ACTIVITIES AND, OF COURSE, LOTS OF IRISH MUSIC.

BY THE WAY, THEY'RE BRINGING IN SOME REALLY BIG NAMES.

HERE WITH ME IS BRIAN MILLER FROM THE CENTER FOR IRISH MUSIC.

AND HE BROUGHT ALONG A FEW OF HIS STUDENTS.

THEY'RE ALL PART OF PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT NEXT WEEKEND.

WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

>> CAN YOU GIVE THE NAMES.

>> GABBY, KIERA AND HENRY, ALL STUDENTS AT THE CENTER FOR IRISH MUSIC IN St. PAUL.

>> THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

AND I KNOW THEY ENJOY IT.

YOU KEEP COMING BACK OVER AND OVER AGAIN, YOU KNOW THAT THEY LOVE IT, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, YEAH, THEY DO.

>> THEY SHOULD.

>> FOR ME, YOU GOT TO TELL US ABOUT THE CENTER OF IRISH MUSIC BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT IT BUT THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.

>> YEAH, SURE, WE'RE HIDING UP ON PRYER AVENUE HERE IN St. PAUL, A COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN NONPROFIT AND WE'VE GOT OVER 435 STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE EVERY YEAR, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED BY THAT BUT -- AND THEY'RE ALL AGES AND ALL STUDYING IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC RIGHT HERE IN St. PAUL.

>> THAT'S AMAZING, BY THE WAY.

SO AS YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, YOU ALSO HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE CENTER OF IRISH MUSIC INVOLVEMENT.

IS THAT CORRECT?

[ Laughter ].

DO I NOT HAVE THAT CORRECT?

>> WELL, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DISCOVER THE CENTER FOR IRISH MUSIC AT IRISH FAIRS IS WHAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE AND WE HAVE OUR OPEN HOUSE COMING UP LATER IN AUGUST, AS WELL, ON THE 25th, BUT THE IRISH FAIR IS, LIKE, THIS BIG IRISH PARTY, RIGHT, ON HARRIET ISLAND AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IRISH TO GO TO IT.

I'M NOT IRISH, I WENT TO IRISH FAIR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1998 AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT I GOT DEEPER INTO THIS WHOLE THING BUT IT'S, WHAT DO THEY SAY, IRISH OR NO, YOU'LL HAVE FUN IF YOU GO AT IRISH FAIR.

BUT AT THE CENTER FOR IRISH MUSIC, IT'S A WAY WE BRING WHAT WE DO OUT TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY AND WE LOVE IT.

WE DO A THING CALLED THE INSTRUMENT PETTING ZOO WHERE WE BRINGING INSTRUMENTS IN THE SCHOOL AND YOU CAN TRY A HARP OR A BANJO OR MANDOLIN.

>> PETTING ZOOs WILL BE FOREVER, FOR EVER, EVER.

HERE'S THE THING.

YOU KNOW THAT THE IRISH ARE O IMPORTANT HERE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, CORRECT?

>> YEAH.

>> AND YOU'RE HEARING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE THAT TALK ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE, FRIENDLY THEY ARE, AND FUN THAT THEY ARE, OU AGREE?

>> OH, FOR SURE, YEAH.

I MEAN, I'M A GERMAN SCOTTISH MUTT FROM MINNESOTA AND FOR ME, IT WAS JUST THE WHOLE CULTURE OF THE THING THAT DREW ME IN AND THE BEAUTY OF THE MUSIC AND SO, YEAH, WHETHER YOU GET A CHANCE TO GO TO IRELAND OR YOU GET TO GO TO HEART ISLAND, IT'S A FUN CULTURE TO GET INVOLVED IN.

>> JEARLYN STEELE, BLACK WOMAN, SO NICE TO MEET YOU, BRIAN.

REALLY, WHAT A PLEASURE.

WHAT SONG WILL THEY PERFORM?

>> WE WON'T DO ANY SINGING, WE'LL PLAY SOME DANCE TUNINGS.

THESE ARE HOP JIGS, THEY'RE CALLED.

>> I'M SO SORRY I CAN'T BE INVOLVED IN ALL OF THAT.

SUCH A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE.

BLESSINGS.

GO RIGHT ARRAYED.

>> GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ONE, TWO, THREE...

THE ♪♪♪ ♪♪ LIVELY IRISH MUSIC ♪♪♪ ♪♪ LIVELY IRISH MUSIC ♪♪♪ ♪♪ LIVELY IRISH MUSIC ♪♪♪