Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School Instructors
Note: All times are listed in CENTRAL TIME ZONE. Thank you!
Michael Stribling
Teaching: Irish Flute (T-W-Th), Tin Whistle (T-W-Th), and Uilleann Pipes Workshop (Friday only)
Hailing from sunny Tallahassee, Florida, Michael Stribling is an award winning Uilleann Piper, Wooden Flute, and Tin Whistle player. In County Cavan, Ireland he competed and won the title of “All Ireland Champion” on the Uilleann Pipes at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Michael has spent a significant part of his formative years in Ireland performing and studying traditional Irish music, he was mentored by the piping great, Jerry O’Sullivan. His style exhibits technical punctuation with a rhythmical drive, and is heavily influenced by the music of Uilleann piping masters, Patsy Touhey and Leo Rowsome. In more recent years, the early Irish-American style of Uilleann Piping, exhibited by the likes of Touhey and Michael Gallagher, have become a passion of Michael’s, who strives to recreate their unique style and sound in his own playing today. Michael learned his flute playing from the esteemed Catherine McEvoy, and exhibits the Sligo-Roscommon style, that was taught to him early on in his musical education. Featuring the hallmark drive of this region and style, he has performed, and given instruction on the flute for the last decade across the United States. Michael plays a wooden flute made by Aaron Olwell. Michael regularly joins the Internationally touring Irish groups Fullset, Runa, and Aoife Scott, as well as teaching at Tionóls, piping workshops, Traditional Irish Music camps and summer schools both in the United States, and abroad. In 2014, Michael added the traditional Irish element for renowned country music artist Trace Adkins’ Celtic Christmas tour, performing on Uilleann pipes, flute, and the tin whistle. Along with the Uilleann Piper Joey Abarta, Michael is the co-director of the Patrick J. Touhey Memorial Weekend, held in Boston. When he isn’t playing music, Michael competes in Ironman triathlons across the United States.