Katie Grennan

Description

Katie Grennan's traditional fiddle playing carries the articulation of a gifted classical musician tempered by the soul of a champion Irish dancer. Her wide ranging experience as an international touring performer in both live stage productions and television have given her a unique platform as an ambassador for the music of her heart.

As a highly sought-after and dedicated instructor of both traditional music and dance, she works with fiddlers of all ages and levels both in-person and virtually. Having passed the TCRG Certification with honors in 2010 from An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (the largest worldwide governing body of Irish dance), she has held a position as a lead instructor at the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance based in Chicago. Her deep knowledge of Irish dance & musical prowess makes her one of the forefront musicians on the Feis scene (Irish step dance competitions), and she plays regularly for championships around the country.

Work Sample

This is a snippet from a WGN appearance where I played live fiddle music for the Trinity Irish Dancers in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. This short clip demonstrates so many aspects of what I do both as an instructor and a musician - I have taught many these dancers weekly for years at the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance as an instructor, and also play for them when they perform and compete. Since I am a dancer and musician and teach both art forms extensively, I feel I am in a unique position to explain and demonstrate how the two interact and relate to each other to people of all ages and backgrounds.

This is a sample of me playing a recent composition of mine with my quartet (STEAM Quartet) as part of Rendezvous Arts 2022 performing arts series. I wrote this reel back in 2015 and recorded it on a studio album called Second Story in 2017. I've since played it with a variety of groups, and have played it for dancers all around the country as well, as it is in 4/4 timing, allowing Irish dancers to perform the traditional dance called the "reel" .

In this video, I am performing traditional Irish dance choreography on A Prairie Home Companion live on air in 2017. I choreographed these particular steps in sync with the tunes played by the ensemble (starting at 2:23 in the video). The basic movements within this dance are called "trebles", the very first movement that any Irish dancer will learn when they begin to dance in hard shoes. You can see that the choreography becomes more intricate the longer I keep dancing - I add toe work, heals, and clicks, however, the "trebles" remain the central aspect of the dance, providing the rhythm, perfectly in sync with the music. Interestingly enough, as this was originally a radio broadcast only, my feet became the drum for this arrangement and I didn't know until after the fact that the video of the performance was made available public on YouTube!

The work samples demonstrate my technical proficiency and stage presence in both dance and music. The first video submitted also shows the interaction between fiddle and dance, demonstrated by some of my very own dance students from the Trinity Academy of Irish dance. As a full time performing artist and teacher, I play and/or teach music and dance every single day. I tour professionally around the world, I teach in Chicago at community centers and in people's homes, and play in community based sessions all around the greater Chicagoland area. These short clips are a small sample of what I do, but hopefully demonstrate my passion and commitment to the art forms.

History

Born and raised in Wexford, PA though residing in the Chicagoland area for over a decade, Katie is the current fiddler in the popular celtic-fusion band Gaelic Storm, has recorded a number of solo albums, and is involved in a number of cutting edge musical projects, including The Bow Tides & Chicago-based STEAM Quartet.
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As a highly sought-after and dedicated instructor of both traditional music and dance, she works with fiddlers of all ages and levels both in-person and virtually. Having passed the TCRG Certification with honors in 2010 from An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (the largest worldwide governing body of Irish dance), she has held a position as a lead instructor at the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance based in Chicago. Her deep knowledge of Irish dance & musical prowess makes her one of the forefront musicians on the Feis scene (Irish step dance competitions), and she plays regularly for championships around the country. Her recordings tailored especially for Irish dancers can be found on the Feis App.

Artistic Vision

Katie Grennan's traditional fiddle playing carries the articulation of a gifted classical musician tempered by the soul of a champion Irish dancer. Her wide ranging experience as an international touring performer in both live stage productions and television have given her a unique platform as an ambassador for the music of her heart. The focus of Katie’s work centers around passing along the tradition of music and dance to the next generation, and has taught hundreds of children through individual classes and workshops at educational establishments such as Carnegie Mellon University, the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, the Chicago Public School System, and many more. She is also staple musician for live Irish dance competitions and festivals and has played music for thousands of dancers across the United States.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

I have expertise in teaching folks who have a basic understanding of the violin how to play traditional Irish melodies by ear. I've taught workshops to folks of all ages and levels and can prepare musicians for "fiddle" performances or just give a sample of the different melodies and styles of Irish music. Explaining, demonstrating, and teaching the difference a "fiddle" and a "violin" is also an area of expertise. Additionally, I teach people of all ages and levels how to Irish dance. I can teach large groups of people how to perform basic Irish solo steps to music and can also teach group dances, similar to square dancing.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

Irish dance and music has deep roots in Chicago, and more broadly, the United States. Over 30 million people in the United States claim they have Irish ancestry, and as a touring musician with one of the largest Irish/Celtic bands in the world, I witness this first hand every single time I perform. I play in over 100 cities a year, and have the great fortune of interacting with audiences after each show, hearing about how the music that we play speaks to them and reminds them of their roots and their family. In Chicago, there is a very rich history of Irish musicians and dancers, and both art forms exist as living traditions. Irish music is nothing without its community - the melodies and techniques have been and still are passed down in jam circles called "sessions" all around the city. The current community is vibrant and alive - every single week, I witness young musicians learning from their elders, and vice versa.