Pat Gaughan

American History through Folk Song: This program features the story of our American heritage starting with songs of the Revolutionary War and travels through time to the post civil war era. Harvest tunes, Love Songs, Work songs, Songs of our Irish Immigrants, Civil War music, Music of African American and Hispanic roots are performed. The historical context of the music is briefly discussed.

Our all ages audience enjoyed Pat and L.J.’s singing and playing and asked for an encore! Folk, Celtic, Blues, and a Spiritual made for a great evening of music. It was a pleasure working with Pat and L.J. and we would definitely have them back. -Kelly Fojtik, Program Coordinator Wauconda Library

 “We just had a wonderful Second Fridays program at Barrington Area Library. Pat Gaughan and L.J. Slavin did a "Harvest Harmony" program of folk and civil war tunes. Pat and L.J. have a great stage presence and quickly warmed up our crowd. They really had the crowd engaged and they began to sing along with some of the popular folk songs. Many patrons came up and said how much they loved the performance and it was one of the best performances we have had. Book them soon! We highly recommend them!”-Eileen Gallagher, Program Specialist Barrington Library

My library audience delighted in the talents of Pat Gaughan and L.J. Slavin. Their performance made for the PERFECT library program - educational, yet funny and wildly entertaining. The richness of Pat's beautiful vocals along with L.J.'s talented mastery of a wide selection of instruments provided my patrons with an entertaining afternoon concert experience. One I'm sure they'll be talking about for a long time to come. I look forward to having them back to my library again in the future." -Terri Suda - Adult Services Programming Coordinator, Wauconda Area Library

Music of the Civil War expresses the hardship, pain, love and humor of those involved in the conflict and those left behind. This program features live performances of music popular in the North, music popular in the South, and songs that crossed those boundaries and helped heal a nation. From foot stomping “Dixie” to the somber “Auction Block” ballad about slavery, Pat and LJ take the audience on a historical musical journey. Irish Music Program: Pat Gaughan and LJ Slavin are known throughout the Midwest for their riveting programs of Irish music, from Pat’s vocals on lovely lyrical ballads to LJ’s lively instrumental jigs and reels on fiddle or Pennywhistle, and their rowdy pub songs bring the heart of Irish music to audiences of all ages.

“Thank you for the wonderful Irish Music Concert. This was a lovely opportunity for the community to enjoy this special genre of music, especially with your unique style, delivery and flair.”-Marci Buerger, Mount Prospect Library

And reviews from the attendees at the library: • Versatile, foot stomping, good ole Irish music! And jokes besides! • Wonderful music, Outstanding musicians • Awesome! • Brought memories of Ireland tour • Very enjoyable • Wow! • Delightful way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day • Fun-Love Irish music • Great performance • Very good-Love the music • Lively & wonderful music

Both Sides Now:  presented by Pat Gaughan and fiddler Nancy Maio is a musical journey back in time to the 60’s and 70’s when women folk musicians were coming to the forefront of American culture. The singer-songwriters, the interpreters of traditional ballads, blues and spirituals, and those who sang songs composed by their contemporary male musicians expressed “Both Sides” of the many movements of the era. Songs about war and the struggle for peace, songs expressing independence vs. the intoxicating dependence of a lover. Songs celebrating youth, and songs accepting that seasons go round and round. The hammer of justice and the bell of freedom were not just song lyrics, but they expressed the activism that these women lived and contrasted with songs that showed the realities of deportees, the homeless, and victims of war. Social justice, civil rights, peace movements, and feminism were the subject matter for the songs of such artists as Joni Mitchell, Mary Travers, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins. This musical program captures the spirit of an era that inspires today.

“Pat Gaughan and Nancy Maio entertained us not only with great music but also with the history behind the music with their informative PowerPoint presentation program "Both Sides Now: Women of Song.” Truly a musical and historical time travel event! It was a great program to kick off National Women's History Month!”-Gayle Weyland, Adult Programming Coordinator, Palatine Illinois Public Library District

"Pat and Nancy sounded great! I liked how they provided background information about each song they played. They were quite knowledgeable about the artists and songs and were happy to answer questions from the audience."-Marnie J. Schmidt, Adult Reference Librarian, Brookfield Wisconsin Public Library

"Thank you Pat and Nancy for a lovely concert on Sunday. Our patrons were very entertained and engaged. Many smiles and compliments on their way out.."                Janet Collins, Adult Programming Coordinator, Rolling Meadows Library

History of Blues Culture: The struggles and sorrows of slaves were expressed through their songs. So were their hopes for freedom and equal rights. This educational lecture/performance uses a power point presentation and live music to describe the role that the oppression of African Americans played in the development of the Blues, from slavery to Jim Crow laws and the civil rights struggle. The Spirituals, Work songs, and Slave songs that evolved into Blues are performed live with a visual depiction from the time period. The Delta Blues styles, the migration North and the development into Classic Blues are discussed and performed. The stories of many key Blues musicians are brought to life with live performances of their signature pieces; Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago”, Bessie Smith’s last recording “Nobody knows You When you’re Down and Out”.

During African American History Month, Music Instructor Patricia Gaughan facilitated a workshop titled “History of Blues Culture”. In her presentation she highlighted the impact of slavery and oppression in America that led to the evolution of the modern day Blues. I enjoyed very much how she imbedded story and song into the presentation. The presentation was very educational and well suited for all audiences. The student participants were engaged throughout the presentation. –Sonia Reising, Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs, McHenry County College

Holiday Programs Celebrating Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or any other special occasion that would be enhanced with music? Pat and LJ enjoy performing special music of these traditions to audiences of all ages.

Blurry Lines, Banned Music: A program by Pat Gaughan. Music is a form of speech protected by the 1st amendment to the constitution. The evolution of that protection is discussed along with many samples of music that was banned for a variety of reasons: lyrical content, musical style, interracial presentations, politics/religion/sexual orientation of the performer. Banned music through the decades, starting with the 1950’s to present day is sampled and discussed. A group discussion of these issues may follow the presentation. This is a power point presentation and requires access to the internet. The Banned Music presentation is for a mature audience. Created by Pat Gaughan M.M. 

“A very entertaining and timely program with tie-ins to the arts, popular culture, history and censorship. This particular program demonstrates Pat’s deep understanding of the intersection of musical expression and First Amendment issues—which we exploited to the max during this year’s Banned Books Week. She is a pleasure to work with and creates excellent edutainment!” -Cynthia Letteri, Reference Librarian, Information Literacy Instructor, McHenry County College