Episode 87-Revisited Fairy Forts and Changelings
Release Date: 11/05/2025
Episode 92-Eagles and Eggplants
Irish Music Stories Podcast
Episode 92-Eagles and Eggplants--Going for the gold year round... Things change over the years. But a lot of the same stories (and tunes) just seem to keep coming up. Like a bad penny. Or a Golden Eagle. Host Shannon Heaton and flute player Kozo Toyota sail the golden, storied seas about a gold coin, a clipper ship, an eggplant, and a fiery little hornpipe. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project, please head to
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Episode 91-Doherty, Norah, and Ma
Irish Music Stories Podcast
As tunes and songs get passed around they transform. Airs and hornpipes turn into jigs or reels, entire parts get added or condensed, melodies change, words alter or are forgotten altogether (until the song becomes just a tune). In this episode, singer Niamh Parsons and host Shannon Heaton trace a tune and its words back to its source. It’s a celebration of listening, and finding the story in a song together. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project, please head to https://shannonheatonmusic.com/ims/
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Episode 90-Sweeping Through the Classics
Irish Music Stories Podcast
For this episode of Irish Music Stories, host Shannon Heaton talks to Clare fiddler Sorcha Costello to dig down to the roots of a botanically named tune, And to explore the beauty of enduring classics. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project, please head to ShannonHeatonMusic.com
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Episode 89-Singing Out and Lifting Up
Irish Music Stories Podcast
For this installment of Irish Music Stories, host Shannon Heaton tucks into an old jig that has become known as The Morning Lark. It’s an exploration of cartoonists and journalists, and the power of names and name calling. Above all, it’s a celebration of a little jig in D that continues to resonate and transform. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project, please head to ShannonHeatonMusic.com
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Episode 88-Dark Mysteries Bright Melodies
Irish Music Stories Podcast
Early 20th century musician George White painted the New York scene with dance tunes on his piccolo; and the tune bearing his name has gone on to enchant generations of Irish musicians. Well before that, a piper lured 130 children with his sweet playing (and his colorful clothes). There’s no bankruptcy of mystery or chirpy melodies in this first episode of Season 10 of Shannon Heaton’s Irish Music Stories. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project, please head to
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Episode 87-Revisited Fairy Forts and Changelings
Irish Music Stories Podcast
As magical new Irish music podcasts emerge, as dark forces swirl around the world, and as much of the northern hemisphere enters into shorter, colder days, the Irish Music Stories re-investigates lore and mystery surrounding Irish fairies. With care and caution—and with young co-producer Nigel—fiddle players Tara Connaghan and Martin Hayes, singer Emily Smith, and storyteller Máirtín de Cógáin help explore songs and stories about the Sí. ________________________________ Thank you to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to recent underwriters: Harish Babu Arunachalam,...
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Episode 86-King of the Bees (IMS Sidequest)
Irish Music Stories Podcast
In this six-episode “Sidequest” series, Irish Music Stories host Shannon Heaton shares music from her “Perfect Maze” album (pollinator-inspired compositions for flute, strings, piano, and voice). And in keeping with the IMS mission, she also incudes stories that helped her navigate the whole project. For this final (sixth) installment #6 she talks about the heartbreak and beauty of mortality, and (not so silly) naked rulers, and why there are no kings in the bee world. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this project,...
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Episode 85: Red Rose and White Lotus (IMS Sidequest)
Irish Music Stories Podcast
In this six-episode “Sidequest” series, Irish Music Stories host Shannon Heaton shares music from her “Perfect Maze” album (pollinator-inspired compositions for flute, strings, piano, and voice). And in keeping with the IMS mission, she also incudes stories that helped her navigate the whole project. For installment #4 she talks of kings and royal roses, and spiritual leaders and mud-born lotus plants; and how it takes a team and timing for plants—and for humans—to transform. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion essays, and to contribute to this...
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Episode 84: William of Orange (IMS Sidequest)
Irish Music Stories Podcast
In this six-episode “Sidequest” series, Irish Music Stories host Shannon Heaton shares music from her “Perfect Maze” album (pollinator-inspired compositions for flute, strings, piano, and voice). And in keeping with the IMS mission, she also incudes stories that helped her navigate the whole project. For installment #4 she breaks down one movement of her Flute Duel (with talk of cadenzas, Nuevo Tango influences, and butterfly flight patterns). She also shares stories about the ancient monarch butterfly’s namesake and its Mexican guardians. _________________ For playlists,...
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Episode 83-Copper Over Navy (IMS Sidequest)
Irish Music Stories Podcast
In this six-episode “Sidequest” series, Irish Music Stories host Shannon Heaton shares music from her “Perfect Maze” album (pollinator-inspired compositions for flute, strings, piano, and voice). And in keeping with the IMS mission, she also incudes stories that helped her navigate the whole project. For installment #3, she highlights the Blue Dress motif, one of the recurring melodies on Perfect Maze. And she tells the story of weathering updates and tragedies of primates and men with a few different hues. _________________ For playlists, transcripts, links to videos, companion...
info_outlineAs magical new Irish music podcasts emerge, as dark forces swirl around the world, and as much of the northern hemisphere enters into shorter, colder days, the Irish Music Stories re-investigates lore and mystery surrounding Irish fairies.
With care and caution—and with young co-producer Nigel—fiddle players Tara Connaghan and Martin Hayes, singer Emily Smith, and storyteller Máirtín de Cógáin help explore songs and stories about the Sí.
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Thank you to everybody for listening. And a special thank you to recent underwriters: Harish Babu Arunachalam, Paul DeCamp, Jonathan Duvick, Randall Semagin, Michael Voss, Heather Carroll, Robert Suchor, Ian Bittle, Adele Megann, Patrick OLeary, Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, Paul DeCamp, Karin Kettenring, and Rick Rubin