A note from Randal Bays - Greetings to all our new and returning staff, students and volunteers. It's amazing to realize we're coming up on the ninth year of the camp, an especially exciting one due to our move up the road to Roche Harbor and also the many new teachers coming this year. As I've been updating this website I find myself using the words "a rare opportunity" over and over. I thought about that and realized it's what I've always felt about our camp; it's a place where you can study with some of the finest Irish traditional musicians in the world, in small classes, with other dedicated musician/learners, in one of the most beautiful places in the world and without traveling abroad... a rare opportunity indeed.

When I was learning to play the fiddle, here in the Pacific Northwest, I was fortunate in that there was a great community of excellent musicians from both Ireland and the United States. I was able to jump right into that community - the sessions, the parties, the concerts, the sessions, the ceili dances, the sessions, etc. - and so I got to know not just Irish music but also the world and the people of Irish music, long before I was able to travel to Ireland itself. I feel that's critical to getting the music right, and when we began the Friday Harbor camp in 2002 my goal was to provide at least a week of that kind of immersion experience. We've emphasized community over fame, and made every effort to bring teaching staff who are not only fantastic musicians but also people who know how to teach, who care about the music and respect the people who come to the camp to learn. Judging from the feedback we've received, we've done a pretty good job of it, and we have every intention of continuing in the same tradition.

A Little Camp History

Randal Bays and Dan Paulson founded the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp in 2002 as a place where people who love Irish traditional music can come together to learn and share good times. It's six days of intensive classes, concerts, discussions and above all, SESSIONS, in a lovely setting near the town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington.

Here are some links to photos from past years

Here's an alphabetical list of the great musicians, singers and dancers who've taught at Friday Harbor over the years: Randal Bays, Aidan Brennan, Mairead Casey, Andrea Cooper, Tom Creegan, Kevin Crehan, Jackie Daly, John Doyle, Bridget Fitzgerald, Liz Kane, Yvonne Kane, James Keane, James Kelly, Roger Landes, Dave Marshall, Anne McCallum, Catherine McEvoy, Leo McNamara, Maldon Meehan, Aine Meenaghan, Mick Mulkerrin, Gearoid O'hAllmhurain, Eoin O'Neill, Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh, Patrick Ourceau, Daithi Sproule, Fintan Vallely, Randy Vic, Susan Waters, John Williams.

In 1993 Randal was in Co. Clare and visited the famous
Willie Clancy Summer School at Miltown Malbay, a visit
that included this appearance in the fiddle recital with
three great East Clare fiddlers, Francie Donellan,
P.J. Hayes and Martin Hayes.

Returning home to the Pacific Northwest, Randal decided to try and create something like "Willie Week" on a smaller scale, and when Dan Paulson suggested his home town of Friday Harbor, it seemed perfect.

Dan spoke to the director of the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Labs (right), a research facility for oceanographers and other scientists from around the world. The Labs welcomed the idea of hosting the camp, and that was our home through 2009. Starting this year, 2010, we'll be at an equally beautiful place called Roche Harbor, also on San Juan Island just a few miles up the road from our old home. See the lodging page for more details.

There are three 90 minute class periods each day except Friday, when we cancel the third session to give everyone time to recharge their energy for the staff concert and sessions that follow. The post-concert sessions usually wail away into the wee hours of the morning at The Place Bar & Grill in downtown Friday Harbor. (Don't plan to take the early boat!)

At right is a photo of Randal Bays, Susan Waters, James Keane and Catherine McEvoy at The Place during the 2008 camp.