Feedback on the Book
- Thanks for doing this! Mike and his generation carry so much precious music that documenting and preserving any part of it is a real contribution to Irish music. - BW
- I've been a long-time admirer of Mike's playing, vast selection of tunes to draw upon, and great flute settings. I commend your efforts to document some of them... - EG
- I have frequently sought out the ABC's [of Mike's tunes] on the internet and they have often been your transcriptions. I'm always impressed at how faithful they are to his version. Thank you for all your work. it really is appreciated. - NW
- It's great that you have taken the initiative to capture the tunes and settings that are unique to Mike. It will be a real treasure in years to come! - JK
- "Rafferty and Harker's Amazing Music Manual" - TR
- I'm a classical player, but I am very interested in having some Irish tunes under my fingers. ... As I understand it, the music seems to have been handed down from flutist to flutist over the eons. I am so happy that you made an attempt to get the tunes down on paper.... and I feel honored to be able to share in this treasure. - EG
- THANK YOU for doing this. It's the best resource I've ever seen for fresh, "flutelike" takes on great tunes. It contains about the most insightful and nuanced transcriptions one could hope for. Basically, if you want to learn how/why Mike sounds like Mike and don't have an issue with "dots", this book is totally for you. (Even if you do have an issue with "dots", this book is worth making an exception for.) (Heck, this book is worth learning to read music for, period.) There are some really fun tunes here; plus there are a lot of fresh, flowing, graceful settings of old favorites, too. Plus, you will learn a LOT -- in my case, I've had endless fun working on new ways to approach tunes I used to play in my sleep. Bottom line: if you are a flute player and do not get one you are a mad eejit. - CW