A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE 6 PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP ISHNA...
TARA NOVAK
Tara began playing classical violin at the age of 4. The many twists and turns on her musical journey have taken her, her violin (named Jefferson), and a much-battered red suitcase from the Conservatory in Kansas City to busking in the subways of New York City to Berklee College of Music in Boston and finally to Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland.
Along the way she toured in the USA & Europe with various shows and productions, from the Lion King to Druid to the Three Irish Tenors. She was sitting on the back of the Tenors' tour bus when Mr. Ciaran Nagle (of that same group) walked on board, and that is how Ishna began...
www.taranovak.com
CIARAN NAGLE
Ciaran went for his first vocal audition at the age of 7, and was told that, unfortunately, he just wasn't good enough to be in the choir. Thanks to that kind choir-master, Ciaran vowed to practice and make it into the group - which he did, and went on to have leading roles at his school with-in the next few years.
His first Feis Ceoil was entered at the age of 19. He apparently had forgotten the choir-master's lesson about practicing at that point, because he didn't learn one of his songs - "The Star of the County Down." The audience kindly helped him sing it, and to this day, in his Tenors' concerts, Ciaran often has the audience join in on well-known numbers. (He claims this is out of good sport, but we aren't so sure...)
Long after the days of Feis Ceoil, Ciaran went on to perform as the lead singer in Riverdance for 2 years, then to found the internationally recognized group the Three Irish Tenors.
It was on one of those Tenors' tours when Ciaran walked onto a bus and asked a red-haired violinist what exactly it was that she wanted to be doing with her career...Welcome to Ishna!
www.epl.ie
DAVID WRAY
David has not always been playing keyboards and wearing signature sparkly T-Shirts. No, David's background is far more respectable than that. In fact, it is so respectable that he specialized in early music while at University in London, and even now we catch him trying to sneak harpsichord parts into the band...
David has had the privilege (or pain, he asks?) of working along-side Ciaran on much of his musical career. David has been Musical Director of the Three Irish Tenors since their inception, as well as Druid and many other projects. He directs Musical Theatre Ireland, and in his spare time (!?) orchestrates and arranges albums, shows, and productions.
David, too, was on that rock and roll tour bus which was the beginning of Ishna. Only he had enough sense to drink cocktails and ignore the questions about careers - until he was offered a sparkly T-Shirt.
www.davidwray.ie
JOHN O'BRIEN
Of all of the band, John O'Brien can at least claim to be a real Irish traditional musician. Growing up in a musical family from Artane, Dublin, he learned the uilleann pipes from his older brother. John has several All-Ireland titles to his name as well as extensive tours with both Riverdance and Celtic Woman.
One summer's day, he was innocently playing uilleann pipes at a wedding in Carrick-on-Shannon, when a red-haired violinist asked him if he might want to play in a new band she was putting together. In a moment of weakness, he said yes - unknowingly stepping off the straight and narrow path of traditional music into the wild unknown of Rock and Roll...
www.myspace.com/johnobrienpiper
PAUL MOORE
Paul #1 in the band is supposedly responsible for all that low end rumbling. It is rumoured that he is also responsible for a lot of rumbling in other shows - Riverdance, Celtic Woman, even Van Morrison. To date, however, these are unconfirmed sightings (hearings), and remain unproven. Paul prefers to be a mystery man, laying down a fabulous groove, and saying nothing.
www.myspace.com/polomordha
PAUL BYRNE
While both Pauls in the band are fond of the groove, this one we can blame for all that confounded racket on stage. He has been known to make some noise with Clannad and Moya Brennan and Camille O'Sullivan, among others.
Tara found him while they were both being housed in cabins in a forest in Holland for an Irish tour of the Netherlands (really, it's true!), but Ciaran and David had already crossed his noisy path on the Emerald Isle. When Ishna went from a dream on a bus to a reality, it was obvious there was no one better to call to keep them in time than Mr. Byrne.
www.myspace.com/paulbyrnemusic
