An inventive reviewer once described Brenda as a "bodhránista" (a phrase that evokes images of bandoliers and pistolas). The bodhran is the Celtic version of the ancient frame drum found in the musical traditions of all cultures. It has a round, wooden frame approximately 4 inches deep braced with a cross-piece in the back and covered with the stretched hide of goat or sheepskin. The bodhrán is played by striking it with a beater called a "tipper" held in the dominant hand. The tone of the drum is raised and lowered by moving the other hand with varying degrees of pressure on the back side of the drumskin.

Be assured: the bodhrán is harder to play than it looks.

Brenda totes around a wide variety of kit to Three Weird Sisters' gigs, all in all weighing in at between 60 - 75 pounds. Thank goodness that Gwen's into massage, Mary teaches yoga, and Teresa is a Reiki Master. The instruments, music stands, songbooks, et al pack up into the large, black, wheeled suitcase below. The congas won't fit, so Brenda's shopping for a small trailer. (Just kidding...)

The tippers, bristles, drumsticks, brushes, shakers, whistles, eggs, tocas, claves, castanets, chimes, kazoos, tambourines, bones, eyeball, etc, all fit (tightly fit) into the little black plastic cauldron. Click on selected areas of the picture above for a closer look at all this wonderful "stuff"!