by Anu Regmi
I’ve been surrounded by Irish music since I was very young—it’s part of my family, my culture, and something I’ve always felt deeply connected to. I started playing the button accordion around age six or seven, and later added piano and violin. At first, I actually cried when I got my accordion—not because I didn’t love music, but because I wanted toys. I remember pressing one of the buttons and being shocked by the loud sound it made. But a few months later, once I started learning, I absolutely loved it. I still remember how proud I felt when I could play the first part of a tune without looking down at my fingers.
Irish music is taught through oral tradition—learning by ear, not by reading sheet music—and that’s how I learned from the beginning. It’s always felt natural to me. Even when I started learning classical piano and violin, I found sight-reading difficult. My strength was always in listening and playing back. That instinct, shaped by the aural tradition of Irish music, became the foundation of how I learn, teach, and connect with tunes.
I’ve played lots of different types of tunes over the years: reels, jigs, hornpipes, marches, polkas, slip jigs, barn dances, set dances, airs, and slow airs. I have many favorites—especially reels and jigs—and I love how they often come with quirky names like “The Burnt Old Man,” “Pigeon on the Gate,” or “Cat in the Corner.”
Irish music allows for a huge amount of variation in style and expression. There are regional similarities, but no two people play the same way. Over the years of hearing, experiencing, and playing with many different people, I’ve developed my own style. My background in classical music has also influenced my trad playing in subtle ways—giving me a broader understanding of harmony and technique, while still staying rooted in the feel and flow of traditional music.
One of the most exciting parts of developing my style was attending Scoil Éigse workshops before the All-Ireland Fleadh. These week-long classes are taught by world-class musicians and focus on ornamentation, variation, bass techniques, and learning new tunes. They helped me reach beyond the styles I was used to hearing and exposed me to a wide range of approaches within the tradition.
A Fleadh Ceoil is an Irish music event where the main focus is the competitions that take place. In Ireland, you would initially compete at the county level, then, if you qualified you would compete at the provincial level, and finally if you continued to be successful, then at the All-Ireland final competition. In Britain, there are four regional Fleadhs that lead to a national final. In the U.S., there are two regional qualifiers before sending winners to Ireland. I was living in Britain at the time, so I had to qualify from my region to the All-Britain Fleadh, and then to the All-Ireland fleadh.
But the Fleadh is more than just a competition—it’s a full cultural experience. Especially at the All-Britain and All-Ireland stages, it becomes a festival. The All-Ireland Fleadh takes over an entire town for a week. Roads are closed to cars and opened to pedestrians, so you can walk freely through streets filled with music. Every pub and bar is packed with musicians playing in sessions—some planned, many spontaneous. There’s music from morning to night, spilling out of doorways and echoing down alleys. There are professional stages and concerts, casual setups on street corners, and even televised performances.
The competitions themselves are spread across the town, and for those of us competing in multiple categories, it can get hectic. I remember racing from one venue to another, with friends and family helping hold open competitions so I wouldn’t miss my chance to perform. It was chaotic, yes—but that was part of the magic. It’s all part of the experience and atmosphere: catching up with people, asking how their competitions went, what they’re competing in, and finding out if they won awards.
I’ve competed in solo competitions on all of my instruments, as well as accompaniment, duet, trio, group, and band. The last time I attended was before I moved to the US, and I didn’t compete that year—just went to the regional and All-Britain stages. It was a very different experience being there and not having to think about competing. You could focus on other people and not just worry about yourself. You can kind of enjoy it more in a way, but at the same time you feel less connected to it.
Before competitions, I always worried about my hand condition—often to do with the room temperature. Some places, even in the peak of summer, were really cold inside. I remember blowing on my hands many times trying to warm them up. Other times, I’d be wiping sweaty hands down the side of my clothes.
Highlighting shows the competition instruemtns that I have competed in
| Year | County | Competition | Age Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Derry | Grupai Ceoil | 12-15 |
| 2014 | Sligo | Grupai Ceoil | U 12 |
| 2014 | Sligo | Button Accordian | U 12 |
| 2015 | Sligo | Button Accordian | U 12 |
| 2015 | Sligo | Piano | U 12 |
| 2015 | Sligo | Grupai Ceoil | U 12 |
| 2016 | Ennis | Grupai Ceoil | U 12 |
| 2016 | Ennis | Trio | U 12 |
| 2016 | Ennis | Piano | U 12 |
| 2016 | Ennis | Button Accordion | U 12 |
| 2017 | Ennis | Button Accordion | 12-15 |
| 2017 | Ennis | Piano | 12-15 |
| 2018 | Drogheda (Co Louth) | Piano | 12-15 |
| 2018 | Drogheda (Co Louth) | Button Accordian | 12-15 |
| 2018 | Drogheda (Co Louth) | Accompaniment | 12-15 |
| 2018 | Drogheda (Co Louth) | Trio | 12-15 |
| 2019 | Drogheda (Co Louth) | Trio | 12-15 |
| 2019 | Drogheda (Co Louth) | Button Accordion | 12-15 |
| 2020 Covid19 | |||
| 2021 Covid19 | |||
| 2022 | Mullingar | Button Accordion | 15-18 |
| 2022 | Mullingar | Duet | 15-18 |
I’ve played music for many people over time—from high-level competitions with the most critical ears, to volunteering for charities and playing at senior care homes. I see the effect and impact that the music has on everyone. It’s incredibly powerful to see the joy, interest, and excitement it brings out in people.
A particularly special moment was when my great auntie and great uncle from Nepal visited. They don’t speak very much English, so it’s harder to connect with them, but music enabled that. They really enjoyed the music when I played my accordion for them—I could see how much it helped them connect and how they just wanted to hear more. My uncle plays traditional Nepali music on the harmonium, so that brought a respect for music that helped them understand and see the importance of it.
I’ve taught for many years to many different people. Even as a kid, I was helping others in my group. Eventually, once I moved up in the classes, I started teaching the younger ones. It’s been a really rewarding experience and I’ve really enjoyed it. It definitely makes you think hard about how you’ve learned things and how you can break that down and explain it.
For example, on the accordion, using the air button is something you do automatically without thinking. But when you start out, you don’t know how or when to use it—you have to think about it every time before it becomes natural. So I had to go back and think about something I do naturally and figure out how to explain it in a way that helps people understand and learn to play that way.
I initially taught beginner tin whistle and fiddle. We do use some sheet music to help students remember how the tune goes when they go home, but we focus on teaching by ear and use music as an aid. We might add markings for variations, ornamentation, and other enhancements and style choices, particularly when practicing for competitions.