By Marc Gunn
4.6
99 ratings
The podcast currently has 283 episodes available.
Every year, I take a small group of people on an exciting adventure overseas. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know it through it's culture, history, and legends. EtZvGiAuFJKsacyM2U1d
In June 2023, we are going to Westport, Ireland in County Mayo. The itinerary is now online. We will spend seven nights, visiting Matt Malloy's famous pub, hike Croagh Patrick, and ferry to Clare Island. We'll learn more about the Grace O'Malley, the famed Pirate Queen, by visiting her castles. We'll see standing stones and lots more.
Check out the itinerary for the Celtic Invasion of Westport, Ireland right now to see if you want to join me in Ireland this summer.
Celebrate Celtic culture and music through travel. I'm gonna tell you what you can expect on my Celtic Invasion Vacations?
If you go to the website you won’t find much information. I usually list the itinerary when it becomes available but that can be January or March before the trip. You will find podcasts and links to pictures and videos. I don't know that any of it really paints a good picture.
So I thought I would try to break down how these trips work to help you decide if you want to join me in the future.
Celtic Invasion Vacations are not your typical travel tour experience. Most tourists travel on big buses. They go place to place. You stay up late. You get up early. There’s 30, 60 or even 90 people packed on one to three tour buses.
If you’re like me, that sounds pretty miserable. My first two trips were on tour buses. Everyone was a fan of my music. So that was pretty awesome. The bus drivers were awesome too. But that's a lot of people for an introvert like me.
I don’t know how much of the fatigue was from so many people or the staying up late/getting-up-early business. But it’s not my preferred way of traveling. I like small groups.
My mom moved to Italy in 1985. So I’ve gone back-and-forth to Europe for a long time.
My mom is an awesome adventurer. I went to school on an American military base in Vicenza, Italy for my senior year of high school. While all the other high school seniors went to Remini to get drunk, my mom and I went on in artistic pilgrimage following the works of Piero Della Francesca. She instilled in me the value of planning as well as spontaneity.
You see that in my Celtic Invasion Vacations itinerary. When I finally make one that is. Typically, I don't have a full itinerary when I announce the latest trip. I have… ideas.
In fact, I usually have one big idea. Then I find a way to make it work.
One person told me he was disappointed when my trip to the Highlands of Scotland a few years back did not also include the Isle of Skye, like it was initially listed on the early itinerary.
That was because I had a big idea. But when I finally settled on details, I realized it was impractical. I learned from that error. If I make any big changes to what was planned, you are welcome to back out.
I don’t usually settle on solid itineraries until December or January. I just don’t have enough details to make a solid decision.
That might make some people uncomfortable, especially when you’re putting down nearly $3000, plus air travel, to join me.
The adventure is worth it!
The great thing about traveling on the Celtic Invasion Vacation in my opinion is that it is a small group. That means maximum flexibility for adventure.
So let’s answer some questions.
3:11 - WHEN ARE THE CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS?This can always vary. But typically I run my trips in late May or early June. This seems to be the best time to travel to Ireland and Scotland. People talk about rain in Ireland. June seems to invariably have one of the lightest rain falls ever. It's just... perfect!
3:32 - HOW LONG IS EACH TRIP?Celtic Invasion Vacations are about seven days long. The trips are officially scheduled from Saturday to Saturday. That’s because that’s how long most vacation rentals book. But I’m not going to be taking you to seven hotels in seven days. We stay in one place most of the week.
If the vacation rental is more than a couple hours from the airport or there's something cool to see closer, we may stay in a hotel near the airport on the last night of the Invasion. It just depends on how soon everyone on the trip has booked their departure.
4:04 - WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE?I usually ask Invaders to arrive the day before the trip. That way you can recover from jet lag and adjust to the time change. But that also allows us to leave first thing in the morning on Saturday to drive to our vacation rental.
While it is recommended, it is not required. As long as you arrive by 11 am on Saturday, we will adjust. You are also responsible for the hotel on Friday night. But you might find a roommate with other Invaders.
4:43 - WHEN SHOULD I DEPART?Again, it’s up to you. I prefer you to set your departure after noon on Saturday. You can stay as long as you want.
I usually leave on Sunday after the trip is over.
4:54 - HOW DO YOU SELECT THE DESTINATIONS?Destinations are chosen by invaders and of course me. I usually have an idea of a place I want to see. I look for a suitable vacation spot.
But sometimes I ask for suggestions from Invaders. Our trip to Brittany and Cornwall were both chosen because some regular Invaders wanted to visit all seven Celtic nations.
Of course, I get the final say. And if I can't get enough people to attend one of these more remote spots, I may make adjustments.
Once we settle on a big destination, the next step is figuring out the generalized itinerary.
5:27 - IS THERE DOWNTIME?Yes. This is not an intense, constantly moving tour. Celtic Invasion Vacations are about relaxation, adventure, and fun. But how much can be up to you.
There’s usually at least one day where we are near to the cottage and take it easy. We explore the local town. Wednesday’s have the option of a little extra downtime for those who need it.
5:52 - HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE ITINERARY?You can't make an itinerary until you know where you are going, right? Well, the challenge for me is that I need to know the exact place we are staying to figure out where our itinerary will go.
My next step then is to start researching vacation rentals. I look for rentals in our destination area that hold between 8-12 people (sometimes more). I want it to look nice, comfortable and easily accessible. In fact, I want the majority of the cool stuff that we will explore to be within 30 minutes of where we are staying.
Once I know the exact location, I can plan the itinerary.
6:26 - WHAT DOES A TYPICAL ITINERARY LOOK LIKE?The first day of the trip involves driving to our destination. We need at least one interesting place to stop along the way. Maybe two if you include lunch.
When we arrive, we need groceries. I confess, there's something extra fun about going to a grocery store in Europe. Some of our Invaders join me for a shopping experience as we load up on breakfast and a couple dinners.
I make dinner the first night, typically my secret pasta recipe. That evening is usually concluded with a little music by me.
The second day is usually a good day to stay local. So we explore one or two of the cool things nearby. We try to spend time out of the car, walking around. It's good to stretch our legs after traveling.
On either the second or the third day, I like to bring in a tour guide, if possible. My trips are not geared around "tours", but local guides are great for adding a little bit of history, culture, and legends to the experience.
Guides are also good at giving us a local perspective of things we should check out that are not necessarily on our itinerary.
In Brittany, we found some cool cairns that were not on our original itinerary. In Cornwall, we got an overview of Tintagel and found some standing stones I would've never found. In Wales, Gwilym Morus shared the incredible legends of Merlin and introduced us to an eco-resort, hidden in the mountains. In Donegal, we found some great restaurants and a former passage tomb.
Around day three, we're ready for a different travel experience. That's when I try to get us out on the water or on a train. Something to shake up the feel of the trip.
Day four is the midweek break. Again we stay local. Some choose to relax in our cottage. Others explore something new that’s local.
Day five usually takes us on a long adventure. We'll get in the van and drive further to see something outside of our main region. This gives us a nice look at other regions nearby. It also adds to the fun adventure.
Day six is intentionally left open. We usually find something cool by this time that we might not have realized before the trip began. Or perhaps a guide or a local we met had a recommendation. That's when we take the advice of others to explore something different
The final day is usually spent fairly local. It’s time for last minute exploration of our area. Sometimes we pack up and make our way back \towards the airport. One or two bonus destinations end up on the final day.
9:20 - WHAT MAKES A CELTIC INVASION VACATION DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TOURS?I like to stress that Celtic Invasion Vacations are not tours. They are vacations. I want my Invaders to feel relaxed and happy by the end of the trip. Not exhausted, like I was on my first two trips to Ireland. You should be energized and excited for the next Celtic Invasion experience.
9:40 - HOW MANY PEOPLE JOIN THE INVASION?The number can vary. But I usually aim for between 8-12 invaders. Too many people and I start having trouble finding restaurants to eat at.
9:58 - WHAT PERSONAL PAPERS ARE NEEDED FOR TRAVELING ON A CELTIC INVASION VACATION?You DO need a passport. It's usually good to get your passport at least 90 days out. I would suggest applying for one a minimum of six months before you depart. But there are some expedited services that can get them sooner. Just plan ahead.
You do NOT need a visa. You don't need an international drivers license either. In fact, your regular driver's license is fine if you plan to drive in Europe with any car company. Make sure you bring that at the very least. But of course, driving on the Invasion is usually done by me.
Since the pandemic, you will need a vaccination card. Invasions are like family vacations. We want to take care of our fellow invaders. So your COVID vaccination card is essential for my trip and a lot of European travel.
10:48 - HOW MUCH DO CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS COST?That varies year to year. It starts at about $2800 for the land part of the trip, for each person on the trip.
It does not cover the cost of air travel. You handle your own airline tickets.
Your fee covers your housing for a full week. That's for a shared room, either a double if you’re a couple or two singles. Depending on our housing, it may cost extra to get a single room to yourself.
Your fee covers a breakfast every day and dinner at least five times. Often I cover more than that. Sometimes it works well to make lunches if we're not planning to be near restaurants. So I happily pay for lunch supplies if we need them. But in general, you are responsible for your own lunch.
You can have what you like for breakfast each morning. Some days we have a full breakfast with eggs, bacon, yogurt, fruit, cheese, or whatever you want.
Grocery shopping usually happens on the first day. So whatever you need, we can probably find it.
Other days, if we want to get going early, then we will have a Continental Breakfast with just breads, cheese, yogurt or fruit.
And yes, there's coffee. Every morning. And tea too. I need my coffee!
I cook dinner at least 2 days during the week. We have my world famous secret pasta meal. And then there's the Celtic Invasion specialty... Prince Charlie... Secret. It's a recipe we picked up years ago and is now a tradition on the Invasions. There may be more than two meals. But of course, we like to eat out too.
The toughest thing about dining on the Celtic Invasions is finding a place to eat. If the group is under nine people. That's usually not too difficult. But if we have more than that, it can be a challenge. I plan ahead for that. Because who doesn't like to eat out in Europe!?!?! I consider that a big part of the experience.
12:41 - IS THERE MUSIC?At least twice a week, we spend the evening relaxing at our cottage with dinner... and music.
I am, of course, host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. But I'm also a musician. I play Celtic music with a sci fi drinking song twist. I call it Sci F'Irish music. You can hear my music through my website at celtfather.net.
I plan to play for at least an hour. But a lot of it depends on you and how excited you are to hear some music. If we're really lucky, you might bring an instrument too. Then we can have an Irish session with songs and tunes afterward.
And if we're really fortunate, I will find a musician or bring in a musician to come play for us. That's frequently difficult to pull off. But when it happens. It's absolutely amazing!
13:30 - WHEN DOES OUR DAY BEGIN AND END?Breakfast is usually around 7:30 or 8 AM with a departure time of 8:30-9 AM.
We don't usually do too much in the evening. Since Irish sessions usually don't begin until 9 PM, it's not something we usually attend outside of our cottage. But if it's something you want to do, we might be able to make it happen.
14:32 - HOW OLD IS TOO OLD? HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG?I have had people ages 18 on into their 70s on my Celtic Invasion Vacations. I'd say the vast majority are in their 40s, 50s and 60s. But I don't really think much about it because I adjust each trip to who's on it.
In 2019, the younger group hiked up Skellig Michael while the less physically able landed on the Greater Blaskett Island by boat.
The physically active walk, hike and run ahead if they so desire. Those who aren't, take it at their own speed.
The Isle of Skye was one of the few places we went where it was better to be physically active. There's a lot of hiking on that island. But ye know, I don't think anyone's vacation fun was hindered by their physical activity.
As for younger folks, I typically don't prefer to have young kids on the trip. I know the challenges associated with that. But I'm willing to consider it as long as the you feel the kids are up to getting up and going.
One lady asked about a teenager. I think I might be open to a teenager who is a bit more independent but still willing to follow the rules.
15:52 - HOW DO WE TRAVEL?Typically we travel in a van. These are usually large nine-seaters with lots of luggage space. Sometimes we will add a second van or a car to carry extra Invaders.
Speaking of luggage, we do have limited space. I find one suitcase per person is plenty, plus a carry on. You typically don't need more. There's usually laundry facilities too. So you can always wash something extra. There's a whole bunch of videos on YouTube where you can learn how to travel light.
If you truly need an extra suitcase, that's fine. But your experience is so much better when you travel light.
16:36 - HOW DO YOU SIGN UP?The first step is for me to open up the Invasion to the public. You see, former Invaders get first dibs. Once it's public, here's what you do.
First, email an application form to me.
Second, send me a check for your deposit. That reserves your spot on the Invasion within 2 weeks of emailing your application form.
Finally, just send me your final payment before the deadline and you're golden.
Speaking of your final payment, you are welcome to break it up into multiple payments if you don't want to or can't pay all at once. I'm happy to work with you to make the trip happen.
17:09 - HOW DO I CANCEL IF I NEED TO?First off, there is a $400 non-refundable deposit. Though there is a caveat for the "non-refundable" part. If I change the dates, you can get a refund. If you can find someone to take your spot, or someone willing takes your spot, then you can get a refund.
However, if you are sick and turned away by an airline or country, I can't offer a refund. Typically, 30-60 days before the trip, once I start paying for things, like our housing, vans, tour guides, whatever, I can no longer offer a refund. That usually starts about the time of the Celtic Invasion deadline.
I'm not a corporation though. So there may be flexibility. My goal here is to have people "sign up" and then not drop a month later as happened on my very first Celtic Invasion. If you wanna go, make a commitment with a non-refundable deposit.
17:57 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS – CLOSING REMARKSAll in all, Celtic Invasion Vacations are about happily experiencing the fun culture, history, and legends of one small but magical location. I hope you'll consider joining me on the next Celtic Invasion Vacation.
Sign up at CelticInvasion.com so you don't miss out on this incredible adventure!
And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
Busking is like a fine art. When I went solo at the end of 2008, I was determined to better understand it. I asked several Renaissance festival performers for help and suggestions. I interviewed Vince Conaway. I’m gonna share that interview today on Celtfather Unkilted #289.
I was trying to figure out how to share his interview I did with Vince Conaway years ago. I finally decided I should just post it on a podcast. It might not be super relevant to most of my fans. But it is a sneak peak behind what it's like to be a musician.
I hope you enjoyed that interview. I sure did. I learned a lot from it, even if I don’t feel like I’ve mastered the art. It’s a great starting point for any musician who wants to master the art of busking.
I always thought it was, and still is, a great insight into making a living with music.
I don’t know how long Vince Conaway has made a living with music. But he does a great job, and it’s not easy to do. That’s why he still sells CDs and also why he has a Patreon page. He talks about how amazing Patreon has helped him over the years, especially since the pandemic closed down his livelihood.
Now he is once again in Europe, sharing his music in the streets, and making special videos from around the world for all of his patrons, all so he can keep making music.
If you’d like to find out more about Vince Conaway, visit his website at VinceConaway.com
If you enjoyed this show, you can also support my music and podcasting by joining the Gunn Runners Club on my Patreon page. You can follow a link at Celtfather.net for more details.
Greetings Gunn Runner
I love looking at my successes each year. Honestly, I was pretty excited about my musical successes last year. I felt like I had a few break through moments. So let's make a list.
It's all on my monthly update, Celtfather Unkilted, show #288.
The podcast is brought to you by my amazing Patrons in the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon.
- MUSINGS: Successes for 2021
- REGULAR SHOWS
Pub Songs & Stories.
Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
In The 'Verse podcast
Celtic Christmas Podcast
Brobdingnagian Bards podcast
Stories on Patreon
Coffee with The Celtfather.
- MUSIC PRODCUTION
- MERCH
Remember, subscribe to my mailing list, you get a discount code to save 15%. Patrons save 25%!
- WEBSITES
I made a special page for people who take my business card and use the QR code. It'll be interesting to see if this works. But the basic idea is the card will give you a quick link to listen to music, subscribe to my podcast and mailing list. It's similar to what you'll find at Celtfather.net but even more focused.
I updated lyrics for the Irish Song Lyrics website, including:
- STATSMailing list subscribers = 1166 is up from 1152
Celtic Music Magazine = 4107 is up from 4100
YouTube Subscribers = 5614 is up from 5578
Facebook Likes = 3831 is up from 3820
Instagram = 1917 is up from 1915
Spotify followers: 1924 is up 36 from 1888
# Number of listens on Spotify: 11,612 is up from 4901
LATEST SPOTIFY ALBUM STATS
Most-popular songs on Spotify:
Most-popular songs on Amazon Music:
Top albums on Amazon:
Last year's playlists from this time last year:
19:01 - PATREON
Patreon Subscribers: 169 up from 168
Patreon Monthly Income: $1312 up from$1285
Thanks as always for supporting my music. Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts, pin and other merch. And Patreon funds my songwriting!
Join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon to support my songwriting. You will step behind-the-scenes with new music, bonus podcasts, videos, and live concerts.
Thank you for supporting Sci F'Irish music at Celtfather.com!
#CFMonthly
Greetings Gunn Runner
Is Black Friday an ethical holiday? Overcoming fear is the theme of a new song inspired by the hobbit. Top 10 songs on Spotify.
It's all on my monthly update, Celtfather Unkilted, show #287.
The podcast is brought to you by my amazing Patrons in the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. I have some new subscribers, and I hope to make this an even more important part of my general promotion in the weeks ahead.
0:42 - SHOWS PLANNED FOR THE COMING MONTH
DEC 1: Coffee with The Celtfather @ 11 AM EST
DEC 5: Grant Park Farmer's Market @ 9 AM - Noon
DEC 8: Coffee with The Celtfather @ 11 AM EST
DEC 15: Season 9 Finale Coffee with The Celtfather @ 11 AM EST
DEC 16: Celtfather Live @ 7 PM EST
1:14 - MUSINGS: The Ethics of Black Friday
I'm pretty confident that you know all about Black Friday. Now, we also have Cyber Monday. These are two days when people open up their wallets and many businesses offer HUGE discounts.
I confess I am very torn by those holidays. On the one hand, I have my own business. CD sales are still one of the big ways I make money. My Patreon needs to be twice what it is for me to remove my dependence on CD and merch sales.
On the other hand is consumerism. We create so much waste. I'm not even gonna go into what that waste does to our environment and its effect on climate change.
One of the things I love about the new digital revolution is I can potentially create music and make a living without adding to the waste. One day I hope to sell out all my CDs. Then I will just release them on a limited basis, for those who truly love the media. My storage shelves will be mostly empty.
The Christmas holiday doesn't help. It's all about spending. It bothered me a lot more back in the 90s when I first heard about Buy Nothing Day.
That day was created in response to the consumerism. It's on the very same day as Black Friday. "Don't buy" is the message.
Back around 2001, it became possible to accept credit cards at gigs. But at the time, I was $15K in debt. All because of MY irresponsible use of credit cards.
It got me questioning. Should I accept credit card payments...and potentially have you, my customer, go into debt because of my products?
Eventually, I decided you should be responsible for yourself. But at the same time is that cop out?
This is one of those ethical dilemmas.
I was talking recently with people about ethics in healthcare. The question was raised: should a parent have full control of their child's healthcare? Do they know what's best for their child?
The quick answer is yes. I know what's best for my daughters.
But that comes from my privileged, fairly healthy family background. A parent who is strung out on drugs, sick, or poor or in abusive relationship. They might not be healthy enough to do what is best for their child.
There are so many nuances. There isn't one right answer. It's each different for each person.
My biggest complaint with corporations is that in order to be successful, they need to do what will make the most-profit for their business. That sounds reasonable. They should be allowed to make money freely, without government interference.
That is until you realize that they can dump sewage into our water, poison our air, and destroy our environment. They can murder people and not be culpable.
Because they are a business. The actions of the business will not financially impact the owners of that business.
Reminds of McDonalds: "Would you like to Supersize that?"
That phrase made them boatloads of money. The cost was the increased obesity of their customers.
It took regulations to stop them from using that simple sales phrase. Sure it made them more money. But was it ethical?
We are all manipulated by businesses trying to make a buck. That's why Black Friday changed from businesses saying, "Huh. We get a lot more sales on the day after Thanksgiving" to "Let's capitalize on that and start a holiday!"
I decided not to do a Black Friday sale this year. I thought about it. And I plan to put together a sale on my website soon. I'm not abandoning sales altogether.
But I'm torn.
If nothing else, I think it's important to think about what's right. The ethics of sales. Just because you think it's fine. Doesn't mean it's ethically right. It could be. But think about it.
CELTFATHER MONTHLY UPDATES
6:34 - PODCASTS
Pub Songs & Stories.
Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.
In The 'Verse podcast
Celtic Christmas Podcast.
Brobdingnagian Bards podcast:
Stories on Patreon: Still need to release my Conjuration Stories. I had a theme epiphany
11:27 - VIDEOS
Coffee with The Celtfather.
Watch "Blink" Video inspired by Doctor Who.
12:12 - IN THE STUDIO
Selcouth progress
Trying to record "Blink" and "Come Adventure With Me"
"Yuletide" released on Nov 29. On playlists.
14:47 - MERCH
Plan to release Christmas ornaments soon.
Re-release of CDs
Remember, subscribe to my mailing list, you get a discount code to save 15%. Patrons save 25%!
- WEBSITES
I made a special page for people who take my business card and use the QR code. It'll be interesting to see if this works. But the basic idea is the card will give you a quick link to listen to music, subscribe to my podcast and mailing list. It's similar to what you'll find at Celtfather.net but even more focused.
I updated lyrics for the Irish Song Lyrics website, including:
16:17 - STATS
Mailing list subscribers = 1152 is up from 1151
Celtic Music Magazine = 4100 is up from 4087
YouTube Subscribers = 5578 is up 26 from 5552
Facebook Likes = 3820 is up from 3817
Instagram = 1915 is up from 1900
Spotify followers: 1888 is up 19 from 1869
# Number of listens on Spotify: 4901 is up from 3153
LATEST SPOTIFY ALBUM STATS
Most-popular songs on Spotify:
Most-popular songs on Amazon Music: "Doctor of Gallifrey" (442), "Hero of Canton" (319), "The Widow and the Devil" (159), "Close Your Eyes" (54), "Christmas in Scotland" (40)
Top albums on Amazon: Sci Fi Drinking Songs (703), As Long As I'm Flyin (423), Kilted For Her Pleasure (397), Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion (342), Going for Brogue (132)
Last year's playlists from this time last year:
Top Irish & Celtic Music: 604 is up from 602
Sci F'Irish Music: 14 is up from 13
Nagians Only: 21 (same)
Celtfather Experience: 31 (same)
Hobbit Drinking Songs: 5 (same)
Firefly Drinking Songs: 138 (same)
Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers: 81 is up from 80
Jedi Drinking Songs: 34 is up from 33
Marc Gunn Songwriting: 3
Joyful Celtic Christmas Music: 113 is up from 110
Fun Christmas Songs for Kids & Families: 1967 is up from 1941
Christmas Drinking Songs: 41
Celtic Christmas Women: 11
Irish Christmas Songs for Kids: 5
Celtic Christmas Songs: 13
Christmas Drive:
19:01 - PATREON
Patreon Subscribers: 168 is up from 165
Patreon Monthly Income: $1285 is down from $1286
Thanks as always for supporting my music. Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts, pin and other merch. And Patreon funds my songwriting!
Join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon to support my songwriting. You will step behind-the-scenes with new music, bonus podcasts, videos, and live concerts.
Thank you for supporting Sci F'Irish music at Celtfather.com!
#CFMonthly
Today, I review the success of the Pub Songs & Stories changes. I offer tips on promoting your podcast. And I tell you about two new songs coming soon.
It's all on my monthly update, Celtfather Music & Travel, show #286.
The podcast is brought to you by my amazing Patrons in the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. I have some new subscribers, and I hope to make this an even more important part of my general promotion in the weeks ahead.
0:33 - SHOWS PLANNED FOR THE COMING MONTH
NOV 3: Playing Favorites on Coffee with The Celtfather @ 11 AM EST
NOV 5-7: CONjuration, Atlanta, GA
NOV 10: Coffee with The Celtfather @ 11 AM EST
NOV 12: Interstellar Ginger Beer & Exploration Co., Alabaster, AL @ 8-10 PM
NOV 13: Haeuser House Concert, Robert, LA
NOV 17: Coffee with The Celtfather @ 11 AM EST
WEDS: Coffee with The Celtfather, YouTube (Season 9) @ 11:00 AM EST
CELTFATHER MONTHLY UPDATES
1:30 - PODCASTS
Pub Songs & Stories is coming along. I'm getting more interest in the show from musicians. I feel like I should be good for stories for a while. Though I will continue to need to hunt down more stories.
In fact, if you'd like to help me to do that, I'd love to have Pub Stories producer.
I'm changing the logo a tiny bit more for the podcast too. I'm redoing my business cards. I found some cool marketing ideas. But I feel like the current logo is a bit of a distraction... well, the title is.
PUB Songs & Stories. Pub in the title is ultimately irrelevant. It's about the Songs & Stories. But I'm not gonna rename it. If nothing else, PUB differentiated it from other shows.
So I'm making some minor changes before I add that logo to my new business cards. I've decided my next business card design will return to being a billboard for my music and the podcast.
Finally, I'm moving the release date to Tuesdays. That's so I can hopefully release it early to Patrons (ideally on Thursday, but worst case Monday) before it goes out to the public.
5:31 - PUB SONGS & STORIES CHANGES SUCCESS OR FAILURE?
7:26 - 3 PODCAST PROMOTION TIPS
11:59 - PODCAST UPDATE CONT.
I got ahead with the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. As always happens, I lose that lead with each month as I make room for other things I need to work on. So it's time to produce more podcasts before the next big holiday.
The In The 'Verse podcast launches the first episode of season 2 this Saturday. Mikey and I wrote songs inspired by the Doctor Who episode "Blink". I LOVE my new song. It's another that makes me feel like I'm becoming a better songwriter. I still need to write more songs. But this is a great start.
The Celtic Christmas Podcast will release a new episode soon. Well, sort of new. I'm actually fundraising for a fully new episode. At this rate, I won't get it. But if nothing else, I'm gonna add the Celtic Christmas episode of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to the feed as a promo for the podcast. Admittedly, I've had ZERO new patrons for that podcast. I'll post again next month. But it's looking like that podcast may not get a new episode this year. We shall see...
Brobdingnagian Bards put out a new Bards podcast this month too. I actually had to re-release it. I was informed that the first version I released was actually an earlier Bards podcast. Not sure what Andrew did when he mixed it. But he sent it to me. I uploaded it without checking. So about two weeks later, the actual episode came out.
I feel like this was a REALLY good month for the Gunn Runners on Patreon. I started releasing all of the MP3s that I record for Pub Songs & Stories exclusively to Patrons. So that means there are three new recordings PLUS the ones I've been releasing from the Virtual Public House CD.
I debating how. But my current plan is to compile ALL of the Pub Songs recordings onto a USB that will be released next year, along with maybe my new CD, Selcouth.
18:46 - VIDEOS
I made a big decision at the beginning of October. I decided to move the date of Coffee with The Celtfather mid-season. I hate doing that. But I kept having problems attending the Thursday show. Either work-related, family-related, whatever. Thursdays just seemed to be problematic.
So starting in November, Coffee with The Celtfather will be on Wednesdays at 11 AM Eastern. Mark your calendar.
There are no new public videos available. But I did record a first version of my song "Blink" for Patrons.
I am hoping to do a bit of promotion for my Genetic Counseling Song for Genetic Counseling Awareness Day in November. I WANTED to release a single, but oh well. At least...
20:34 - IN THE STUDIO
Selcouth is finally done!
It took far too long. But Mitchell and I finally finished it up. I sent it to the printers. It should arrive by the start of November.
I did finally sit down to start tracking two new songs this week: "Blink" and "Yuletide".
"Blink" is my new Doctor Who song. I'm gonna try to track all of my songs in the future. That means, I'll record individual tracks for better editing.
"Yuletide" is some lyrics I got from Nancy Flynn about the same time as I got "Christmas in the Shire" from her. I hope to have it ready for the holiday. The autoharp is done for both so far.
21:23 - MERCH
I worked out a new merch strategy at MultiVerse this month. It needs some testing. But it involves selling more than just CDs at my merch table.
There will be CDs, lapel pins, download stickers and songbooks. All have digital downloads attached to them. I'm not sure if this is a good strategy or not. But I'm gonna give it a shot.
Remember, subscribe to my mailing list, you get a discount code to save 15%. Patrons save 25%!
24:23 - WEBSITES
I made a special page for people who take my business card and use the QR code. It'll be interesting to see if this works. But the basic idea is the card will give you a quick link to listen to music, subscribe to my podcast and mailing list. It's similar to what you'll find at Celtfather.net but even more focused.
I updated lyrics for the Irish Song Lyrics website, including:
25:08 - STATS
Mailing list subscribers = 1151 is up from 1142
Celtic Music Magazine = 4087 is up from 4072
YouTube Subscribers = 5552 is up 29 from 5533
Facebook Likes = 3817 is down from 3824
Instagram = 1900 is up from 1896
Spotify followers: 1869 is up from 1854
# Number of listens on Spotify: 3153 is up from 3120
Latest Spotify Single Stats:
Latest Spotify Album Stats:
Most-popular songs on Spotify: "The Widow and the Devil" (2.5K), "Doctor of Gallifrey" (610), "Hobbit Hornpipe" (577), "A Working in the Garden" (353), "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" (234), "Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster" (194), "Hero of Canton" (184), "Reavers Malcolm Reavers" (148), , “O’er the Way” (140), “The Hobbit Journey Home” (101)
Most-popular songs on Amazon Music: "Doctor of Gallifrey" (468), "Hero of Canton" (332), "The Widow and the Devil" (125), "I’m a Rover, Seldom Sober" (61), “St Patrick Never Drank” (46)
Top albums on Amazon: Sci Fi Drinking Songs (752), As Long As I'm Flyin (549), Kilted For Her Pleasure (357), Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion (326), Don’t Go Drinking with Hobbits (223)
Last year's playlists from this time last year:
Top Irish & Celtic Music: 602 is up from 600
Sci F'Irish Music: 13 is down 14
Nagians Only: 21 is down 1
Celtfather Experience: 31 (same)
Hobbit Drinking Songs: 5 (same)
Firefly Drinking Songs: 138 up 1
Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers: 80 (same)
Jedi Drinking Songs: 33 (same)
Marc Gunn Songwriting: 3 down 2
Joyful Celtic Christmas Music: 110 up 1
Fun Christmas Songs for Kids & Families: 1941 is down 6
30:08 - PATREON
Patreon Subscribers: 165 down 2
Patreon Monthly Income: $1286 down from $1305
Thanks as always for supporting my music. Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts, pin and other merch. And Patreon funds my songwriting!
Join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon to support my songwriting. You will step behind-the-scenes with new music, bonus podcasts, videos, and live concerts.
31:31 - NEW PODCAST TITLE. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Thank you for supporting Sci F'Irish music at Celtfather.com!
#CFMonthly
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Greetings Gunn Runner
Did we just solve the death of CD problem? Songwriting podcast returns for second season. Convention successes. Selcouth nears completion.
It's all on my monthly update, Celtfather Music & Travel, show #285.
The podcast is brought to you by my amazing Patrons in the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. I have some new subscribers, and I hope to make this an even more important part of my general promotion in the weeks ahead.
Subscribe to Marc's Musings and Get 21 Songs free!
0:26 - SHOWS PLANNED FOR THE COMING MONTH
OCT 2: Fire Maker Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
OCT 3: Grant Park Farmer's Market, Atlanta, GA
OCT 7: Browncoat Drinking Songs on Coffee with The Celtfather
OCT 14: Playing Favorites on Coffee with The Celtfather
OCT 15-17: Multiverse, Atlanta, GA
OCT 21: Coffee Classics: Geek & Celtic Requests on Coffee with The Celtfather
OCT 21: Firefly Drinking Songs on Celtfather Live on Bandcamp
OCT 28: Boo! Scary Halloween Songs on Coffee with The Celtfather
OCT 30: Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA
THURS: Coffee with The Celtfather, YouTube (Season 9) @ 12:00 PM EST
1:44 - RANT: ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE CD PROBLEM
CELTFATHER MONTHLY UPDATES14:04 - PODCASTS
The new release schedule for Pub Songs & Stories is pretty good. I'm starting to plan shows a month ahead. Course, that said, I'm also struggling to collect the stories. But maybe that'll become easier as the show grows and I spread the signal further. I also realized it would be beneficial for bands if they did more than one story. So what the heck. Until I get a couple months ahead, I'm gonna ask for more than one IF they have a good story to tell.
Band O'Brothers had a good story for their song "Whiskey Spider". I also shared another story from Empty Hats that I recorded back in the spring. I rounded out September with a live podcast recording from Dragon Con.
I meant to record a bunch of stories at Dragon Con and Gen Con. But I was just too busy and/or too wiped . That sucks. But that's the way of it. I did lay some groundwork to collect some stories though. So we shall see.
One of the best things about this format is that if someone really loves a song, eventually I can just say, go check out the episode about that song in Pub Songs & Stories. So far, so good.
The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast had a full four episodes. I'm still not caught up. But as of this recording, I'm almost done with next week's show. So it's a start.
The In The 'Verse podcast launches the season 2 announcement episode on October 2. You'll want to listen if you want to find out what are plans are for the next season.
On Patreon, I released my thoughts on Gen Con 2021 as well as Dragon Con. I also released a new song called "You Are My Thor". It's a rough cut. But there might be more such things in the future. I also released two more MP3s.
17:44 - VIDEOS
Coffee with The Celtfather had a few hiccup moments this month. I played a replay of one of my hobbit shows because I didn't have much of a voice after Dragon Con. Then the following week, I skipped it, because I was at Gen Con.
I planned all of my Coffee shows for October. I'm gonna keep planning the themes a month in advance.
I was a bit concerned about the attendance of Hobbit Drinking Songs show this month. But all went well. I'm excited about the Firefly Drinking Songs show for October.
18:35 - IN THE STUDIO
In every episode of Pub Songs & Stories, I record, talk about and play at least one song. All of the songs from the first three months of the year were released on a CD called Virtual Public House. The MP3s are still up on my Bandcamp if you want to just buy that album. But that's the last of those digital albums I'm gonna release.
In the future, you'll need to subscribe to Patreon. All of those MP3s will be drip released to my Gunn Runners Club. So if you want some more unique recordings, join the Gunn Runners Club today.
Selcouth is still in the works. I thought we were all done, but right as we were getting ready to master the tracks, Mitchell and I noticed a few problems. So we did some MORE edits. Now we're down to one final song, "Kilty Pleasure". This is the one track that I recorded with autoharp and vocals at the same time. But the compression on the vocals made the autoharp sound weird. So I finally decided to re-record my vocals. That should make it easier to finish the mix.
In the meantime, everything else is done. I have some songbooks, shirts, pins, USBs, stickers. They're all here. I just need the music finished so I can order CDs.
Brobdingnagian Bards released a new EP at Dragon Con. It's called Another Faire to Remember. It was well-received at the conventions. We decided to postpone the Kickstarter. We're gonna aim for 2023 release for that album. That gives us PLENTY of time to record all of the songs for the CD and maybe even write a couple songs.
21:12 - MERCH
I pulled Virtual Public House from my Bandcamp store. It's still available for private streaming so if you bought the album and have any problem playing it, please let me know.
Remember, subscribe to my mailing list, you get a discount code to save 15%. Patrons save 25%!
21:50 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS
No news about the Celtic Invasion of Scotland. It's still filled up.
Sign up to the mailing list at CelticInvasion.com if you want to join the NEXT invasion.
22:45 - WEBSITES
I updated YearOfTheKilt.com. That's a URL that goes with my Kilted For Her Pleasure bumper stickers. It's now designed just to get people to buy a sticker.
My FireflyDrinkingSongs.com website now points straight to the In the 'Verse podcast. I wanted a simpler way to just share a URL for the podcast. So I used an existing URL I bought. I wasn't doing much with it anyway.
I updated lyrics for the Irish Song Lyrics website, including:
24:41 - STATS
Mailing list subscribers = 1142 is up from 1126
Celtic Music Magazine = 4072 is up from 4048
YouTube Subscribers = 5533 is up 31 from 5502
Facebook Likes = 3824 is up from 3823
Instagram = 1896 is up from 1890
Spotify followers: 1854 is up from 1826
# Number of listens on Spotify: 3120 is up from 2992
Latest Spotify Single Stats:
"By Amazing Grace" released on July 29: no clue (last one)
Latest Spotify Album Stats:
Flower of Scotland released on June 25 (next month): 96 is down from 119 (last one)
Most-popular songs on Spotify: "The Widow and the Devil" (2.4K), "Doctor of Gallifrey" (711), "Hobbit Hornpipe" (621), "A Working in the Garden" (356), "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" (263), "Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster" (227), "Reavers Malcolm Reavers" (206), "Hero of Canton" (205), "Drunken Sailor" (142), "Beer, Beer, Beer" (132)
Most-popular songs on Amazon Music: "Doctor of Gallifrey" (475), "Hero of Canton" (371), "A Drop of Nelson's Blood" ( 159), "The Widow and the Devil" (97), "Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster" (40)
Top albums on Amazon: Sci Fi Drinking Songs (797), As Long As I'm Flyin (557), Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion (316), Kilted For Her Pleasure (279), Going for Brogue (224)
Last year's playlists from this time last year:
Top Irish & Celtic Music: 600 is up from 599
Sci F'Irish Music: 14 is down from 15
Nagians Only: 22 (same)
Celtfather Experience: 31 is up from 30
Hobbit Drinking Songs: 5 (same)
Firefly Drinking Songs: 137 is up from 135
Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers: 80 is up from 78
Jedi Drinking Songs: 33 is up from 32
Marc Gunn Songwriting: 5 is up from 4
Joyful Celtic Christmas Music: 109
Fun Christmas Songs for Kids & Families: 1947
28:41 - PATREON
Patreon Subscribers: 167 is up from 163
Patreon Monthly Income: $1305 is up from $1255
Thanks as always for supporting my music. Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts, pin and other merch. And Patreon funds my songwriting!
Join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon to support my songwriting. You will step behind-the-scenes with new music, bonus podcasts, videos, and live concerts.
Thank you for supporting Sci F'Irish music at Celtfather.com!
#CFMonthly
Could a Firefly Drinking Songs TV show be on its way? What's different with Coffee with The Celtfather. How close am I to completing my next CD?
It's all on my monthly update, Celtfather Music & Travel, show #284.
0:13 - SHOWS PLANNED FOR JULY
SEP 2-6: Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA
SEP 9: Virginia Highlands Farmer's Market, Atlanta, GA @ 5:00 PM
SEP 16-19: Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN.
SEP 23: Hobbit Drinking Songs on Celtfather Live on Bandcamp. Buy tickets.
OCT 2: Fire Maker Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
OCT 3: Grant Park Farmer's Market, Atlanta, GA
OCT 15-17: Multiverse, Atlanta, KY
THURS: Coffee with The Celtfather, YouTube (Season 9) @ 12:00 PM EST
2:22 - RANT: FIREFLY DRINKING SONGS, THE TV SHOW?
CELTFATHER MONTHLY UPDATES
8:02 - PODCASTS
I released two episodes of Pub Songs & Stories this month. The first highlighted songs about selkies with stories from Elizabeth Sutherland and me. But also there was a story by Matt & Shannon Heaton about a tune they wrote.
It was a good show. But afterward, I was lamenting to my engineer, Mitchell, that I can't seem to put out more episodes. He suggested shorter ones. So instead of compiling the next big one in September, we put out a short one featuring Tuatha Dea and their story about "Black Douglas", the original Braveheart. I'm gonna try out the new format for the next month or so. So far, I'm liking it.
The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast had a full four episodes. I keep hoping to get ahead on that show. Maybe this week, since I'm only doing four episodes a month, it might give me a week to get ahead... or it might not because of Dragon Con.
On Patreon, I released a bonus episode about releasing music on vinyl.
9:52 - VIDEOS
My Coffee with The Celtfather shows are going well. Season 9 started on Thursday, August 5. I'm still not overflowing with viewers. But there's a solid number watching.
I ran a Kickstarter for two weeks. I raised enough money to pay for Restream.io. So now I can skip asking for tips and just focus on performing all season.
One of the last shows was pre-recorded in some local woods. It was nice to get out.
The next Celtfather Live is on Thursday, September 23 at 8 pm ET. This will be a Hobbit Drinking Songs show. Tickets will go on sale in September.
I shared of a waterfall in North Georgia that my family saw back in May. And I made a new video for my music's Patreon page.
13:26 - IN THE STUDIO
August was my big studio month. I spent the first couple days of August in the studio putting some final touches on Selcouth and recording tracks for a Brobdingnagian Bards EP that we will release at Dragon Con.
Selcouth has 13 tracks and at the time of recording this, Mitchell and I are still cleaning up one more final song that we realized had sonic problems. I'm hoping we'll finish it up this weekend. I'm trying to complete the album by the end of the month.
In the meantime, I finished the Selcouth booklet with lyrics and stories behind the songs. I ordered shirts for the Kickstarter. Then I just need to mail everything to all of my supporters.
I sat down and recorded more music for the Brobdingnagian Bards EP. The album is called Another Faire to Remember. This sort of a preview/concept that will be released as a full-length album next year. We are over halfway done with the album. So we're gonna launch a Kickstarter for it probably in October.
17:13 - MERCH
I'm getting ready to pull Virtual Public House from my store along with the As Long As I'm Flyin' vinyl album. If you want to own either, order it now.
Coffee with The Celtfather coffee mugs are back in the store as are the pint glasses.
Remember, subscribe to my mailing list, you get a discount code to save 15%.
18:30 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS
The Celtic Invasion of Scotland officially opened this month. It also closed this month. That's because I already have more than full contingent of people joining me this year. Now it's time to start planning the invasion.
Sign up to the mailing list at CelticInvasion.com if you want to join the NEXT invasion.
19:37 - WEBSITES
I updated lyrics for the Irish Song Lyrics website, including:
19:58 - STATS
Mailing list subscribers = 1126 is down from 1131
Celtic Music Magazine = 4048 is up from 4059
YouTube Subscribers = 5502 is up from 5472
Facebook Likes = 3823 is up 12 from 3811
Instagram = 1890 is up from 1884
Spotify followers: 1826 is up from 1813
# Number of listens on Spotify: 2992 is up from 2906
Latest Spotify Single Stats:
"Peggy Gordon" released on July 2: 44 is down from 67 (last one)
"By Amazing Grace" released on July 29: 26
Latest Spotify Album Stats:
Flower of Scotland released on June 25 (next month): 119 is down from 230
Most-popular songs on Spotify: "The Widow and the Devil" (2K), "Doctor of Gallifrey" (634), "Hobbit Hornpipe" (530), "A Working in the Garden" (394), "Hero of Canton" (226), "Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster" (221), "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" (208), "Reavers Malcolm Reavers" (205), "Drunken Sailor" (139), "Beer, Beer, Beer" (136)
Most-popular songs on Amazon Music: "Doctor of Gallifrey" (600), "Hero of Canton" (319), "A Drop of Nelson's Blood" ( 213), "The Widow and the Devil" (130), "Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster" (53)
Top albums on Amazon: Sci Fi Drinking Songs (951), As Long As I'm Flyin (590), Going for Brogue (424), Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion (329), Kilted For Her Pleasure (361)
Last year's playlists from this time last year:
Top Irish & Celtic Music: 599 is up from 596
Sci F'Irish Music: 15 is up from 13
Nagians Only: 22 (same)
Celtfather Experience: 30 up from 29
Hobbit Drinking Songs: 5 (same)
Firefly Drinking Songs: 135 is up from 132
Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers: 78 is up from 76
Jedi Drinking Songs: 32 is up from 31
Marc Gunn Songwriting: 4 (same)
23:50 - PATREON
Patreon Subscribers: 163 (same)
Patreon Monthly Income: $1255 is down from $1264
Thanks as always for supporting my music. Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts ,and other merch. And Patreon funds my songwriting!
Join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon to support my songwriting. You will step behind-the-scenes with new music, bonus podcasts, videos, and live concerts.
Thank you for supporting Sci F'Irish music at Celtfather.com!
#CFMonthly
Greetings Gunn Runner
A new single with the Brobdingnagian Bards and a Bards EP. Last chance to get my Firefly CD on vinyl. A short, new Kickstarter coming? Coffee with The Celtfather returns for its 9th season. Do you really have to put on a show to draw a crowd?
It's all on my monthly update, Celtfather Music & Travel, show #283.
1:04 - SHOWS PLANNED FOR JULY
1:58 - RANT: BUSKING SHOWMANSHIP
I heard this quote from Elvis Presley years ago where he said, "You gotta put on a show to draw a crowd."
CELTFATHER MONTHLY UPDATES
12:31 - PODCASTS
Only one episode of Pub Songs & Stories this month. It highlighted "By Amazing Grace", my latest single.
The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast had a full four episodes, including a Women of Summer episode. Though I was pretty pleased with the Life Is Too Short episode as well. Amelia Hogan is one of my new favorite Celtic musicians on the podcast.
The Brobdingnagian Bards Podcast came out later than usual. Andrew and I talked about "Songs That Get Stuck in Your Head". We talk getting comfortable on stage and chipmunk style Bog Off.
Celtfather Music & Travel had a bonus episode where I talked about sound reinforcement at busking gigs.
And Patreon was extra busy this month. In addition the free MP3s, I talked about a big happy success in July. I chatted about MP3s, CDs and streaming music, and I shared an unreleased podcast from Sherwood Forest Faire.
14:41 - VIDEOS
At the beginning of the month I had one of those epic parenting successes. I was practicing music more with my kids. So my wife recorded a video of Kenzie singing "I'll Tell My Ma" while Inara danced and I played autoharp. It was amazing. One of those things I dreamed of, but never imagined would happen.
The big news is the return of Coffee with The Celtfather. Season 9 starts on Thursday, August 5. I'm debating running a Kickstarter campaign to pay for Restream.io so that I can broadcast over multiple platforms. I feel like raising $120 is easy enough. AND since I don't earn much by way of tips, it would better fund the show, and show its profitability outside of Patreon.
I haven't made a commitment yet, but it I'm seriously considering it.
The next Celtfather Live is on Thursday, August 19 at 8 pm ET.
16:38 - IN THE STUDIO
"By Amazing Grace", was released as a single on July 29. "Peggy Gordon" was released as a single on July 2. "Bright Side of Everything" is the next single. It's scheduled to come out on August 26. That one features the background music and vocals of Celtic rock band Screeched Inn, out of Canada.
I have plenty of songs completed to finish up Selcouth. But there's one more I want to add. It's the "Reavers Drinking Song". I haven't recorded it at all, as of present. That's at the top of my recording schedule when the girls start back for school in August.
I did record three songs for Another Faire to Remember. This is an EP that the Brobdingnagian Bards hope to release for Dragon Con. I still need to record at least one more song to make it happen.
18:58 - MERCH
Virtual Public House is still on sale. I'm gonna pull it at the end of August. The As Long As I'm Flyin' vinyl album will no longer be available past September. So if you want either of those, you should order soon.
Incidentally, sales for Virtual Public House have not been great. So I'm happy to say there will not be further editions released like this. I say happy because years ago, the Brobdingnagian Bards released Christmas in Brobdingnag, Vol. 1, with the intent that there would be future volumes. And there never were. I thought about naming Virtual Public House in a similar fashion. Now I don't have to.
Instead of releasing Virtual Public House like I have, I'm just gonna continue to release the MP3s via Patreon. And then I might use the CD as a bonus item for Kickstarters.
Meantime, you can download a free MP3 every month from this CD when you sign up to my mailing list.
Merch sales at gigs this month were interesting. At Jordan Con, I didn't sell nearly as well as I hoped. But I did upgrade my merch table with a greater emphasis on my Celtic Heartstring necklaces. I love the look.
Then I did a couple farmer's market gigs. That got me thinking about busking for Gen Con. So I updated my busking setup. It also sent me on a YouTube busking research binge. I watched a LOT of videos on busking. But few focus on merch. That is something I still need to work on. But I feel like my efforts will pay off... just not yet.
Meantime, subscribe to my mailing list, you get a discount code to save 15%.
21:44 - CELTIC TRAVEL
Nothing new to update about the Celtic Invasion of Scotland. However, sometime in August or possibly September, I hope to open up the sign ups for newbies. Details are coming. Sign up to the mailing list at CelticInvasion.com if you want to be one of the first on the list.
22:03 - WEBSITES
I updated lyrics for the Irish Song Lyrics website, including:
22:21 - STATS
Mailing list subscribers = 1131 is up from 1128
Celtic Music Magazine = 4059 is down from 4068
YouTube Subscribers = 5472 is up from 5438
Facebook Likes = 3811 is up from 3802
Instagram = 1884 is up from 1882
Spotify followers: 1813 is up 16 from 1797
# Number of listens on Spotify: 2906 is up from 2652
Latest Spotify Single Stats:
"Hobbit Hornpipe" released Aug 26: 536 is up from 499 (last one)
"Cloghden More" released on April 30: 18 is up from 12 (last one)
"Name On My Soul" released on June 4: 43 is down from 141 (last one)
"Peggy Gordon" released on July 2: 67
Latest Spotify Album Stats:
Flower of Scotland released on June 25 (next month): 230 is down from 239
Most-popular songs on Spotify: "The Widow and the Devil" (1.9K), "Doctor of Gallifrey" (552), "Hobbit Hornpipe" (536), "A Working in the Garden" (297), "Hero of Canton" (257), "Reavers Malcolm Reavers" (202), "Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster" (191), "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" (183), "Beer, Beer, Beer" (149), "Drunken Sailor" (116)
Most-popular songs on Amazon Music: "Doctor of Gallifrey" (538), "Hero of Canton" (379), "The Widow and the Devil" (94), "The Wreck of the Bold Irish Stout" (52), "I'm A Rover, Seldom Sober" (29)
Top albums on Spotify: Sci Fi Drinking Songs (819), As Long As I'm Flyin (614), Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion (253), Kilted For Her Pleasure (250), Going for Brogue (167)
Last year's playlists from this time last year:
Top Irish & Celtic Music: 596 is up from 592
Sci F'Irish Music: 13 (same)
Nagians Only: 22 (same)
Celtfather Experience: 29 (same)
Hobbit Drinking Songs: 5 (same)
Firefly Drinking Songs: 132 is up from 130
Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers: 76 is up from 74
Jedi Drinking Songs: 31 (same)
Marc Gunn Songwriting: 4
- PATREON
Patreon Subscribers: 163 is down from 164
Patreon Monthly Income: $1264 is up from $1249
Thanks as always for supporting my music. Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts ,and other merch. And Patreon funds my songwriting!
Join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon to support my songwriting. You will step behind-the-scenes with new music, bonus podcasts, videos, and live concerts.
Thank you for supporting Sci F'Irish music at Celtfather.com!
#CFMonthly
Is louder, better? This is Celtfather Music & Travel show #282.
I booked a farmer's market gig. The booker told me I would need to play completely unplugged. Past musicians played too loudly. They disrupted the sales of the vendors. Those musicians won't be coming back. And now I might not get to play amplified.
Some people think that louder is better. Louder does stand out more. The more noise you make, the more people take notice. But it does not necessarily mean it's better.
For many years, the Elven Hill stage at Sherwood Forest Faire had a band that blasted their music. The sound traveled all the way down the hill. It disrupted the atmosphere of the Renaissance festival. But the musicians got noticed. They were a favorite for their Led Zeppelin and Last of the Mohican cover songs. It was a great for them. They grew their fan base.
Down the hill, the folk musicians suffered. They were drowned out by the music. We're talking 20 year veterans with amazing vocals and song arrangements. Their shows were interrupted. They grew slower. They had to adjust. Now most of the musicians at the faire amplify their music to get noticed.
Eventually, the over amplification was replaced with sound reinforcement at most stages. The loud band no longer exists. All of those acoustic musicians are still performing.
Seth Godin released a podcast back in June 2021 called "How Many Edges?" or "Fueling the Engines of pision". The podcast talks about social media companies and how they are pushing people to the edges. He suggests that maybe it is time for them to change their algorithms to stop pushing the extremes.
Social media companies used their algorithm to turn us into raving fans. They took us deeper and deeper into our fandoms and things we that evoked an emotional response. If it was just the things we loved, that'd be great. But many of the things we that moved us also infuriated us. That's why social media now makes us sad and angry. It brings very little joy.
But just imagine if those companies changed their algorithms. What if they stopped pushing us to the extremes. What if they stopped feeding the spread of disinformation or negative information. They have the power to make our feeds something we love again.
Yes. People would stay on social media less. But would that really matter? They already have monopolies. They make billions of dollars a year. They don't NEED more people on their platform all the time. And they would still make billions. That's how big they are.
The extremes are loud. For a short time, people will take notice. But it's the small folk musicians at the faire who are still making a living with their music. They aren't loud and obnoxious. They aren't drowning out other musicians. They are just as good or better than the bands blowing out their ears. But they are getting rehired for gigs because they aren't disrupting the culture.
That's what life is all about. It's about our culture. It's about things we love. Not things we loathe. We all want to be happy. The best way to do that is to be a bit more respectful of those around us, to not push people to extremes, even if those extremes might be good for us as individuals. Is it good for those around us?
We are all in this together. We can be happy without making others miserable. We can be respectful and get noticed. We can lift our neighbors up, even if it doesn't serve our own self interests. Because it's good for the community. It's good for the culture. And ultimately, it will be good for us too.
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