Irish Traditional Fiddle Music, new edition needed!

Above: The new 3rd edition will look as similar as possible to this, the 2nd edition.

1,000 books needed, with high-quality photo-offset printing, spiral bound, durable. 235 authentic Irish jigs, reels, hornpipes and more. 176 pages, compact 8.5" x 7" size fits in a fiddle case!

This will be the 3rd edition of this landmark collection of Irish fiddle tunes. Irish Traditional Fiddle Music was originally published in three distinct volumes beginning in 1973 by Irish music enthusiasts Randy Miller and Jack Perron. Subsequently the 3 volumes were combined and published in 1977. That 1st edition was updated and expanded in a 2nd edition, released by Randy Miller on St. Patrick's Day 2006. Financial assistance is urgently needed and with your help, a revised 3rd edition will be published early this fall!

"Frankly, it's the best Irish tune collection issued for many a long year." -Geoff Wallis, Musical Traditions e-zine (complete review here)

This book (abbreviated "ITFM") remains in high demand as musicians fall in love with Irish music. But the book is in danger of going out of print. This new edition will ensure that the next generation of fiddlers will have access to this definitive collection. Won't you please consider a pledge in support of the re-issue of ITFM?

The new edition will contain the original clear and faithful settings of 235 jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas, slip jigs, and airs. Updated text will be added and the book will be printed on heftier paper stock for added durability. Additionally, photo-offset printing will be used in order to enhance the print quality both in the music notation and in Randy Miller's finely detailed wood-engraved illustrations.

Although the book is primarily edited with fiddle players in mind, it can very readily be used by any melody instrument. Guitar chords are included as well as a discography, bibliography, and extensive notes on tunes and sources. The cover and inside illustrations are from an original wood engraving by Randy Miller titled "Images from the Book of Kells." (To learn more about Randy's print click here.)

The tune transcriptions are true to the personal and regional characteristics of fiddlers such as Julia Clifford, Paddy Cronin, Martin Wynne, Sean McGuire, Andy McGann, Mairtin Byrnes, Michael Coleman, Paddy Canny, and others. Great pains were taken to contact musicians or their descendants, and recording companies to secure permission to publish, and all copyright rights have been secured for publication. ITFM remains a unique and meticulously edited collection of great Irish music.

For this 3rd edition of ITFM I will be using my own InDesign desktop publishing application to create files of all the pages and covers. They will then be used by Morgan Press, based in New Hampshire, to print 1,000 copies. The appearance of this edition will be quite similar to that of the 2nd edition (as shown in the photo) but with better durability due to higher quality paper. I have worked previously with Morgan Press to publish my other tune books, and they do a fine job of printing and binding.

I hope you will want to support the new edition of my book. In so doing, you will help preserve and make available to lovers of Irish fiddle music a treasure trove of traditional tunes.

Thank you!

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RANDY MILLER

about me! 

Above: Randy Miller, fiddler, teacher, graphic artist, button maker, and tune book publisher.

After graduating from Oberlin College (Ohio) in 1970, I began life-long interests in the graphic art of wood engraving; pewter button casting; collecting traditional fiddle tunes from New England, Ireland and Scotland; editing and publishing tune books; and playing fiddle.

Here is a link to my website and online gallery of prints.

These combined pursuits have allowed me to remain self-employed with a small home-based business for 45 years. I am the owner and distributor of Fiddlecase Books, now with 5 titles: Irish Traditional Fiddle Music, New England Fiddler's Repertoire, William Marshall's Scottish Melodies, The Fiddler's Throne, and The Fiddler's Friend. These books are available online on my website as well as through amazon.com. www.fiddlecasebooks.com

In 2005 I formed the band Celticladda which has performed throughout the United States and overseas, playing for contra dances, concerts, and at festivals. Currently I play in a duo called Shindy, featuring fiddle and guitar and performing Celtic music. I co-host several weekly Irish music sessions up and down the Connecticut River Valley.

I was featured in the January 2015 issue of New Hampshire Magazine.

And Upper Valley Life Magazine also featured me in an article about Irish Music sessions I host.

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More on the Perks - Your Gift for Contributing!

$10 - Thank you for supporting this project!

$20 - Randy's Cast Pewter Buttons

Above: Cast pewter buttons by Randy Miller, from a wood engraving of Celtic knotwork. Beautiful buttons for knitwear, shirts, and coats. These buttons are one of the rewards offered to contributors.

$25 - Assortment of 4 Notecards by Randy Miller

Assortment of 4 exquisitely detailed, black and white wood engravings on fine quality notecard stock. Includes envelopes, as pictured below.

Below: Randy engraving a woodblock. I use graver tools to engrave the design in a block of boxwood, then pull prints from the block on my antique printing press.

$35 - The Fiddler's Friend, book of fiddle exercises

This perk is a copy of "The Fiddler's Friend - 40 Exercises to Improve Fingering and Bowing" by Randy Miller. A great resource for helping improve your fiddling! For beginning level through advanced.

$40 - Assortment of 12 Notecards by Randy Miller

This perk consists of 12 assorted original notecards by Randy Miller. Included is the design "Irish Ornaments" from the hand-engraved boxwood block by Randy, the same wood engraving also used on the front cover of Irish Traditional Fiddle Music! Designs include New England landscapes, animals, musicians, and dancers. Folded cards are 3.5" x 5" and are printed black and white on fine quality paper, blank inside. Includes matching envelopes.

$50 - New Edition of Irish Traditional Fiddle Music

You will receive a signed and dated copy of the new 3rd edition of ITFM. Randy Miller's signature will be on the title page. 235 meticulously transcribed classics of Irish fiddling, with extensive notes on the tunes and sources. Spiral bound for easy opening, quality paper and durability. Includes Randy's wood engraved illustrations throughout. FREE SHIPPING - USA.

$75 - Two tune books: New England Fiddler's Repertoire and ITFM

A copy of New England Fiddler's Repertoire by Randy Miller, with 168 classic tunes from the heart of New England. Considered "the bible" of contra dance music, this book contains the core repertoire of jigs, reels, hornpipes and marches. Illustrated with Randy's wood engravings; you will also receive the new edition of ITFM. Both books signed by Randy Miller.

$100 - Fiddle Lesson by Randy Miller

You will receive 2 items: 1) a 2-hour fiddle lesson by Randy Miller at your home or office within 100 miles of Keene, NH (Boston, Providence, Montpelier, Albany included). Randy has 15 years of fiddle teaching experience, all ages and levels, and is especially versed in Irish bowing and ornaments. He is also recognized by NH State Council on the Arts as a Master Teacher of Contra Dance Music. REDEEM by 4/2016!
AND, 2) A signed and dated copy of the new 3rd edition of ITFM.

$150 - Signed wood engraving print "Celtic Madonna" by Randy Miller

You will receive 2 items: 1) original wood engraving print by Randy Miller titled "Celtic Madonna," suitable for framing. Based on an image in Ireland's Book of Kells, this print measures 2-5/8" x 3-1/2" and is printed by the artist directly from the woodblock on cream colored Welsh basingwerk paper. Randy uses an antique Chandler and Price letterpress - this is an original work of art, not a photo reproduction! Signed by the artist in an edition of 200; AND 2) a signed and dated copy of the new 3rd edition of ITFM.

Below: Celtic Madonna (wood engraving by Randy Miller) Note: actual print is crisp and clear!

$500 - Signed wood engraving print "Images from the Book of Kells" by Randy Miller

You will receive two items: 1) original wood engraving print by Randy Miller titled "Images From the Book of Kells, ca. 800 AD," suitable for framing. Based on images in Ireland's Book of Kells, this print measures 5.5" x 7.25" and is printed by the artist directly from the wood block on cream colored Welsh paper. Randy uses an antique Chandler and Price letterpress - this is an original work of art, not a photo reproduction! Signed by the artist in an edition of 200; AND 2) A signed and dated copy of the new 3rd edition of ITFM.

Below:"Images from the Book of Kells" by Randy Miller. I engraved and printed this study of elements from the historic Irish book. Portions of this engraving decorate the cover and inside pages of ITFM. Note: actual print is crisp and clear!

For more information on the above print, Images from the Book of Kells, visit my online art gallery.

$1,000 - Set of 2 Wood Engraving prints by Randy Miller

You will receive 3 items: 1) Images from the Book of Kells, ca. 800 AD (print), and 2) Celtic Madonna (print), suitable for framing. Two wood engravings by Randy Miller printed by the artist directly from the wood block on cream colored Welsh paper. Both of these beautifully detailed engravings are based on images in Ireland's Book of Kells. Original works of art, not photographically reproduced! Signed by the artist in editions of 200; AND 2) a signed and dated copy of ITFM.

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My Funding Goal - $6,500

I have a New Hampshire printer on board (the same company that printed the current 2nd edition nine years ago!) who will print and bind the book from my own Adobe InDesign digital files. I have specified photo offset printing in order to get the highest quality printing, and a fine quality, heavy paper stock to add durability to the book and keep bleed-through to an absolute minimum. The actual cost of printing and binding 1,000 copies of the new edition of ITFM is several thousand dollars more than my goal of $6,500. I will personally finance a portion of the publication costs but NEED YOUR HELP too!