“We had music in the house…” It is an expression that one quite often hears when Irish musicians and singers recall the good fortune of having parents, relatives and friends who would play their instruments, sing their songs and tell their stories during informal gatherings and house sessions. This ‘living tradition’ has been the catalyst for a great many people into the joyful (and sometimes storm-tossed) river that is music and Martin Doyle’s family, upstream and down, is no exception. Martin’s three children, grown adults now, are all instrumentalists and singers. Martin himself recounts the influence of his parents and grand-parents in his own development as a musician and flute maker. So the gift of music often flows down through the generations and evolves as creative self-expression in those who are blessed to receive it.
In the case of the Martin’s daughter, Aoife Doyle, it is through the voice that the gift of music seems to have manifested itself most powerfully although it is worth noting that she is also an accomplished fiddler. This past August, Aiofe released her debut CD, This Time the Dream’s on Me, a jazz album backed by a four piece band which Journal of Music introduces with these succinct words: