January Gigs and a favor...

Marc's Musings

Greetings and Happy New Year

We had a great holiday. While we had a lot of fun with Christmas presents and family, the highlight for me was when we finally got home.

It was past midnight when our flight landed in Birmingham. Kenzie was sound a sleep. We took her home and tucked her in bed. Then we disappeared into a deep slumber. How I missed my bed!

Sleep didn't last long. At 5 am, Kenzie came into our bedroom. "Mommy, Daddy, come look! Santa Claus brought me a bike!"

We stumbled into her bedroom. Sitting next to her Christmas tree was the bicycle that she asked from Santa. "It's just what I always wanted!" she said delightedly. Then she dug into her stockings to give each and every present an overwhelming amount of love. Traveling is fun, but there's nothing like being at home.

I'm really excited about this year. You can hear it in my voice in my brand new Celtfather podcast as I talk about plans for 2015.

BEST YEAR EVER

I am so ready to kick this year off with a bang. 2015 will be my best year yet!

I have more songs than ever that are just incredibly fun and filled with happiness. Songs that make your face glow. Songs that bring tears to your eyes. Songs that are downright funny. I want to share my passion with you.

HOWEVER, I need your help before I even schedule my next online show.

That's where you come in. Please take a couple minutes to answer this super short survey in my blog. There's really just two questions. Just click this link. Then post your comments in my blog.

http://marcgunn.com/2015/short-survey-for-2015/

UPCOMING SHOWS

Friday, January 9
GaFilk in Atlanta, GA

Saturday, January 17, 7:30pm
Beth Patterson with Marc Gunn at Moonlight on the Mountain in Birmingham, AL

Saturday, January 24, 7:00pm
Marc Gunn at Maggie McGuinness Pub in Huntsville, AL

Saturday, February 7-8, 14-15
Marc Gunn at Sherwood Forest Faire

Thank you for being part my musical journey.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

#marcsmusings

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

Marc Gunn is a rhythm and folk musician inspired by Celtic culture, science fiction, fantasy, and cats. He breathes new life into the autoharp, which continues to surprise musical veterans and fans a like for it’s unique sound and spirited energy. It’s Celtic music, the traditional and the twisted.

January 5, 2015
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The Show Is Scheduled for You

Marc's Musings

Greetings

Wow! I was blown away by all the responses to my 2015 survey. A HUGE THANKS to everyone who responded. If you haven't had a chance, please do so now. This is gonna help me make the absolute BEST internet concert ever. I want to make you happy beyond belief!

In fact, I picked a whole bunch of songs that You recommended for this concert, AND I even booked the next show for Sunday, January 25th.

Go to http://marcgunn.com/concert/ to start following me and to reserve your seat in your own living room. Remember. It's pay-what-you-want!

NEW ALBUM OF ST PATRICK'S DAY SONGS FOR KIDS OUT NEXT MONTH

I've been doing a lot of strategic planning over the past few weeks. I finally made a few decisions. My next album is a kids album. It's called St. Patrick's Day for Kids. It is fast-paced and fun filled with songs your kids will enjoy. How do I know? They were tested on my four-year old daughter. ;-)

You can find out more about it here.

I'm also planning my next Kickstarter which will be for an album called Dragons vs. Pirates. This is a Steampunk album featuring lyrics by my friend Rie Sheridan Rose. We've been planning this album for about three years now. I'm looking forward to finally setting her music to lyrics. Just imagine songs about pirates fighting dragons in grand airships in the sky. It's gonna be a majestic album.

If you want a sneak peak of either of these albums, become a SILVER PATRON. In fact, if I get just four more Silver Patrons, you'll get the kids album as a free download through the website. You'll also get a bunch of tracks as I finish them.

If you need an extra reason to become a Patron, then how about I give you Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits? You can download it over on Patreon, whether you become a Patron or not! It's my gift to you!

UPCOMING SHOWS

Saturday, January 17, 7:30pm
Beth Patterson with Marc Gunn at Moonlight on the Mountain in Birmingham, AL

Saturday, January 24, 7:00pm
Marc Gunn at Maggie McGuinness Pub in Huntsville, AL

Weekend, January 30-February 1
ChattaCon in Chattagnooga, TN

Weekend, February 7-8, 14-15
Marc Gunn at Sherwood Forest Faire

I want to thank you for reading this newsletter. I hope you found it entertaining. If you didn't, then please let me know how I can improve it.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

Oh! And if you want to help promote my music, don't forget to Join My Street Team. http://marcgunn.com/joinstreetteam

#marcsmusings

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

January 13, 2015
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Marc Gunn Internet Concert Tonight. Q&A

Marc's Musings

Greetings

Thanks again to everyone who responded to my survey. You are awesome. Tonight I'm gonna play many of your songs. Afterward, I will respond to some of the questions that were left on the survey as well. If you have any other questions, you're welcome to ask them this evening.

In the meantime, make sure you grab your ticket now at http://marcgunn.com/concert/ and set a reminder for yourself so you don't miss the show!

The concert is pay-what-you-want. So while I'd love it if you paid $100 a ticket, a buck or $5, or $10 is fine. Just please come and join me!

UPCOMING SHOWS

Sunday, January 25, 7:30pm CST
Pay-what-you-want! INTERNET SHOW on Concert Window

Weekend, January 30-February 1
ChattaCon in Chattagnooga, TN

Weekend, February 7-8, 14-15
Marc Gunn at Sherwood Forest Faire in Paige, Texas

Q&A

I got a whole bunch of comments from my recent survey. In addition to answering some of those questions on the show on Sunday, I'm gonna share some of my responses here.

Terpette wrote: "Are you willing to travel to more cons to perform?"

First, I I love playing conventions... more than almost any other type of venue. Cons are a lot less physically demanding and a lot more fun than just about everything I've done.

The big challenge is the travel. I am willing to travel to more cons, but I try to make a profit when I do gigs. As a Guest of Honor, my travel and hotel are often covered. Sometimes I even get paid. Those are the sweet gigs though.

Most conventions will only do that once every few years. So for most cons, I have to apply as a guest. If I'm lucky, I will get a hotel and a table to sell my CDs. But that varies with each convention.

For that reason, I prefer to book conventions that are no more than five hours drive from Birmingham. I will drive as much as 8 hours for paid shows like GenCon, but that's pushing it for most cons.

That doesn't mean I won't though. If there's a con you would like me to perform at, email me. Let's talk about it. Tell me what convention(s) you want to see me at. Then I want YOU to email those same conventions so they know I hope to attend.

Terpette adds "Are your new projects trending more nerd/comedy or celtic/trad?"

I want to write (or co-write) more original music. The music I create I call "Celtic Geek" because thematically it typically has a Celtic base, but I combine a fantasy or sci fi element to the songs. SoI guess "nerd/comedy"... though I confess, I don't consider myself a great comedy songwriter. So I feel like my music is less comedy and more storytelling with a sci fi and fantasy theme.

In particular, I like writing songs from the perspective of characters as opposed to songs ABOUT the characters, songs like "Monahan's Mudder's Milk" and "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" or "Lord of the Pounce. Those are from the perspectives of a pub singer in Canton, a bard visiting hobbits, and a cat. But they're not all comedy.

I will continue to record traditional Celtic songs and hopefully some tunes as well. I still want to build up my Irish Song Lyrics website. But I don't plan on doing any fully trad Celtic albums like Not Every Day Is St. Patrick's Day or Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion in the future. They will be mixtures or they might be compilations like Celtic Love.

---

I hope you liked those questions. If you have a question you'd like me to answer in the newsletter, email me! :)

FOUR PROJECTS YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF

Download Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits
It's 100% free and all yours. I had a dozen musicians from around the world record on this CD. It's awesome fun!
Celtic Love
Someone said the Celts aren't romantic. I decided to argue that point with this compilation of love songs from the passionate to the pragmatic. It features songs from many of my studio albums plus two that will be officially released later this year.
Wild Mountain Thyme
Did you know I released a DVD last year? I didn't mention it much, because I really am not sure how to promote DVDs. But it features two concerts I did at the California Autoharp Gathering in 2012 and 2013. You will enjoy it!
10th Annual Podcast Awards Opened. Will You Vote For Me?
The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast won twice. Can we win again? We can with your help. Please follow the link to my blog and then vote!

LOTS OF NEW BLOG POSTS

I really want to thank you for being a part of my life and career. I hope your day is filled with joy.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

Oh! And if you want to help promote my music, don't forget to Join My Street Team. http://marcgunn.com/joinstreetteam

#marcsmusings

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

January 25, 2015
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Brobdingnagian Bards Return, Sherwood Faire

Marc's Musings

Greetings

Walking back into Sherwood Forest Faire is like meeting an old friend. I take a deep breath, inhale the festival, and smile every time I return. Last Saturday, I visited shop after shop, greeted person after person. We hugged. We laughed. We smiled some more as we all came together once again for another year of the faire.

I love this faire. And I love that owners love the faire. They take pride in it. I sat with them as they talked about how the fish and chips at one booth was already getting a negative review. They would have to talk to them about that. That is pride!

I wish I could stay for a full run. Alas, I no longer live in Texas. I have just one remaining weekend before I'm back in Texas getting ready for St. Patrick's Day and a new CD for the holiday.

Will you be out at faire this weekend? Drop me a line.

Incidentally, would you like a free digital copy of my album St. Patrick's Day Songs for Kids? Yes, I said, "free". All I ask is that you post a review for it on Amazon on March 1st.

If you'd like one, email me before the end of the February. If you'd like more free music from me, join my street team this month. marcgunn.com/joinstreetteam

Or if you plan on joining me for a Brobdingnagian Bards Internet Reunion Concert, let me know that as well. Find out more about that here: https://www.concertwindow.com/11602-brobdingnagian-bards

UPCOMING SHOWS

Weekend, February 14-15
Marc Gunn at Sherwood Forest Faire
Paige, Texas

Friday, February 13, 2015
Brobdingnagian Bards Gone Wild
Show starts @ 7:30 PM CST
Pre-Order Your Tickets to Enjoy the Bardic Mania!

Saturday, March 14, 2015
31st Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade for 5 Points South
Birmingham, Alabama

Saturday, March 21, 2015
Leprechaun Leap for Easter Seals @ 10:00am
Birmingham, Alabama

Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub @ 9:30pm - 1:00am
Marietta, GA

Q&A

I'm back with more questions from my survey. If you have a question, you can email it to me. Here's another one.

Kerry wrote: "When / how can we get your back to NY in the near future?"

That's a real good question Kerry. The quick answer is--I don't know.

Gwen and I are haveing a new baby girl in May. I don't plan on doing extensive touring. In fact, I hope to limit most of my gigs to within 3-4 hours of home, with some exceptions. What are those exceptions? Well, if I am hired as Guest of Honor at a con or festival where my travel and weekend fee is paid, then I am more likely to attend. It's not guaranteed, but it's much more likely.

That said, if there's a festival or sci fi convention that you'd like me to attend, email them and suggest they hire me as a Guest of Honor or what not. Please do, because I miss Long Island and all my good friends there!

Kerry added: "Can we expect an adorable Father / Daughter duet in the future"

LOL. Maybe. Right now, the only duet you may catch is either during my internet concerts or possibly at a local gig. Kenzie has been known to come on stage on numerous occasions to entertain my audiences with songs from Frozen or classics like "The Alphabet Song". You never know.

In December, I had a gig at The Irish House in New Orleans. At the end of the evening, the pub was mostly cleared out when I invited Kenzie up to sing a song. Her selection, "Let It Go" from Frozen.

The microphone was lowered to her mouth. She started singing quietly, "The snow glows white on the mountain tonight..." Then as the drama built she got into the act, copying Elsa's movements from the movie, stomping her foot and raising her arm in an icy blast, "Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold it back any more!"

Slowly people gathered to watch her sing. It turns out there were a LOT more people than I thought. From upstairs, in the kitchen, down the hall, from the pub they came. When the song came to an end, it was like the climax scene from Waking Ned Divine, as the evil lady went flying off a cliff and the fiddle string broke, our crowd went into an uproar that blew the roof out.

I mean, if that doesn't turn her into an entertainer, I don't know what will!

---

Do you have a question? Email me!

If you want to hear me tell more stories from the road, you might catch some in The Celtfather podcast. It's my personal show where I share. Go to celtfather.com to subscribe.

LOTS OF NEW BLOG POSTS

Thanks so much for being a part of my life!

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

#marcsmusings

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

February 11, 2015
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Marc's Musings: St. Patrick's Day Madness Begins, New Dragon Kickstarter

Marc's Musings

Greetings

Two years ago, I disappeared for five weeks. My family had no idea where I was. That's because I was shanghaied by Air Pirates!

Yes, Captain Black Jack Murphy and his crew on the Irish Stout swept me up on a hunt for dragons. It was a traumatic experience, torn away from family and friends. However, the horrifying experience has yielded a new album that I just launched on Kickstarter called Dragons vs. Pirates.

Dragons vs. Pirates chronicles life as an air pirate. It features air shanties and songs about dragons, as well as the trials of sailors of the sky. It's also extremely important to me, because of the terrible things that these pirates are doing to the poor dragons. Their actions are upsetting the ecosystem. They are forcing dragons to the edge of extinction. Only by completing this album will we be able to draw attention this atrocity and help #SaveTheDragons.

Will you help? Go to my Kickstarter page to make a pledge at
http://marcgunn.com/kickstarter/

Thank you once again for your generous support. And keep reading to find out about all the awesome things that are happening for St. Patrick's Day!

Oh! And if you want to find a wee bit about the inside track on this CD, become a patron at marcgunn.net.

ST PATRICK'S DAY PARTY BEGINS

St. Patrick's Day is less than a month away. On March 1st, I will release my St. Patrick's Day Songs for Kids CD. Right now, you can pre-order it on iTunes and Amazon. But soon, a physical CD will be available. And while it says "For Kids", it's really just fun Celtic Geek music for the whole family. I included fresh recordings of songs from many of my albums over the years, plus a few new songs as well. I think you'll love it.

March 10th also starts the 2nd annual St. Patrick's Day Internet Music Festival. This event will feature live streaming performances by numerous Celtic musicians from around the world. I'm planning at least two such performances. You can find them on the website at stpatricksdayparty.net/festival.

March 17th is also not only my birthday, but it will mark the 200th episode of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. If you'd like to send a voicemail comment for the big show, then call 678-235-8763.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Saturday, March 14, 2015
31st Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade for 5 Points South
Birmingham, Alabama

Sunday, March 15, 2015
Marc Gunn St. Patrick's Day Music Show on Concert Window at 7:30PM CST
St. Patrick's Day Internet Music Festival
Special note: Samantha Gillogly has a show right before mine at 6:30PM CST. Join her Concert as well.

Saturday, March 21, 2015
Leprechaun Leap for Easter Seals @ 10:00am
Birmingham, Alabama

Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub @ 9:30pm - 1:00am
Marietta, GA

Q&A

Ready for some more questions answered?

Johannes wrote: "When are you going to re-record “The Lolly Song?” (Sorry. Dead horses getting beaten and all that.)"

Speaking of "dead horse". Johannes, you're probably the ONLY person who likes that song or even knows what it is.

For those who don't, he's referring to my very first album Ichabod's Geography. The song actually is very important to my music career though. It was the first "drinking song" style I ever recorded. In it, I overdubbed my voice a dozen times to give it the sound of a raucous group singing together. I have used that technique MANY times since for many albums.

It's also a very experimental song for me, very creative on the autoharp, but the lyrics are nonsensicle.

---

Do you have a question? Email me!

If you want to hear me tell more stories from the road, you might catch some in The Celtfather podcast. It's my personal show where I share. Go to celtfather.com to subscribe.

LOTS OF NEW BLOG POSTS

Thanks so much for being a part of my life!

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

February 21, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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St Patrick's Day Surprises and a Favor

Marc's Musings

Greetings

St. Patrick's Day has always been an important time of the year for me. After all, I was born on March 17th. I loved it even more when I started playing Celtic music in 1999. Every time I played a St Patrick's Day gig, it was as if hundreds of people came out to watch me perform on my birthday. One year in Austin, some fans and friends came out to Mother Egan's Irish Pub and brought a birthday cake. How cool is that?!

My life is different now that I have a family. I actually prefer spending my birthday with Gwen and Kenzie, first and foremost. So for the past few years, I only booked shows for the St. Patrick's Day parade in 5 Points. However, this year, I decided to also book an actual St. Patrick's Day show at Black Market in the Colannade. I've never been, but I'm excited to have an actual St. Patrick's Day birthday concert. If you're in the area, I hope you'll join me.

The chances are that you don't live near me. That's okay too, because last year, I launched the St. Patrick's Day Internet Music Festival. This event is designed to bring live streaming Celtic music concerts to you leading up to you the week before St. Patrick's Day.

The festival has grown from one musician to seven! I have two shows planned--March 10th and 15th. The first is a morning concert on YouTube. The second is on Concert Window and runs back-to-back with my good friend Samantha Gillogly. You can catch two hours of great Celtic music on Sunday, March 15th. I hope you'll join us.

I also have a lot more BIG news to share below. So keep reading!

ST PATRICK'S DAY SONGS FOR KIDS

My new album, St Patrick's Day Songs for Kids, is officially on sale. You can buy the physical or digital copy on Amazon or buy it via iTunes. The album already has 14 reviews on Amazon, but I really need to push that to over 20 by the end of today. Any chance you can help?

If you haven't heard the show, then you can listen to the entire album for free through the latest edition of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Just go to celticmusicpodcast.com/198. I would REALLY appreciate your help. And, admittedly, I'd just love to know your honest opinion of the CD, for better or worse. Just rate the album, then post a review on Amazon. And if you can also spare a review on iTunes, even better!

Will you do me that favor?

KICKSTARTER AND THE DRAGONS VS. PIRATES PODCAST

After hitting my $3200 goal in just five days, my new Kickstarter for Dragons vs. Pirates has kinda stalled out. If I was smart, I would've waited until AFTER St. Patrick's Day to actually work on this project. But then, that's one of the reason I decided to make it a 60-day campaign.

Right now, we've raised $3700, which is AWESOME. However, I would REALLY LOVE to pull in $5500 so that I can get Daniel Briggs' awesome musical talents to add more instrumentation to the album. If you haven't made a pledge yet, go to marcgunn.com/kickstarter and do so today.

Even if you don't make a pledge, I hope you will check out all the stuff that's happening with this project. I am giddy with delight because it is SO much fun.

I started a new Dragons vs. Pirates Podcast to share an audio blog about my time in captivity with air pirates. The podcast is now available on iTunes and if I can get 10+ reviews for it in the next week, then the show might get featured on iTunes. I plan to publish an eBook of the blog as soon as it is completed.

There's also a bunch of videos I am sharing based on current events with Captain Black Jack Murphy, Gus Mainsails (the first mate), and other crew members of the Irish Stout. There are some exciting plans underway. You don't want to miss the story!

NOMINATED FOR PODCAST AWARD. HELP US WIN!

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was nominated once again for the Podcast Awards. These awards are a popularity contest. The shows with the most-passionate fans win. That's because you can vote once a day, every day, until March 24th. The show with the most votes wins.

We won two awards in 2009 and 2010. I would LOVE to win again. Will you help?

Go to podcastawards.com and for the Irish & Celtic Music for Best Podsafe Music!

UPCOMING SHOWS

Tuesday, March 10, 2015
YouTube Concert at 9:00 AM CST
St. Patrick's Day Internet Music Festival
Opening address and show!

Saturday, March 14, 2015
31st Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade for 5 Points South
Birmingham, Alabama

Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Marc Gunn at Black Market
3411 Colonnade Parkway suit 800
Birmingha, Alabama

Saturday, March 21, 2015
Leprechaun Leap for Easter Seals @ 10:00am
Birmingham, Alabama

Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub @ 9:30pm - 1:00am
Marietta, Georgia

JOIN MY STREET TEAM

Finally, I need some people who are not only super willing to help promote my music, but also interested in getting free preview copies of digital albums in return for their help. That's a big part of my Street Team. It costs nothing to join, but means EVERYTHING to me.

If you'd like to join me, go to marcgunn.com/JoinStreetTeam.

Live long and prosper. RIP Leonard Nimoy #spock #startrek

LOTS OF NEW BLOG POSTS

Thank you as always for helping make my music career awesome. Let me know, how I can help you? What are you struggling with these days?

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

PS. I do have a fan club that you can join for as little as $1 per month. Go to marcgunn.net to sign up.

March 7, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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St Pat's Internet Show Tonight!

Marc's Musings

Greetings

This is my last email before St. Patrick's Day. I have two BIG pieces of news that I have to share with you, plus a question. I hope I'm not too late with the news.

Let's get started...

The live performance part of the St. Patrick's Day Internet Music Festival comes to a close tonight. I have a great set of Celtic and Geek music to play for you. It'll last about 45 minutes and then I'm gonna open the show up to requests. It all starts at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time. That's when you can enjoy Celtic music by my good friend Samantha Gillogly.

After her show at 7:30 PM CST, I will perform on Concert Window as well at marcgunn.com/concert

I hope you can make both shows!

LISTEN TO ST PATRICK'S DAY DRINKING SONGS

After botching the audio on my first St. Patrick's Day Internet Music Festival concert on YouTube, I decided I wanted to share a Free St. Patrick's Day show with you. I could think of no better place to do that than on The Celtfather podcast.

I should have full shownotes up soon on my blog. In the meantime, you can listen for free (and subscribe) at celtfather.com

Oh! There's a new rough mix of a song I wrote for Dragons vs. Pirates on the podcast too. Give it a listen and let me know, what do you think?

NOMINATED FOR PODCAST AWARD. HELP US WIN!

You still have until March 24th to vote for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in the Podcast Awards. Vote once a day every day at podcastawards.com

UPCOMING SHOWS

Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Marc Gunn at Black Market
3411 Colonnade Parkway suit 800
Birmingha, Alabama

Saturday, March 21, 2015
Leprechaun Leap for Easter Seals @ 10:00am
Birmingham, Alabama

Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub @ 9:30pm - 1:00am
Marietta, Georgia

Thank you as always for helping make my music career awesome. Let me know, how I can help you? What are you struggling with these days?

LOTS OF NEW BLOG POSTS

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

PS. I do have a fan club that you can join for as little as $1 per month. Go to marcgunn.net to sign up.

March 15, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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No More April Fool's Jokes for Today

Marc's Musings

Greetings my friend,

What you are about to read is truth. There will be no April Fool's jokes in this newsletter... I already pulled a whammy this morning when we announced that the Brobdingnagian Bards were officially reuniting. That is NOT actually happening as you'll hear here.

No more April Fool's jokes for me this year. I ticked off enough people today. ;)

Instead, I wanted to start by letting you know about some changes to my mailing lists. I have two: Marc's Musings and this one, now dubbed Celtfather Weekly.

Marc's Musings will be released on the first Tuesday of every month. Celtfather Weekly will go out every Tuesday EXCEPT the first of every month.

If you're not yet subscribed to Marc's Musings, I encourage you to do so. It's a longer newsletter, but you will also be notified each time I am performing in your area. That may not mean a whole lot to you since I won't be traveling much over the next year. But it's still a nice bonus. I highly encourage you to subscribe today.

These are two separate mailing lists that will work in conjunction so you won't get double emails after today.

SHOW SOME RESPECT

Scheduling is confirmed at Johnny MacCracken’s Georgia. I'll be there once a month from now until October performing in the Non-Smoking section. Funding on Kickstarter and Patreon reached milestones, so Silver Patrons need to keep their eyes open, and everyone needs to be excited that the first song for Dragons vs. Pirates has been recorded!

Wrapping up with reflections on an unpleasant conversation, political leanings, and most importantly – Respect. We may not agree, but it’s always worth talking it out, listening, and learning.

Listen today at
http://marcgunn.com/celtfather018

DRAGONS VS. PIRATES JUST 19 DAYS LEFT

My next album is on Kickstarter. You have 19 days left to make a pledge and sponsor the album, Dragons vs. Pirates. The main goal was reached in just three days. The question that remains, can we reach the first stretch goal? I need to raise $1409 if I'm gonna add additional instrumentation to the CD. Will you help?

Check out the $100 deluxe package. You'll get all of my newest CDs, a t-shirt, special thanks in the liner notes, plus, I've decided to add a small piece of the magical dragon ash jewelry to every $100 Deluxe package order.

If just 15 people are willing to sponsor at the DELUXE level, we will hit the stretch goal and I'll even add a bonus song to the final album called "Do Pirates Taste Better"!

#SaveTheDragons and Make a pledge at
http://celticmusic.org/DragonsVsPirates

UPCOMING SHOWS

Sunday, April 5, 2015
Concert Window

Saturday, April 11, 2015
Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub @ 9:30pm - 1:00am
Marietta, Georgia

Weekend, April 17-19, 2015
Starfest
Denver, Colorado
Let me know you're coming on Facebook

Friday, April 24, 2015
Panoply Arts Festival in
Huntsville, Alabama

Sunday, May 3, 2015
Concert Window

Saturday, May 9, 2015
Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub @ 9:30pm - 1:00am
Marietta, Georgia

There will probably at least one more Concert Window performance in May. I'll share detail as soon as I am ready. In June, I’m back in Ireland

NEW BLOG POSTS

That's almost all of the news for this month. I did post a bunch of new promo photos on my website. Check 'em out!

Gwen also setup a baby registry for our second daughter, Inara Claire Gunn, over at Babies R Us and Target if you'd like to help us out with diapers.

Thank you again for all your generous support.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

PS. I do have a fan club that you can join for as little as $1 per month. Go to marcgunn.net to sign up.

April 1, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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Baby Watch Begins, Dragons vs. Pirates Funded

Marc's Musings

Greetings my friend,

April was a busy month. I had a bunch of shows including one on Concert Window, a return to Johnnie MacCracken's Pub, five shows at Starfest, a house concert, and school days at Panoply Arts Festival. It was tough keeping up with all the work at home though. I felt like I barely had time to breathe.

May will be quite a bit different. I dubbed it Baby Watch Month because my second daughter, Inara Claire Gunn, is due on May 15th (Registry at Babies R Us). Keep an ear open to my Celtfather podcast for updates each week until she arrives. There, you can also chime in on a bonus podcast where I ask "Should Bookstores Go the Way of the Dodo?" Listen to the latest shows and send me your feedback. I'd really appreciate it.

In the meantime, I have another internet concert scheduled for this Sunday evening. If you want to get an email reminder, join my internet concert mailing list now.

Go ahead. Click. I'll wait... ;-)

Oh and I have one quick question for you to HIT REPLY right now:
What three songs would you like to learn from me?

SHOULD BOOKSTORES GO THE WAY OF THE DODO?

I love going to Barnes & Noble. But while listening to the Sell More Books Show, I got to wondering if there's still a place for them in a world that is more individualized and where people like me prefer to read eBooks.

Listen to the show and post your comments at
http://marcgunn.com/celtfather022

DRAGONS VS. PIRATES FULLY FUNDED

I was a bit surprised to find that my Dragons vs. Pirates album hit the first stretch goal right before the deadline on April 20th. That is awesome! It means, I get to produce the album I want to produce. You'll get a rockin album of Celtic-style sea shanties with a Steampunk dragon twist, plus a bonus song of "Do Pirates Taste Better". Thank you SO Much for all of your generosity.

I haven't shared any new information about the album since the Kickstarter closed. But be ready. There's a LOT more to come! #SaveThe Dragons

ALBUM OF THE MONTH - SOUL OF A HARPER

It's time for a new feature for the newsletter... The CD of the Month. This is where I get to share a wee bit about my many albums. This month, I want to talk about my first solo album.

In 2003 and 2004, I had a bunch of songs I had written and recorded that were not yet part of the Brobdingnagian Bards. They grabbed a different side of my music from the more comedic stuff that the Bards were doing at the time. I also wanted a place to showcase my autoharp skills.

You see, I loved playing music with Andrew McKee, my old music partner. I was getting good on the auotharp. I learned to play melodies in fact. I started writing instrumental autoharp pieces that just didn't work with the Bards. I wanted something different. So I recorded Soul of a Harper.

The title speaks for itself IMHO. It is beautiful and soulful, though not without its fun twists, like my ever-popular song "The Leprechaun" where it first debuted. The Bards music was more Irish-based. So on this album I kicked it off with a Scottish song, "Killiecrankie". And then there was my birthday song. I wrote "Happy Birthday From Ireland" to celebrate the day of my birth on St. Patrick's Day.

All in all, I'm still very proud of the album. It's beautiful, fun, and soulful, all characteristics I liken to myself.

If you don't yet own a copy, you can save 40% and get it autographed from now until Sunday, May 3rd at celticmusic.org/SoulOfAHarper

UPCOMING SHOWS

Sunday, May 3, 2015
Concert Window

Saturday, May 9, 2015
Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub @ 9:30pm - 1:00am
Marietta, Georgia

Sunday, May 24, 2015
Concert Window

Saturday, May 30, 2015
Urban Cookhouse Farmer's Market @ 9am
Homewood, Alabama

NEW BLOG POSTS

Thank you again for all your generous support.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

PS. I do have a fan club that you can join for as little as $1 per month. Go to marcgunn.net to sign up.

April 30, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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Feedback Request: Will you make my May 24 Internet Concert a success?

Marc's Musings

Greetings my friend,

It's Friday. One week left before my wife's due date. From the most-recent doctor's visit, it doesn't look likely that Gwen will give birth early. That means Johnnie MacCracken's IS A GO! You can find all of the details quick and easy through this digital flier.

Join me tomorrow night in Marietta, Georgia for an awesome evening of Celtic and Geek pub songs starting around 9pm!

FEEDBACK REQUESTED
WILL YOU MAKE MY MAY 24 INTERNET CONCERT A SUCCESS?

Last week's concert had an extremely low turnout. It makes me wonder whether I should continue doing my Concert Window shows. Before I jump the Gunn and stop them altogether, I need your feedback to this short survey.

Do me a HUGE favor, click this link and complete the survey.

Listen to the show and post your comments at
http://marcgunn.com/celtfather024

Mentioned This Week on The Celtfather #24

Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #206 – The Music of Galicia
Ms. Inara Claire Gunn, due May 15 (Registry at Babies R Us) – hopefully we’ll get some progress updates to share with you soon!
Baby Watch Shows on Concert Window – attendance has been low, so I’d like to know how I can improve this experience for my listeners? Give feedback by emailing me at Marc@marcgunn.com
Join my internet concert mailing list now! The next show is May 24 – Drinking Songs with Hobbits, with exclusive Concert Window Bonuses, so be sure to swing by and check it out!

ALBUM OF THE MONTH - SOUL OF A HARPER

All in all, I'm still very proud of the album. It's beautiful, fun, and soulful, all characteristics I liken to myself.

Get your copy at celticmusic.org/SoulOfAHarper

Or visit the links below:

If you're not currently a member of my fan club, please join. Just $5 per month will get you an inside look into my music. Go to marcgunn.net to sign up.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Saturday, May 9, 2015
Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub @ 9:30pm - 1:00am
Marietta, Georgia

Sunday, May 24, 2015
Concert Window

Saturday, May 30, 2015
Urban Cookhouse Farmer's Market @ 9am
Homewood, Alabama

NEW BLOG POSTS

Dragons vs. Pirates: Airship Down for Repairs

Thank you as always for reading this newsletter and being a part of my musical experience. You're awesome.

I really want the Celtfather Newsletter to come out on a specific day of the week. Unfortunately, it seems it might take a bit to find out what day of the week I will send it. Thanks again for your patience.

With any luck, next week, I will announce the birth of my daughter. So stay tuned.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

May 8, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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A Quick Update

Marc's Musings

Greetings my friend,

I was really hoping to send you a full newsletter before I left on my Celtic Invasion of Donegal, Ireland tomorrow. Then again, I also hoped to complete two episodes of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I just didn't have time. The demands of a new baby and her sister took precedence. Instead, I wanted to send a quick update.

On May 18th at 7:08 pm, Inara Claire Gunn was born. We are posting a lot of pictures on Facebook. Click here to see my feed. You can also see some pics in this week's episode of The Celtfather.

Inara is adorable and healthy. It's quite an experience actually bringing her home right after birth, instead of having to wait a month like we did with Kenzie. Thank you for all the great comments and congratulations and also all the registry gifts. You're awesome!

The new Celtfather podcast is a good one. I spent some quality time with it before I recorded it. That's a necessity with any good podcast.

Starting tomorrow or possibly Friday, you can start expecting daily episodes of The Celtfather as I share my Celtic Invasion of Donegal in audio form. You'll also see pictures and video postcards galore. Listen and subscribe at celtfather.com

If you're not currently a member of my fan club, please join. For just $5 per month, you will get some bonus audio content from this year's invasion. You will smile when you subscribe at marcgunn.net.

Last, I'm happy to say Happy Songs of Death is now on Spotify. When I first started listening to Irish songs, I realized there were a lot of songs that mentioned death. Many of them are very upbeat. That's why I picked this album as my first really big album after the Brobdingnagian Bards broke up. The band broke up/died. And I wanted to keep playing fun Irish music. It seemed appropriate.

Ari Koinuma produced the album (as well as Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers), and of course, it still sounds amazing to this day.

You can listen on Spotify, or you can buy it on my website http://celticmusic.org/HappySongsOfDeath

Thank you for being a part of my music and life. Let me know how you're doing.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

June 3, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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10 Years? Is that possible?

Marc's Musings

Greetings my friend,

I got back from Ireland a week and half ago. I hope to share some blogs and audio journals of the experience in the week's to come. But so far, I'm swamped with podcast catch up, emails, and of course, spending time with my family and our new baby.

Inara is already five weeks old and cute as a button. If we weren't posting enough pics of Kenzie, just imagine how many pictures we'll post with two beautiful girls. In fact, I'm using Instagram a little more for that purpose. Here's one from tonight. Look at those wide, playful eyes! It's Inara's play time.

TEN YEARS OF RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL MUSIC

June 26th marks a big date for me. It's the tenth anniversary of my longest, continuously running podcast--the Renaissance Festival Podcast. I started that show in 2005. I no longer run it. Thanks to a growing number of incredible Minions, the podcast is not only still running, but is more fun than I ever could make it.

In fact, if you wanna know a little bit about how I got started podcasting, then listen to the latest episode. It's our 10th anniversary Drinking Show. There's even a drinking game that if you follow the rules will probably leave you comatose.

Of course, the downside of doing the drinking game is that you will miss my interview two-thirds the way through the show. But, man, would that game be fun!

Go listen here:
http://renaissancefestivalmusic.com/2015/renaissance-festival-podcast-237/

CELTIC INVASION OF CAMELOT?

I wanted to let you know that I picked the location of next year's Celtic Invasion Vacation. I've had a fascination with King Arthur since I started playing music. My first Ren Faire was Excalibur Fantasy Faire. The Brobdingnagian Bards logo was unwittingly based on the Glastonbury Chalice Well. I don't know the Arthurian details of that but it has a base in King Arthur-lore as well. And last year in Wales, we learned about some of the Welsh origins of Arthur. So in 2016, we're gonna do a Celtic Invasion of Camelot... I mean Cornwall.

Cornwall is one of the seven Celtic nations. I'll be honest, I don't know much about the Celtic culture of Cornwall... yet. But I'm looking forward to learning about it over the next year. I also know there's a lot of Arthurian legends that stem from that region of England. So we're gonna explore them next year.

If you'd like to join me for next year's Celtic Invasion Vacation, sign up to the mailing list at celticinvasion.com. Details about the trip are coming. Registration opens in August.

RECORD ANYTHING NEW?

I haven't had much luck at recording more songs for Dragons vs. Pirates recently, but I will be posting previews as soon as I have them available for subscribers of my fan club. Just bare with me. Time is tight until August.

Finally, do you own What Color Is Your Dragon? Get a copy today.

album cover

Folk music with delusions of grandeur. Fun Sci Fi and fantasy folk music performed acoustically on the autoharp with a ton of character. Features songs based on Star Wars, Bugs Bunny, Harry Potter, Firefly, Lord of the Rings, and even one of Marc’s first publicly shared songs

Tracks: Don’t Go Drinking with Hobbits, A Rabbit for Halloween, Samwise Gamgee, The Virgin Diet (How to Have Fun Losing Weight), How Do You Tell a Woman You’re in Love with Her?, Pleasant Peasant Pheasant Plucking Song, She Said Her Name Was Saffron (Our Mrs. Reynolds), Monkeys Over Mongolia, Lusty Young Sith, For the Setting Sun, If I Were a Horse, The Last Chicken in Dublin, Pig’s Song, I Saved the Planet Earth, The Nazgul Song, Gollum Blues, My Father Was a Werewolf.

I hope you're doing well. If so, post a comment or send me a tweet. I'd love to hear from you.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

PS. If you're not currently a member of my fan club, please join. For just $5 per month, you will get some bonus audio content from this year's invasion. You will smile when you subscribe at marcgunn.net.

June 23, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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Progress Made

Greetings Gunn Runner

I did it. I did it! I finally made time to work on Dragons vs. Pirates. I felt like the album was in perpetual limbo due to the birth of Inara, and then traveling to Ireland. I was getting frustrated. So yesterday, I set aside some time to work on the album.

I wrote three new melodies using Rie Sheridan Rose's lyrics. There are two songs left that need melodies. Then I just need to record the songs. I made it halfway through a song called "Pirates vs. Dragons" today before I ran out of time.

I know. It doesn't sound like a ton of progress, but I'm excited nonetheless. The songs sound good! And I will make more time next week. I posted a rough iPhone recording of "The Wreck of the Bold Lady Jean" for my Silver Plus Patrons.

Most of my work time is spent creating the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. July 28 marks its ten year anniversary. I setup a Celtic Music Challenge to see if I can hit the next Milestone and release a 3-hour Celtic Music Special.

The Celtfather podcast has two new episodes. I'm finally back into the swing of releasing that show each Monday. In the latest edition, I shared that July 8th was also my ten year anniversary as a full-time musician. Can you believe it? I also have an appreciation of the new Apple Music streaming service. I'm using it a LOT right now. You can find me @marcgunn.

If you haven't been by my YouTube page, check out this video from the Slieve League in Donegal, Ireland.

Sci Fi Drinking Songs

Sci Fi Drinking Songs is still gaining traction. I'm seeing more and more people share this album, even though it's been a year since the Kickstarter finished and half a year since it was officially released.

The name says it all. It features fun science fiction based drinking songs. There are some real gems on this album that features fandoms like Doctor Who, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, zombies and even The Muppets. Here's the complete track listing:

Tracks: Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, Doctor of Gallifrey, Bring Me Home, Boys, Reavers, Malcolm, Reavers, Isn’t It Grand Boys to Be Walking Undead, Jedi Drinking Song Prequel, Those Characters Died, The Smial or the Tree, Romulan Ale, La La La Geeks, Free Brains, Browncoats Keep Flyin’, Jedi’s Dargle, A Boy and His Frog, Come Take a Trip on my Airship.

Often people ask me, "where is the best place to buy the album, where you earn the most money." There's only one place. That place is CD Baby. You can buy all of my CDs there as well as high-quality, DRM-Free digital downloads. Just click the button below to check out of my titles.

Upcoming Shows

Join me on Saturday, July 18th at Johnnie MacCracken’s Celtic Pub in Marietta, Georgia. Click the picture to download, print, and share it. Please help spread the word.

You can also let me know you’re coming on my Facebook event page.

Saturday, July 18, 2015
Johnnie MacCracken’s Celtic Pub
15 Atlanta St SE
Marietta, GA 30060
Show starts around 9:15PM

I wish you lots of smiles and joy in a life filled with love.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

July 8, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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What's New with Marc Gunn?

Greetings Gunn Runner

Tomorrow is the 8-hour drive to GenCon in Indianapolis. I'm feeling underprepared as you might expect. It's not just that I still haven't ordered more copies of Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits, or that I don't think I ordered enough copies of St. Patrick's Day Songs for Kids. It's just a general feeling of overwhelmedness from having a newborn. I'm hopeful things will get back to "normal" when Kenzie goes back to daycare in a couple weeks.

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I celebrated the event last week with a 3-hour Celtic music retrospective of the podcast. It features over fifty bands and a bunch of voicemail congratulations. So far, I've heard nothing but glowing comments. I'd love your thoughts. Listen at celticmusicpodcast.com/217.

The latest episode of The Celtfather features the itinerary of next year's Celtic Invasion of Camelot... I mean Cornwall. If you want a glimpse of next year's invasion, check it out. You'll can also read up on it and submit your application to join me here. There's a bunch of good episodes of The Celtfather including one where I talk about the entertainers for this Friday's comedy music event at GenCon.

Speaking of GenCon, I'm doing something a wee bit different this year. You will find nearly all of my solo albums that I've released at this year's convention. There are only a limited number of copies of each title available. But it's quite a smorgasborg of albums.

I updated the Gunn Runners page on my website. It has some new details as to why you should become a Patron of my music. Will you do me one small favor and read it just to see if I have any errors? I'd really appreciate it.

Did you hear my newest song, "The Prettiest Hobbit"? Well, I posted some notes about the song as well.

Finally, I'm trying to build a street team for Atlanta. I setup a facebook group to promote my shows at Johnnie MacCracken's and DragonCon. Admittedly, I haven't heard any response. Would a YahooGroup be better? Or do you have anything thoughts about how to get this rolling?

How America Saved Irish Music

The Irish diaspora of the 19th century sent millions of Irish families to America. Settling in New York, Boston and New Orleans, the immigrants brought Irish music with them. Combining with other folk traditions and sustained by Irish cultural organizations across the country, Irish and Celtic music thrives in America.

Two original songs are based on the construction of the New Basin Canal in New Orleans, where something between 5,000 and 20,000 Irish workers dies of yellow fever. “Leaving of Liverpool” references the fact that the cheapest way to get to America was on a ship that brought cotton to England, and immigrants back to New Orleans. “Stor Mo Chroi” refers to the pattern of Irish men finding work abroad, leaving families behind. Other songs reflect Gunns and Drums’ bluesy spin on everything from anti-war songs to folk songs from Provence.

Tracks: A Stor Mo Chroi, Star of the County Down, Gypsy Rover, Men of New Basin Canal, Bridget’s Prayer, Ais Vis Lo Lop, Black Velvet Band, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Streets of Laredo/Bard of Armagh, Whiskey, You’re the Devil, Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot, Mrs. McGraw, Leaving of Liverpool, Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye.

Upcoming Shows

I have a bunch of shows scheduled for GenCon this year. If you're in Indianpolis, I hope you'll take the time to come see me. I have a booth at the back of the dealer's room. And three shows, plus the Friday Night Live, comedy music event. You can find all the details on my website and don't forget to get some tickets for the shows. Find GenCon details here.

Jul 29-Aug 2, GenCon, Indianapolis, IN

Aug 9, Farmer's Market, Homewood, AL

Aug 15, Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub, Marietta, GA

Aug 22, Pepper Place Farmer's Market, Birmingham, AL

I wish you lots of smiles and joy in a life filled with love.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

July 28, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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New Website, Too Celtic for School

Greetings Gunn Runner

First let me welcome all the awesome new subscribers to my newsletter. Thank you for being a part of my Celtic Geek mission to save the universe. :)

There's a neat little surprise on my website at www.marcgunn.com. The entire site is redesigned thanks to my friend Amber of Speaking in Vector. I have a beautiful, fresh site that looks awesome on your mobile phone too. It's all new and, as far as I can tell, working beautifully. But who am I to judge? Drop by the website and see what YOU think. Anything I can improve?

School is back in session. That means I only have one child at home to take care every day. That can be tough too, when she keeps smiling at me and acting all cute!

This week felt like my first time back at work since Inara was born. That's why I told Amber to release the new website. It's why I plan to get resume recording Dragons vs. Pirates next week. And It's why I can catch up with some of the big items that are on my to do list. So much catch up to do.

The itinerary for the Celtic Invasion of Camelot... I mean Cornwall is now online. I have three people signed up already with a couple more likely soon. This trip is filling up beautifully, and earlier than ever. If you'd like to sign up, submit your deposit and application to reserve your seat!

Do you listen to The Celtfather podcast? This is my personal podcast. I usually have a tiny bit of news and then I reflect and comment on something Celtic or Geek-releated. Last week, I talked about board games for 4-5 years old. Other topics include chatting about comedy music, Celtic Invasion Vacations, Celtic music in general, and lots of other topics. It's short, clocking in at around 12 minutes per show. And I also try to keep the shownotes packed full of details and linked on what's new. Give it at listen at celtfather.com.

RECENT BLOGS & CELTFATHER PODCASTS

MARC GUNN MUSIC ON PATREON

I want to send a special thanks to my Patrons. There 45 people like you who are contributing $368 per month. Because of them, I create my music, podcasts, videos, blogs with the peaceful assurance that I can continue being a full-time musician and my family will still get be fed. Thank you. It's super important right now as I take care of my baby daughter, Inara. You are awesome. You can be a patron for just $1, $5, $10, $100 or whatever YOU LIKE! Thank you for being a Patron!

What Color Is Your Dragon? was the second album I released after Brobdingnagian Bards split up in 2008. One fan compared it to the Brobdingnagian Bards' chart-topping album, Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales. It features a fun mix of Geeky songs that sorta foretell the future of my solo music from dragons to drinking songs to hobbits and much more. The album digs deep into my fandoms and will keep you smiling for years to come. Buy the album here.

Upcoming Shows

This weekend I'm performing in Birmingham. Then it's DragonCon time with Brobdingnagian Bards. I hope to see you there.

Aug 22, Pepper Place Farmer's Market, Birmingham, AL

Sep 4-7, DragonCon, Atlanta, GA with Brobdingnagian Bards

I wish you lots of smiles and joy in a life filled with love.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

August 15, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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Watch The Celtfather This Weekend Surprise

Greetings Gunn Runner

Wow! Has it truly been a month since I last sent out a newsletter? August was busy with catching up after Gen Con, staying on top of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and then preparing for Dragon Con. Plus, we had a wee family vacation thrown into the mix. Sure, I could've published a newsletter instead of relaxing in a swimming pool for a week, but why?! ;-)

Last week, I didn't have much time to do anything except finish the Celtic podcast and recover from the best Dragon Con ever. What an incredible experience! You can hear all about the incredible crowds of people singing along to Hobbit Drinking Songs and Firefly Drinking Songs, as well some fun with the world's fastest filker, Tom Smith, and some big news regarding the Pub Songs Podcast. It's all in show #43 of The Celtfather (listen on iTunes).

This weekend, I am back in Marietta, Georgia for Johnnie MacCracken's Celtic Pub. Show starts around 9:15 PM. I'm usually there setting up by 8:30. I'm really hoping that there will be a HUGE turnout because not only is Saturday, September 19th, Talk Like a Pirate Day, but my Atlanta Street Team kicked butt at Dragon Con. They handed out nearly 2000 fliers that weekend and did a LOT of promotion for the last two MacCracken shows of the year.

Not Local to Atlanta, Georgia? Concert Window

That's okay too because on Sunday night I have my next Concert Window performance. This is a pay-what-you-want concert. That means you don't need to buy advanced tickets or any tickets at all. You can just watch, listen and enjoy. I just want you to come and see a fun show of Celtic and Geek music all from the comfort of your living room, or wherever your computer is.

If you want a reminder to attend, subscribe to the Internet Concerts Mailing List. I'll send you two reminders before the show. You can also follow me on Concert Window.

Do you attend the Louisiana Renaissance Festival?

Want free admission for the run? I'm looking for someone willing to hawk our shows. That means, you'll stand outside the venue and do your best to get people sitting in the seats. Kilted Kings will do the rest! Stay subscribed to find out more about Kilted Kings in a couple weeks.

RECENT BLOGS & CELTFATHER PODCASTS

MARC GUNN MUSIC ON PATREON

I want to send a special thanks to my Patrons. There 47 people like you who are contributing $414 per month. Because of them, I create my music, podcasts, videos, blogs with the peaceful assurance that I can continue being a full-time musician and we still get to eat. Thank you. You are awesome. You can be a patron for just $1, $5, $10, $100 or whatever YOU LIKE! Thank you for being a Patron!

Special thanks to my latest patrons: Tim, Angela, and Carol.

Not Every Day Is St. Patrick’s Day by Marc Gunn (2013)

Ever wake up on St. Patrick’s Day in a panic because you have no Irish music? Well, here’s a ready-made solution! “Every Day is Not St. Patrick’s Day” adds to Marc Gunn’s considerable collection of Celtic music made accessible in any number of ways. First of all, it’s a great listen. Even if you never explore the music beyond that, you’ll be satisfied. But Marc has made the lyrics to and chords for all these great songs available on his Irish Song Lyrics website. Was the #5 most-popular World music album on iTunes on January, 17 2013.

Tracks: Whiskey in the Jar, Dicey Riley, Tae the Begging, Kilkelly Ireland, Rising of the Moon, Nancy Whiskey, Rocky Road to Dublin, Old Fenian Gun, The Alcoholic, Minstrel Boy, Danny Boy, Drunken Sailor, Wild Colonial Boy, Big Strong Man, An Irish Lullaby, Henry Martin, May Morning Dew, A Drop of Nelson’s Blood, Arthur McBride, Old Dun Cow.

Oh! Would you like a free copy of this CD? Subscribe to my internet street team as well. Coming soon!

Hope you have a Happy Halfway to St. Patrick's Day!

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

September 14, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

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ContraFlow in NOLA, New Band Announcement

Greetings Gunn Runner

I did a count last week. I have just four more songs to finish recording until my parts are done for "Dragons vs. Pirates". We're getting there. Right now, I'm looking at a February or March release for next year. I'll know more when I'm done.

I played a couple songs for my Concert Window show last week. I even learned the lyrics to one song. I guess that means I should perform it at ContraFlow in New Orleans this weekend. I have two shows planned. The first is at 5pm on Friday. So arrive early so you don't miss it. The second is at the end of the convention on Sunday. Though, I'll also perform a few songs during the Costume Contest.

The Celtic Invasion of Cornwall still has spots open at present. The next big discount is at the end of October. That's one of the reasons why I'm doing a small series in The Celtfather podcast. In the first, I share why you should make travel a priority in your life. You can listen on iTunes or on the website.

I hope to share the next episode of the series on Celtic Travel soon. This week, however, is just a bit of news both personal and professional.

KILTED KINGS AT LOUISIANA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Kilted Kings are coming to the Louisiana Renaissance Festival this year. We're gonna rock your socks off with Celtic songs and driving percussion. Celtic music was never so much fun.

Who are Kilted Kings?

Kilted Kings are Marc Gunn on autoharp and vocals and Randy Wothke (of the world-famous pipe and drum band, The Rogues) on percussion. You'll hear upbeat, groove-filled arrangements of Celtic songs in a bliss-filled, interactive show.

Randy played with me on and off at Sherwood Forest Faire over the past couple o'years. There's nothing like playing with percussion. So I was able to convince the faire to let me start a new band. You'll hear many of your favorite songs of mine, and then some...

We don't have our schedule yet, but I expect to have 3-4 shows daily, probably at a pub where we will get you singing and dancing along with us.

Head over to larf.net to get ready for the show.

RECENT BLOGS & CELTFATHER PODCASTS

MARC GUNN MUSIC ON PATREON

I want to send a special thanks to my Patrons. There 47 people like you who are contributing $409 per month. Because of them, I create my music, podcasts, videos, blogs with the peaceful assurance that I can continue being a full-time musician and we still get to eat. Thank you. You are awesome. You can be a patron for just $1, $5, $10, $100 or whatever YOU LIKE!

Special thanks to my latest patron: Chad. Thank you for being a Patron!

Kilted For Her Pleasure by Marc Gunn (2010)

Do you love kilts? Celtic music? Do you love to laugh? You’re in luck! Enjoy Marc Gunn’s Kilted Celtic comedy music for the playfully demented Celtic music fan. Get ready to guffaw with a healthy dose of laughter, the best medicine for any Celtic music lover.

Tracks: Kilted For Her Pleasure, A Drop of Vulcan Blood, Maid Went to the Mill, Close Your Eyes, Beer, Beer, Beer, To the Begging He Will Go, The True History of No Pants Day, Jock Stuart, A Man Who Wears a Kilt Every Day, St. Patrick Never Drank, Call of the Bodice, The Mower, The Widow and the Devil, Kitty Cat, The Sailboat Armada, Monahan’s Mudder’s Milk.

Remember! Subscribe to my internet street team to download free albums.

Thank you as always for your generous support of my artistic endeavors.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

September 29, 2015

Special Note About Marc Gunn's Newsletter

#marcsmusings #celtfather

www.marcgunn.com

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New Pub Songs Podcast and Geek Interview

Greetings Gunn Runner

I released a new episode of the Pub Songs Podcast last week. It's a live performance from Dragon Con. I close out the convention every year with this live podcast. This year, I remembered to get a digital copy of the show so I could share it with you.

I announce my next big podcast project for 2016 which is an Intergalactic Music Tour of the Universe... or rather many unverses. I'm having trouble describing what's gonna happen. But I'll try...

I plan to visit various universes and play concerts and interact with the locals in a 30 minute show. You may hear me singing songs in that pub in Canton or in the Mos Eisley Cantina, or maybe even the Prancing Pony in Bree. The story will begin when the Dragons vs. Pirates Podcast ends hopefully by the beginning of next year.

Listen at on the website or on iTunes.

INTERVIEW ON GEEK MUSIC PODCAST

I was SO excited to be interviewed recently on the Geek Music Podcast. It was awesome. Not just because I got to do an interview and talk about my music, but I got to talk about fandom.

I'm a geek through and through. Star Wars was my first big sci fi love and my world blossomed from there. It led to Star Trek, The Hobbit, Dungeons & Dragons, Red Dwarf, and eventually performing at science fiction conventions.

Consequently, this is unlike any other interview I've ever done. I get bit geeky. You can listen and enjoy the show right now.

RECENT BLOGS & CELTFATHER PODCASTS

Oh! There's a change to The Celtfather podcast. I'm gonna use it like my personal blog with new episodes being shorter and more frequent. Sadly, I will not have a weekly Monday schedule for now. Hear more in show #47.

MARC GUNN MUSIC ON PATREON

I want to send a special thanks to my Patrons. There 47 people like you who are contributing $404 per month. Because of them, I create my music, podcasts, videos, blogs with the peaceful assurance that I can continue being a full-time musician and we still get to eat. Thank you. You are awesome. You can be a patron for just $1, $5, $10, $100 or whatever YOU LIKE!

Special thanks to my latest patron: Chad. Thank you for being a Patron!

FREE DOWNLOAD

Thank you so much for being a part of my list. This month, your free thank you song is "Leaving of Liverpool". I hope you enjoy it.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

October 8, 2015

Photo by Lee Seitz

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT MARC GUNN'S NEWSLETTER

Find me at www.marcgunn.com. Read my blog and find my gigs.

Chat with me at Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube

#marcsmusings #celtfather

Please add "slainte@marcgunn.com" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!

20+ Celtic Albums for $25

Greetings Gunn Runner

The Celtfather podcast is now an audio blog. I talk about everything happening in it. So I decided to simplify my newsletter by listing the top 10 or so things happening right now.

One of the biggest pieces of news that'll be coming soon is about my Patreon webpage. You can now own all 20+ of my albums for just $25 from now until the end of December 2015. Find out more through the link.

WHAT'S NEW?

1. Kilted Kings are a Louisiana Renaissance Festival. We have three shows daily every weekend until December 13th. We're considering using some live tracks for an album. We'll see if we can get it done in time.

2. Celtic Invasion of Cornwall. I answered Kat's question, "What Expenses Should I Plan for While Traveling Abroad?" in The Celtfather.

3. In defence of Christmas Before Thanksgiving, I share some of my Celtic Christmas music. Yes, you can now order my Celtic Christmas album as a CD or multiple copies as greeting cards. And I still have other Irish Christmas Greeting Cards available.

4. New podcast I'm enjoying: Hello from the Magic Tavern. Enter the fantasy world of Foon. It's pretty darn funny, though a little explicit.

5. Did you like my healthy smoothie recipe? Give it a try. It's yummy!

6. Irish & Celtic Music Podcast: Last week was a Relaxing Celtic music show. This week, I'm planning a Workout Playlist for Celtic music (link not available until Nov 19th).

7. Video: It's funny to think I've been singing "Close Your Eyes" (aka "Demon Lullaby) for five yeras now.

8. Picture: I may have finally found a design to turn my broken autoharp strings into pendants. What do you think?

9. Show I'm Finally Watching: Gotham. Wow! What an awesome show! It's finally on Netflix.

10. GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide. I need to go through this list.

MARC GUNN MUSIC ON PATREON

I want to send a special thanks to my Patrons. There 49 people like you who are contributing $395 per month. Because of them, I create my music, podcasts, videos, blogs with the peaceful assurance that I can continue being a full-time musician and we still get to eat. Thank you. You are awesome. You can be a patron for just $1, $5, $10, $100 or whatever YOU LIKE!

Special thanks to my latest patron: Chad. Thank you for being a Patron!

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

November 17, 2015

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT MARC GUNN'S NEWSLETTER

Find me at www.marcgunn.com. Read my blog and find my gigs.

Chat with me at Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube

#marcsmusings #celtfather

Please add "slainte@marcgunn.com" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!

Wishing You a Merry Celtic Christmas

Greetings Gunn Runner

My wife and I were talking last night. We leave for Christmas vacation next Tuesday. Time has just flown by! I have a lot on my To Do List that won't be To Done. But overall, this holiday season is a lot nicer than last year.

Last year, in addition to the Celtic Christmas Podcast and the regular episodes of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, I released a CD (Celtic Christmas Greetings), I recorded 13 part Christmas podcast for that CD, I released a Celtic Christmas Music Special on video, and I organized a Christmas internet concert. It was way too much.

Sure, I wish I had time for more this year, but I'm feelingquite content with what I know WILL be accomplished.

I can head out on vacation with my family, feeling a little more relaxed.

I hope you're having a lovely Christmas season.

Nollaig Shona Duit! (Merry Christmas!)
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

WHAT'S NEW?

1. I am releasing four episodes of the Celtic Christmas Podcast this year. If you're in need of some great Christmas music, subscribe to the show today. Show #40 features my latest Christmas single recorded with An Taisdeal.

2. This year, I'm actually listening to the Celtic Christmas Podcast too, but I also have two playlists on Spotify that I swap between: Celtic Christmas Fun!, for my general Celtic Christmas musical enjoyment, and Fun Christmas Songs for Kids, which features a mix of popular Christmas songs and some of my absolute favorite Celtic Christmas songs. Yes, there's a nice sprinkling of my music thrown in too.

3. I posted new song lyrics for "Blue Sun" and "Everybody Needs a Drinking Song" on my website blog. There's a live video of the later song on YouTube.

4. Kilted Kings was a huge success at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival this year. One of the best things out of it was the number of people who requested "Name On My Soul" on a CD. My plan is to release it next summer, but considering the delay I'm having at releasing Dragons vs. Pirates, that may be a little unrealistic. In the meantime, check out this video I recorded at the faire. Kilted Kings now have a Facebook page too.

5. There are several new episodes of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. This was the first I released in December. My Celtic Christmas special comes out tomorrow.

6. Do you have the Marc Gunn Celtic Music App? It's for Android devices only, and it's a little out-of-date. But Eric will be updating it over the next couple o'months. So get it. And let me know what you think. Cost = $0

MARC GUNN MUSIC ON PATREON

I want to send a special thanks to my Patrons. There 50 people like you who are contributing $370 per month. Because of them, I create my music, podcasts, videos, blogs with the peaceful assurance that I can continue being a full-time musician and we still get to eat. Thank you. You are awesome. You can be a patron for just $1, $5, $10, $100 or whatever YOU LIKE!

Thank you for being a Patron!

Slainte!
Marc Gunn, The Celtfather

December 16, 2015

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT MARC GUNN'S NEWSLETTER

Find me at www.marcgunn.com. Read my blog and find my gigs.

Chat with me at Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube

#marcsmusings #celtfather

Please add "slainte@marcgunn.com" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!

Back to Marc's Musings Archives