The young Linda Ronstadt. What a voice! What a fox! You should hear her in the "Pirates of Penzance."

The young Emmylou Harris. I do not know if it was Emmylou herself or her music that I love.

Randy Newman. He writes wierd songs and can't sing worth beans, but the guy's brilliant.

Merle Haggard. What can I say?

Ludwig van Beethoven.

Johann Sebastian Bach. Especially as performed by E. Power Biggs.

Turlough O'Carolan. O'Carolan was an itinerate Irish harp player who happened to be a contemporary of, and fan of, Johann Sebastian Bach. Yet O'Carolan's music transcends the ages and is as stiring today as it was in the 17th Century.

Ossian. This is just a darn fine Scottish band.

Hamish Moore. Hamish plays and makes Scottish Small Pipes, or "Cauld wind pipes," which differ from the better know "Highland (War) Pipes" in that they are bellows blown ("cauld" or "cold" wind) and are not as loud. Much more suitable for playing indoors.

Any bagpipe music

Touchstone This now disbanded Irish band, which was actually based in North Carolina, used their native Irish music and mixed it with American country and old time music.

Thistle & Shamrock. This is a Celtic music radio program which appears on National Public Radio (NPR). Produced in Scotland by Fiona Ritchie in association with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Battlefield Band. A real kicking Scottish band with a driving bagpipe.

Silly Wizard and anything by the Cunningham brothers, John and Phil.

Beausoleil. This is a Cajun band from Lafayette, Louisiana. Although it features Michael Doucet on the fiddle, I did not like accordian music until I heard these guys.

Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band. This band plays more traditional Cajun music than Beausoleil does, but it also features Michael Doucet on the fiddle, along with Marc and Ann Savoy.