This is How we Fly
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh (fiddle, hardanger fiddle)
Seán Mac Erlaine (bass clarinet, alto saxophone, electronics)
Nic Gareiss (percussive dance)
Petter Berndalen (drums, percussion)
Formed in 2010, This is How we Fly is a Contemporary Folk band consisting of Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh on fiddle & hardanger fiddle, Seán Mac Erlaine on bass clarinet, saxophones & live electronics, Nic Gareiss on percussive dance, and Petter Berndalen on drums and percussion. Individually, each member has carved out a reputation for not just mastering their chosen fields, but rising above, redefining and renewing the musical world they come from. Initially brought together through a commission from the Dublin Fringe Festival (under the moniker Four on the Fringe of Folk) in September 2010 to play a one-off show, they received an unexpectedly rapturous response. Their music sees Swedish folk music rhythms meet the texture of traditional Irish fiddle, percussive dance from America & improvised jazz and electronics.
Best known for his work with traditional musicians including Mick O'Brien & Brendan Begley, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh has deservedly gained an enviable profile as an innovative solo artist with his imaginative compositions and thrilling performance style.
Seán Mac Erlaine's music draws on an education as a jazz musician, a track record as one of Ireland's most dynamic performers and a frequent cross-platform collaborator in theatre and dance projects. Recent work sees his versatility as an instrumentalist expanding to include live electronics in an ever evolving sonic exploration.
Nic Gareiss has performed as a featured soloist with The Chieftains, Solas, Darol Anger, Dervish and Martin Hayes. His work re-imagines movement as a musical activity, morphing dance into a medium that appeals to both the eyes and the ears. Nic draws from many percussive dance traditions to weave together a technique in service of his love of improvisation, traditional footwork vocabulary and musical collaboration.
Petter Berndalen is a ground-breaking percussionist, turning the accepted conditions and past norms of drum playing upside down. Deeply rooted in the Swedish folk music tradition he is the first percussionist in the world with a degree in Swedish folk music. In 2008, after ten years of studies he graduated from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm with a Master of Fine Arts. He frequently appears both as a solo artist as well as with different bands and projects, both in Sweden and worldwide.
Click here for more information about the performer
Tour Dates
Tuesday 6 Dec, 35 Lower Liffey Street, Dublin 1
- The Grand Social
- 9pm, €15 / €13 (subject to availability)
- 01 677 0262 (Claddagh Records) or www.entertainment.ie (booking fee)
- Promoted by The Liffey Banks Sessions
