The man behind the music:

Hi, I'm Jeremy Welch. Many of you will know me also as Michael O'Quinn, a tinker and musicial wanderer from Scarborough Faire. Those who see me there tend to ask the same two questions, which I'll now endeavor to answer: "How many instruments do you play?" closely followed by "Where did you learn to do all that?"

Truth be told, though I play approximately 12 instruments  (For those wanting a list, it's voice, guitar, mandolin, bass [upright and guitar], flute, tinwhistle, irish flute, and bodhrán, piano, fiddle, banjo and other percussion [djembe, doumbek, etc] at last count), you're only likely to ever see me play the first 9, and really, I tend to stick to four - guitar, mandolin, upright bass, and voice.

My early life was steeped in music, primarily country, cowboy (yes, there is a difference), and folk. Nearly every member of my immediate, and even extended family plays at least one instrument, and at times when we'd all get together, we'd have rooms full of people pickin', grinnin', and singin'. 'Round about 16, I picked up a guitar and started the most fascinating journey I've known. I never really learned from a teacher or a book, mostly from watching and joining jam sessions and band rehearsals. People kept handing me different instruments, so I kept on learning.

Since that time, I've become very interested in my family's Irish and Scottish roots, and the music that has evolved with those cultures. This led to the birth of...

Michael O'Quinn, the kilted tinker

Using my middle name, and the name of my closest Irish ancestry, I joined the cast of Scarborough Faire in 2003 as  a lane performer and part-time musician. The research that went into creating the character of Michael showed a side of Irish history that was new and incredibly interesting to me: that of the Irish itenerants (also known as "tinkers", "travellers", and a whole slew of names that I'll not publish here).

In short, Michael is an Irish Gypsy. (Before any roma tomatoes start flying, the Rom and the Tinkers realized that they had a lot in common, and though the two groups never officially admitted to it, they were very accepting of each other, compared to their reception of other groups.) Like the gypsies, the tinkers travelled in large family-groups and were, at best, tolerated for the services they provided. Both very insular groups (out of self-defense), the tinkers and gypsies lived a rough life, but certainly one that called to me as I began my research. As I get time, and find my old research, I'll post more about the tinkers and their life in 1533.

As the character Michael took on the titles "tinker", "horse-trader", and "traveller", I became more attracted to Irish and Scottish music and lore. I started to work toward becoming a sort of 'renaissance jukebox', playing both as primary entertainment and as backup for other groups. This is still what I strive toward, playing at cast events, on occasion with The Rogues and Scottish Mayhem, and now with Iris and Rose. (I've also performed with The Bilge Pumps as the nautical Gil Burton Sullivan, and with Cut, Thrust, And Run as the smartalec, Dawg.)

Things to come

Go to a renaissance faire. Listen to the music.  You'll hear wand'ring bards and troubadours belting out ballads about loves lost, treasures found, and ale consumed. What you likely won't hear is a gypsy singing bout life in England, far from home. Likewise, a tinker singing about what draws him to make his home under the stars and roam the land. Often, the closest you'll get is to hear pirates or sailors singing about life on the sea.

The music I am increasingly drawn toward is that of the traveller, the wanderer, and the itenerant. Most of the songs propelling this vision are cowboy songs that speak both of the dangers and allure of life on the road. I'm working on a CD as we speak, a sample of which will be done by Scarborough for the 2006 season, and collecting new songs and tunes left and right.