing both the United States and Canada. Contenders who successfully advance through the rigorous regional competition earn the opportunity to partake in the main Fleadh event, hosted in Ireland.