Amy Lange- "Amy Ruadh"

Amy has been active in the arts since elementary school. She began her musical training on piano in second grade, and then progressed on to the bassoon and many other instruments in middle and high school. Her various performances in local community pit orchestras led her to pursue acting and singing as well as instrumental music throughout her high school years. Amy then trained as an orchestral bassoonist and instrumental music teacher at the Eastman School of Music on a full tuition scholarship, and afterwards spent a year performing bassoon with the Irving Symphony in Texas. Currently she teaches instrumental music at Coburn Elementary in Elmira and performs as principal bassoonist with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes. You may also recognize her from being involved in numerous community theater performances with Elmira Little Theater and the Market Street Irregulars mystery dinner theater.

Most recently, Amy has joined artistic forces with Pat Kane, who inspired Amy to teach herself the wide variety of instruments involved in Irish music (whistles, fiddle, bodhran). She says, "I went to Horigans one Wednesday night with the cast from an Elmira Little Theater show and heard Pat play for the first time. I was overwhelmed by his aural repertoire and musical skill." Amy returned every Wednesday to Horigans for many months to listen and learn the wide variety of songs and tunes Pat was performing. That brought about a weekly Irish music session, and soon Pat asked Amy to join his band on keyboard.

"It was an incredibly fun weekly ritual for Mike and me. Now, after having played with West o'Clare for about 5 months and having listened to Pat play for almost 2 years I still feel I have just scratched the surface of his knowledge. Every performance has at least one new tune for me, so it's a continuous learning experience, which is why I find playing with Pat so much fun!" Amy lives in Painted Post with her 3 adorable ferrets and her soulmate Mike. Mike can often be seen at West O'Clare performances, providing tech support or cutting the rug with Amy to one of Pat's swing dance tunes.

Pat has nicknamed her "Amy Ruadh" for her red hair and engaging personality. Pat says "she is the quintessential 'girl next door,' with a musical nature and a nice country character," He's become fond of saying "she grew just down the road from me, only 20 years later!"