Fuist! A New Trad Music & Piping CD

Thank you for visiting my Go Fund Me page! I'm Chris Gray, a piper, percussionist, and painter from Mount Desert Island, Maine, and I'm working on a new album of traditional and original music for the Irish and Scottish Pipes. This project is titled Fuist [fwisht], which means "hush" in Irish, a play on the expectation of ear-splitting pipes, the surprisingly pleasant mellowness of the bellowed pipes featured on this album,  and the lovely irony of the quiet and introverted piper. 

Fuist is rooted in the dance music of Ireland, but it features some wonderfully diverse tunes, from Irish slip jigs to sultry Scottish minuets, Galician retreats and a poignant Swedish waltz. It also features a range of instruments from the bagpipes and whistles to the Bodhrán, riqq, and the Swedish willow flute…. As well as wonderful performances by some very special guest musicians! This album reflects my own unique journey into Trad music, and those eclectic influences, instruments and sounds that inspired and propelled me along this path. You will also find several tracks that explore the intersection of traditional dance music and electronic dance music, with their deeply rhythmic melodies.

 I studied music and art at Bowdoin College, and went on to pursue my diploma in Irish music and Masters in Ethnomusicology from University College Cork in Ireland. I'm currently a faculty member at the Acadia School of Traditional Music and Art, an instructor at the Pipers' Gathering, and graphic and web designer for the Village Green Arts Association, a non-profit dedicated to fostering community through the arts.

I hope that you'll consider donating to this project. There are a number of awesome rewards for different donation levels, from signed copies of Fuist, dedicated tunes, my full digital discography from Piob More to Rhythms of the Heart, private lessons, house concerts, and personal planxties.

 I look forward to sharing my music with all of you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!