Orla Fallon Interview

When talking with Órla Fallon, you get the feeling that she’s living in a fairy tale.  In all reality,  she really is!  The famous book,  "Oh! The Places You’ll Go" by the incomparable Dr. Seuss, seems to be written just for her as she grew up in a small village in Ireland and now performs around the globe.  From The Vatican to Carnegie Hall, Ms. Fallon has entertained priests, paupers, poets and Past Presidents.  The Irish songstress and harpist clearly recognizes her good fortune is so enveloped with gratitude, she literally beams it. 
  Since her departure from the Celtic Woman at the end of 2008, Órla has been charting a solo path that is launching with her very own American Public Television holiday special – Órla Fallon’s Celtic Christmas.  The show features Órla and includes special duets with her former Celtic Woman band mate Méav, American Idol’s David Archuleta, the original Riverdance choir,  Anúna, and country singer Mark Wills.

  Musicpix had the true privilege to talk with Órla about creating holiday magic, music as the Universal ice-breaker, and pinching herself to make sure all of this is in fact, real. 
Read on…

  Musicpix:             Happy Holidays Órla!  You are creating holiday magic and creating memories for music fans all over the world.   Talk about this tour and why it’s so special…

Órla:                      First of all, thank you for those lovely comments.  I love Christmas and I love Christmas music.   When we were recording this album, I wanted to do classic songs but give them a more organic and earthly approach in the arrangements.  I think sometimes with Christmas music,  people tend to throw everything but the kitchen sink into the arrangements which makes them very flowery and over the top.   I’m delighted with the outcome.   Dan Shea totally gets where I’m coming from and he did a beautiful job on the arrangements.  They are very Celtic in nature…they let the tunes and the lyrics speak for themselves.  I was delighted that the songs that I loved as a child growing up like “Away in a Manger” that I sing live and on the record, is the first carol that I sang as a very young child.  People say to me that they sing this song to their children when they are putting them to bed so it was just a really lovely moment to record it.  I loved the special moments and it was a great honor for me to go to Vince Gill’s house in Nashville and record “Little Drummer Boy” with him.  I’ve been a huge fan of his since I was very young and to get the opportunity to sing with him was just amazing.  I’ve had a brilliant time and it was a labor of love doing this album.

  Musicpix:             I’ve enjoyed learning about you and one quote particularly intrigued me… you’ve said “I have been privileged in the places that music has brought me." The word privilege is more than a word-  it’s a deep feeling.  Talk about how you use the feeling of privilege in your music.

Órla:                      I just feel that I am so blessed and privileged.  Not everybody gets the opportunity to do what they love doing.  For such a small island, Ireland turns out a lot of talented musicians and very few get the chance to live their dream in the way that I’m doing.  I never take it for granted.  I feel so privileged in the people that I have met.  The biggest kick I get as a performer is when people tell me their stories and how my music has helped them through a particular time in their lives or it really meant something to them or that it touched their soul.  As a performer, I’ve always said that if I could touch one person with my music, then I’ve done my job.  I feel blessed by it all.  In every city and at every concert,  everyplace that I’ve been, it’s always fresh and something really lovely happens.  That’s a little bit of magic that not everyone is privileged to have in their lives.

  Musicpix:             Music is really the Universal ice-breaker…in breaks so many barriers and opens so many doors.  You’ve gotten the attention of the Pope and Past Presidents via music.  Talk about how your music has opened doors for you.

Órla:                      As you said, music breaks down all divides-the divisions of language, creeds, culture and unites cultures.  I sing a lot in Gaelic and often people don’t understand what I’m singing but they get it because of the beautiful, haunting nature of the melodies.   There is something really powerful about music, especially Irish music.  It has that little gift of reaching into people’s inner core.   People that I would have never met, come up to me after a concert and say ‘oh gosh, your music really moved me and made me think of such-and such event it my life.’  It never ceases to amaze me.  In all the different places that I’ve performed…like when I went to Rome and played in the Vatican.  I don’t know a word of Italian!  The only word I know is grazie…it’s just fascinating how all of those barriers and divisions just break down and you’re united by the common love of melody and sound.   I’ve performed in Japan and know all of about three words and it’s just amazing how you connect with people.   It’s something that’s really special.   It’s spiritual because it doesn’t matter what language you are speaking.  We’re all united through music.

  Musicpix:             I want to talk about the harp…it’s a complex instrument and not one that you just pick up.  Do you have a theory background?

Órla:                      I grew up in a very small village in Ireland and my parents really nurtured my love of music.  I went to a very small school and there were two teachers and my mother was one of my teachers.  When I went to secondary school, I went to a school in Dublin that has a fantastic musical tradition and in that school,  they had a huge reputation for the harp.   It was funny when I started because my folks said, “look at that, you can learn to play the harp.”  But I didn’t think it was very cool.  But when I went to the school and heard the girls play, that was it.  There was a brilliant teacher there named Sister Eugene and when I heard the tunes that they were playing, I recognized some music from The Chieftains and some of The Dubliners tunes and I was totally drawn to it.  The minute I started playing, I just loved it.  I also wanted an instrument that I could accompany myself with and sing.  I did learn guitar but I didn’t take to it in half the way I took to the harp.  I was very lucky.  I often think how different my life would have been without that school.   I’m a great believer in faith and destiny and had I not gone to this school, I probably wouldn’t be talking with you today.

  Musicpix:             You have credited your Grandmother for your success…talk about the support she gave you.

Órla:                      The female matriarchs in Ireland are amazing.  Irish women,  especially grandmothers and mothers are unbelievably strong, feisty and passionate women.  Once they get something into their head, it molds and holds a family together.  My grandmother was a really strong and passionate woman and my mother, is in turn the same.  My grandmother was deeply, deeply passionate about Irish music, stories and the Gaelic language.  Her passion was infectious.  She wore her hat on her sleeve.  Nan would listen to a song and if she was really moved by it, she would openly weep.   And I loved that about her…the way she got lost in the emotion of the music.  I think she has such a great legacy because I have so many memories of just sitting with her when she talked about music and stories.  I would ring her up after seeing something on TV or learning songs and we sang songs together.  It’s something that I carry in my heart everywhere I go.  Every time I perform, everywhere I go, I think of her.   The word privilege pops up again as I was very privileged to have a mother and grandmother like the ones I have.

  Musicpix:             I know you have another TV special coming next spring.  What else is on the horizon for 2011?

Órla:                      Yes and I have a 52 city tour of America next year…I start off in Salt Lake City mid-March and tour through May 2nd.  I go home for a couple of weeks but then I’ll be back again.  I love performing.  There is nothing that gives me greater pleasure than bringing music to audiences and reaching out to them and hearing their feedback afterwards.   It’s amazing when you’re on stage and you look down and see the reaction of people.  Sometimes, you see people physically weeping or you see the joy and light in people’s faces.  I still have to pinch myself because I am so lucky to be doing this job.

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