|  Frank
Edgley has played for our set dancing group every Thursday
night since 1992. Frank has worked tirelessly to focus our branch work
on the youth encouraging young students whenever the opportunity arises.
He has served as our Detroit branch chair for over ten years. Frank's
other half is Carolyn Brazzil, current Midwest Chair and set dance
teacher in the Detroit IMA, so the entire enterprise is wrapped up
in the music and dance.
Frank was a teacher in Windsor, Ontario his entire professional career
until his retirement, so perhaps it's no surprise that he has taught
for over ten years at the Godrich Celtic Festival in Ontario and
has authored the tutor "The
Anglo Concertina" a handbook of Tunes and Methods for Irish Traditional
Music along with a CD of the tunes.
Frank's journey into music began many years ago as a young boy learning
the play the Highland pipes. Frank played for many years, competing
in solo piping contest throughout Ontario. In the 1970's Frank
became Pipe Major of the Scottish Society of Windsor Pipe Band. Frank
grew the band into several bands, eventually having the powerhouse pipe
band in the metro Detroit area for many years winning the Canadian, US
and North American Championships. Tuning 20 sets of bagpipes for competition
is a difficult task and as the band was now competed in Grade I,
the highest degree of difficulty.
At some point, Frank had en epiphany ...surely there was a way to satisfy
the yearning to play music without spending your life tuning. At
some point, Frank got hooked up with a cheap concertina and he was hooked.
Just as it wasn't enough to just play the pipes expertly, it wasn't
enough to just play the concertina. Finding it difficult to find
good instruments not cost several thousand dollars, and being a
man of consummate patience, he decided to make his own. From this
humble beginning has led Frank to be one of the preeminent makers of
concertinas in the world. He makes every piece himself and now has a
small workshop with back orders for months and is recognized internationally
as a great craftsman.
Frank hosts the biggest concertina group in the Midwest and has won
the Mrs. Crotty and Midwest Fleadh titles on concertina three times over.
Frank has done tremendous work to promote the concertina and ensure it's
continued growth as a traditional instrument.
Frank also expertly plays the Northumbrian and lowland pipes and repairs
concertinas from all over the world.
As teacher, leader, musician, craftsman, steady hand
and level head in the Detroit music scene over many years Frank
Edgley deserves to be recognized for his large contributions to
Irish traditional music by the Midwest Hall of Fame.
The Musician...
Frank Published the book and CD "The
Anglo Concertina" |
 Frank
at Conor O'Neill's Ann Arbor |
The Detroit Ceilí Band gets ready for the performance of a lifetime
at the Clonmel Fleadh. This is the first time Detroit had ever
competed at the All-Ireland competitions.
Frank and Chris Droney entertain a couple
from Iceland at Chris' home in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare.
Frank and Grif Evans
Frank giving lessons to Kate
 Frank in earlier days with the Clann na gael Pipe Band, Detroit.
Piper at extreme right is Terence McKinney.
Scottish Society of Windsor Pipe Band as North American Champions. Frank
is on the extreme left. Click to see larger photo.
|
Working
on the bellows
