News: In January 2006, Lesl Harker, a long-time student of Mike Rafferty, published "300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty", a book of transcriptions from Mike's playing. The project has been approved by Mike and includes some notes on the tunes. For more information or to order a book at the Rafferty book web page, follow this link.
In July 2007, Lesl was awarded an apprenticeship grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts to apprentice with East Galway flute Master Mike Rafferty.
In July 2008, Lesl and Mike were awarded a second master/apprentice grant from the New Jersey Arts Council. A second Mike Rafferty tune book is in the making and when available the information will be posted at the same Rafferty book website.

This site tracks my search for musical roots, earliest at page bottom. Over the years I've done a lot of gigging and recording with friends and had a great time of it. Now I play flute in Irish sessions, and occasionally do home recording, studio work, gigs with friends, private teaching, and melody transcriptions of Irish dance tunes.

I grew up in downtown New York, studied ballads with Richard Dyer-Bennet, spent 8 years in England singing traditional songs with a guitar, and founded the former 'Keltia' band in New Jersey. I was also for some time a touring flute accompanist. (The main photo on the page is from a festival in Carlisle, PA, with a red-top Bb whistle.)
Wanting to reach the roots of the music, I returned to Irish Traditional Music, which I'd heard while growing up. Since then I've studied with Irish flute player Mike Rafferty of East Co. Galway.

You can contact me if you would like further information and rates for any of the above services - studio recording, gigs, lessons or transcriptions.

My husband, daughter, and kittie are also musicians.

Note: the "Marie de France, Prologue" cd is no longer available -
However, you can hear the entire Prologue here.