Toss the Feathers
Toss the Feathers performs a lively mix of traditional Irish tunes and songs for pubs, festivals, weddings, dances and concert venues throughout the Hudson Valley and Capital Region. We came together as a band in 2015, after playing informally at local Irish sessions and festivals, and are living our dream of being a live band that's fun to hear and dance to.
The band line-up has evolved over the years and is now anchored as a trio by Amy Schoch (violin, violotta and vocals); David Pease (Irish flutes and whistles); and Don Meade (tenor guitar, banjo, harmonica, fiddle and vocals). Recent high points include opening on The Egg main stage in 2024 for the McKrells' St Patrick's show; and playing on the Troy Music Hall stage in 2025 for the Music at Noon concert series.
Toss the Feathers has also created a historical program, Musical Postcards from Irish Albany and Troy, that incorporates stories, traditional songs and tunes to recount some of the remarkable history of the Irish people who settled in the Upper Hudson Valley. Musical Postcards debuted in 2019 and performed to acclaim at the Irish American Heritage Museum and Hudson Valley Community College. The program is currently in revision for performance in the fall of 2025.
Amy Schoch
Amy Schoch played baroque recorders as a young child, and started classical violin at nine, studying for a few magical years with Helen Teschner Tass in her teens. After a long hiatus from playing, she heard Martin Hayes in concert, and understood in a flash that she needed to pick up the violin again and learn to play Irish music. She is a founding member of Toss the Feathers, and has hosted a long-running pub session in Albany since 2013, now re-located to the Irish American Heritage Museum. She lives in a woodsy space not far from the Catskills Irish Arts Week, and the Northeast Tionol, where her Irish music education began.
David Pease
David Pease is an Alaska native who has lived and worked in the Albany area for the last 25 years. A classically trained musician, he played trumpet as a boy, expanded to Jazz, then the Highland pipes, and was delighted to discover traditional Irish dance music when he moved to New York. He plays the penny whistle and the Irish flute, and has been a regular at many local and international sessions, including in Spain, New Zealand, Australia, and the Netherlands, as well as in England and Ireland.
Don Meade
Don Meade grew up in southern California, where he was introduced to Irish folk music by recordings of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. After moving to New York City in 1976, he became a regular attendee at traditional music events throughout the area. Don plays several instruments and won an All-Ireland championship on the mouth organ in 1987. Since 1986, he has produced of a series of traditional music concerts in New York City, initially at the Eagle Tavern and later at the Blarney Star bar, Glucksman Ireland House at New York University and currently at the New York Irish Center. Don served as Artistic Director for the first six years of the Catskills Irish Arts Week, is an alumnus of the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra, and since 2007 has led a weekly traditional music session at the Landmark Tavern. He is a former music columnist for the Irish Voice and has contributed articles to Current Musicology, New York Irish History, The Companion to Irish Traditional Music and New Hibernia Review. In 2022, he was the co-curator and main writer for From the Bridge, an online exhibition on traditional music in New York produced by the Irish Traditional Music Archive.
Daniel Mojallali
Daniel Mojallali discovered traditional Irish music at age 20 while working in cafes and bakeries where its lively melodies played from morning until night. Drawn to the music’s energy and depth, he spent years absorbing countless tunes by ear, eventually learning to play many of them from memory.
Everything changed when he heard Kevin Crawford’s rendition of “The Bag of Spuds.” Instantly captivated, Daniel sought out local flute and fife maker Ralph Sweet and purchased his first Irish flute. He has been playing ever since.
Over the years, Daniel’s connection to traditional Irish music has only deepened. It remains a daily part of his life, offering both joy and grounding. In 2015, he became an original member of Toss the Feathers, performing regularly until relocating to Western Massachusetts. He continues to play with the band when time permits, balancing music with a busy work and family life.
