Rob Portnoy is a renowned multi-woodwind performer, clinician and teacher who has worked with a plethora of superstar singers, musicians and performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Newton, Nancy Wilson, Don Sebasky, Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, Debbie Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughn – to name but a few! He had the following to say about a wooden headjoint that he recently commissioned Martin Doyle to make for his concert flute:
Hi Martin,
I just wanted to thank you for the phenomenal work you did in creating my new headjoint. I recently played it on the show “Beauty and The Beast” and received many compliments on my “sweet” sound. The combination of my Altus Limited and your Blackwood Headjoint allow me a warmth that neither of my metal headjoints provide and enable me to play all octaves with a solid, centered sound which articulates quickly and doesn’t break up when pushed! I will surely endorse your craftsmanship so more flutists can experience the wonderful qualities of a Martin Doyle headjoint!
Best wishes,
– Rob Portnoy.
Martin Doyle’s web page about the wooden headjoints he makes for western concert flutes can be viewed here »
Here is Martin Doyle‘s video pick for October 2012 – the Grammy Award winning flute player, Rhonda Larson performing the hymn Be Still My Soul. (Note Rhonda’s harmonic singing while playing the flute in the opening moments of the performance.)
About Rhonda:
Rhonda Larson says she was born wanting to play the flute – where that desire came from remains a mystery to her. It was finally at age 10 that Rhonda first picked up a flute, a journey that has taken her to the farthest reaches of the world. Her ‘practice room’ was a high mountain ridge outside her family home in Bozeman, Montana, where the sky is endless and the breathtaking mountains cut through your soul. It is not difficult, then, to understand that the depths of Rhonda’s music comes from a place in her heart that celebrates the beauty of the human spirit, found most alive in nature. “I began to see that music has a larger role for humanity: that it can truly speak to the shared expressions of our human souls.”More »
A very fine quote from Rhonda’s homepage:
“The dignity of the artist lies in their duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.” – G.K. Chesterton.
Some weeks ago, Martin Doyle sent me links to the two videos offered below and said, “What do you think of them?” Naturally I liked them very much and was quite impressed with the spontaneity and freedom of movement. And the music being played for the dancers is excellent! “Sean-nós – what does that mean?” was my question to Martin. “Old style,” was his answer. So I did a little looking around…
For the uninitiated (like me), sean-nós dance is an older style of traditional solo Irish dance – the lesser known freeform solo type of dancing that many of Ireland’s older traditional musicians played for.
It is a casual dance form (as opposed to the more formal competition-oriented form of) Irish Stepdancing. “Sean Nós” in the Irish language means “old style” and refers to various activities, including sean-nós song and sean-nós dance. These less common forms of Irish dance and traditional Irish singing have been documented by folklorists and song collectors (aka ethnomusicologists), but still often form part of the traditional dance scene in Ireland. Read more »
The musicians in this first video clip include the renowned Irish ‘box’ (melodeon) player Johnny Connolly. Emma O’Sullivan is the dancer…
The second video clip was recorded in the late 1970s and, according to the pundits page at The Session, features the wonderful flute playing of Harry McGowan. Tom King is the dancer…
Martin Doyle has just received a very kind testimonial from the renowned County Clare flute player Garry Shannon after Martin finished a keyed flute for him. Garry’s testimonial can be viewed here »
Garry Shannon
Garry Shannon is the eldest of a celebrated County Clare family of musicians which includes Sharon Shannon (accordion) and Mary Shannon (banjo).
Garry won the senior All-Ireland flute title in 1988 and has since played with a number of respected groups. He is a member of the legendary Kilfenora Ceili Band, has recorded three solo albums, teaches flute extensively and is co-ordinator of the Irish music residential summer school Meitheal. Read more »
Here’s a recording of Garry playing reels from his album Loozin’ Air:
Martin Doyle gets his fair share of visitors to his home and workshop in County Clare and they come from near and far. This week saw a small group of intrepid Kiwis pop in for a ‘cuppa and a chat’. Nearing the conclusion of a two week walking tour through the west of Ireland, the happy and hardy group were spending a couple of days in the area with visits to local artisans, walking the Burren and a night on Inis Meáin (one of the Aran Islands). Martin and his assistant Gwenn Frin were delighted to receive the guests who hailed from New Zealand, the US and Canada.
Walking tour leader Rachel Ryan (back left) and members of the group with Martin Doyle (back centre) and Gwenn Frin (back right) among a forest of wooden flutes at Martin’s workshop in County Clare.
The tours are led by County Limerick native Rachel Ryan who has lived in Nelson, New Zealand, since 1980. Each year Rachel and her team guide walking tours of west Ireland and also take visitors to New Zealand on walking tours throughout the beautiful Nelson/Tasman region of New Zealand’s South Island.
Martin has developed a strong connection with New Zealand since meeting his friend and webmaster Shardul in 2001 when Martin was still living in County Wicklow. Shardul was looking for a flute for his meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy and arrived at Martin’s workshop in Bray. For a period spanning four or five years after that, Martin made a small number of Irish flutes from native New Zealand timbers that were supplied to him by his Kiwi friend. Shardul now lives in Nelson and met Rachel Ryan at Nelson’s Race Unity Day in 2012. One thing leads to another in this world of ours…
Barry Conaty is a young flute player from County Cavan. In July he won first place in both the U 12 flute and the U 12 flute slow air competitions at the Ulster Fleadh 2012. Barry plays a Martin Doyle flute and recently sent Martin a very kind and eloquent note regarding his experiences and feelings about the flute. Those comments can be viewed at the top of this page »
Martin Doyle and Barry Conaty share some tunes in Martin’s workshop
Here is a video clip of Barry Conaty playing his Martin Doyle flute…
If you wish to visit Martin Doyle's main website, click on this link: Martin Doyle Flutes
About Martin Doyle
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Martin Doyle grew up in the seaside town of Bray in County Wicklow. One of four children in a family with music in their blood, Martin was influenced and inspired by his mothers melodious singing from a very early age – learning songs that have stayed with him to this day.
Read more: About Martin Doyle Contact Martin Doyle
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Martin Doyle grew up in the seaside town of Bray in County Wicklow. One of four children in a family with music in their blood, Martin was influenced and inspired by his mothers melodious singing from a very early age – learning songs that have stayed with him to this day.
Rob Portnoy Comments On His Martin Doyle Headjoint
April 11, 2013 at 9:58 am · Filed under Concert Flutes, Flute Players, Martin Doyle Flutes, Musicians, Testimonials, Wooden Head Joints ·Tagged comment, Concert, Flute, head, joint, Rob Portnoy, western, wooden
Rob Portnoy
Rob Portnoy is a renowned multi-woodwind performer, clinician and teacher who has worked with a plethora of superstar singers, musicians and performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Newton, Nancy Wilson, Don Sebasky, Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, Debbie Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughn – to name but a few! He had the following to say about a wooden headjoint that he recently commissioned Martin Doyle to make for his concert flute:
Martin Doyle’s web page about the wooden headjoints he makes for western concert flutes can be viewed here »
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