The Harp Guitar Retreat for 2010 was a resounding success. Here are some photographs of the participants exploring the world of the harp guitar.
Category Archives: News
Faerieworlds 2006 John Doan Concert
Some fans caught some lovely moments during my Faerieworlds Harvest Festival concert and workshop on “Celtic Thin Places.”
John Doan Harp Guitar Retreat 2009
The Harp Guitar Retreat in 2009 was a success. Participants came from all over the USA to study the harp guitar. Here are some favorite photographs of the harp guitar retreat.
Irish Philadelphia Interviews John Doan on Celtic Music and Mysteries
Irish Philadelphia published an interview with John Doan called “Harp Guitar Performer John Doan Brings Celtic Music and Mysteries to Newtown” to promote his upcoming show outside of Philadelphia.
In the article, John talks about his roots and how he came to the harp guitar and his journey into Celtic music, and how his first pilgrimage to Ireland eventually connected him with Billy Oskay, the man who would help him make his Celtic visions a musical dream come true.
Doan first visited Ireland in the ‘80s—roughing it, hitchhiking, sleeping under the stars. One night, he says, he yearned for a real bed and a shower, and he scraped together enough cash for a stay in a bed and breakfast. The two aged “aunties” who ran the place kept him well entertained, he said, and they told him that when he went back to the States they should look up their nephew Mícheál, who also lived in the Pacific Northwest. “Tell him he should visit us,” they said.
When he got back home, he called the phone number he’d been given and starting chatting up Mícheál, who turned out to Mícheál Ó Domhnaill the former leader of the famous Irish group the Bothy Band. He in turn introduced John to Billy Oskay, the fiddler and producer of Nightnoise.
Over the years, the two became friends, and Oskay became a fan of the Doan’s harp guitar. In the ‘90s, Oskay asked Doan to contribute an Irish-sounding piece for the first Celtic Twilight album from Hearts of Space. By the time Celtic Twilight 2 came along, Doan had composed more Celtic music. Before too long he thought to compose an entire album for Celtic harp guitar.
Art Fiber Fest 2009 Showcases Deirdra and John Doan
As part of Art Fiber Fest 2009, my wife, Deirdra Doan, an artist and doll maker, created this video, “Prince Bug Dude.” She used the song “Skellig Michael” from my Wayfarer album. Notice the resemblance to me and my harp guitar?
You can read more about the Art Fiber Fest and “A Day in the Life of Prince Bug Dude” on her blog.
Merry Christmas 2008 from the Doans
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and your family this year. My wife, Deirdra, and I wrote this new Christmas song, and she created this special video gift just for you. We hope you pause during this holiday to reflect upon the reason for the season and share a moment of love with those special to you.
John Doan and Mason Williams Perform at Oakridge Tree Planting Festival
Mason Williams presented a concert called “Mason Williams and Friends” at the Oakridge Tree Planting Festival. The event brought together John Doan and Art Maddox for this special evening concert.
John Doan Featured on Art Beat Oregon
Recently, John Doan was featured on Oregon Art Beat for Oregon Public Broadcasting. The show featured John performing on the harp guitar and harpolyre, and touring his studio and collection of rare and antique stringed instruments.
The “Expanded” Harp Guitar – Adding Possiblities with Super-Trebles
In Volume 7, Issue 1 of harpguitars.net, John Doan wrote the article, ‘The “Expanded” Harp Guitar – Adding Possibilities with Super-Trebles.’
The playing and making of harp guitars today is causing a re-examination of many basic design features that go into making a fine guitar-like instrument with an expanded range. The six-string guitar world is alive and vital today but with the addition of sub-basses and super-trebles entirely new dimensions and fundamental questions arise that are not being commonly discussed among six-string guitar builders. I have concluded that after reviewing and playing many prototype designs today that simply having skills as a six-string guitar builder is not going to result in a great harp guitar. Harp guitar construction in many ways is a very different activity than building a six-string instrument.
The article examines the construction, enhancement, and benefits the super-trebles add to the harp guitar as he discusses the theory and techniques used to create the Sullivan/Elliott harp guitar John developed.
Preview of A Celtic Pilgrimage Documentary
Filmed entirely on location in Ireland, this is a preview of the upcoming documentary on John Doan’s “A Celtic Pilgrimage.” It showcases the journey he took repeatedly to explore the Celtic history and spiritual places he calls the “thin places” where spirit and earth meet.
John talks about the project and the stories of how he came to compose the beautiful music behind his Eire – Isle of the Saints, Wayfarer, and A Celtic Pilgrimage albums.