Returning with a new lineup, this Nashville based band is STILL a group of MIGHTY Friends playing Mighty Tunes!
Photo L-R
Bob Dean- Bodhrán
Patrick D’Arcy– Uilleann Pipes Patrick D’Arcy hails from Dublin, Ireland and has spent most of his musical life plying his craft in California but now transplanted to beautiful Nashville, Tennessee! He hosts an online uilleann pipe specific talk show called PIPER SUNDAY for the So Cal Pipers Club. He has written music for TV and has recorded and performed with bands and producers in Los Angeles while also participating in online recording sessions with artists all around the world. He enjoys teaching the Uilleann pipes & whistle at home as well as at tionóil (gatherings) around the country and also online to a world wide student body. In his early days of playing the Uilleann pipes he would venture to the County Clare where he found a firm footing by attending the legendary Willie Clancy Summer School in Milltown Malbay, named after one of Ireland’s most influential pipers. Before that guitar was his main instrument with ventures into the mandolin which brought him to play for three years with L.A. / Irish punk band “Flogging Molly”.
Olivia Dunn- Fiddle Olivia has been playing Irish fiddle since she was eight years old. Originally from Nashville, she has been fortunate to study under many incredible instructors, primarily the world renowned fiddlemaster and All-Ireland champion Brian Conway. As a performer, Olivia has played for many different festivals in the southeast, including the Middle Tennessee Highland Games, Downtown St. Paddy’s Festival, and Piping on the Green. She also is the director of the Clubhouse Series, hosting sessions, concerts, and more. Olivia’s approach to teaching is rooted in the oral tradition, emulating the sounds of the Irish fiddle greats. She counts Michael Coleman, Kevin Burke, Martin Hayes, James Kelly, and Paddy Cronin as some of her biggest influences. She was the recipient of the inaugural Bill Verdier Scholarship in 2023. UPDATE: Olivia has a conflict and won’t be able to make it this year, but she’s in the picture so we’re leaving her Bio- and because we love her so you should know about her!
Karl Kersey- Mandolin, Guitar Karl has played and taught professionally for over 35 years across many genres, including rock, blues, bluegrass, and country. He is a proponent of the mandolin in Celtic music. Karl has studied with Rose Flanagan, Brian McNeill, John Doyle, and Liz Carroll. He teaches at several Irish Music Camps and leads sessions in Nashville, TN. He attended Musician’s Institute (GIT) in Los Angeles, and is a graduate of IBMA’s “Leadership Bluegrass Academy.”
Taylor Dunn- Fiddle
Sarah Bystrom- Fiddle