James Tanguay

James Tanguay is best known for his whimsical musical act, "Soup to Nuts." This delightfully unusual show is made up of folk tunes artistically rendered on a barrage of over forty different instruments. What instruments, you ask? Well, they are often familiar like tinwhistles, recorders, concertina, autoharp and dulcimers. Sometimes they are historic but forgotten like hornpipes, nineteenth-century zithers and the nail violin. Sometimes, however, they are downright silly like the musical saw, the transmission fluid funnel and even the turkey baster. Though when asked he professes not to know which instrument is his favorite, tinwhistle is certainly in the running. Since the release of his first traditional Irish music disc, Trip to Sligo, in 1998 he has championed the instrument to young and old alike. Schools, churches, universities, summer camps and folk festivals have all hosted his countless workshops where he teaches the fine art of playing the pennywhistle. James Tanguay lives in the Southwestern United States where he works in instrument repair, teaches, and markets his own line of handcrafted tinwhistles.