In the midst of balancing textbooks for his philosophy classes and the steep responsibilities of being chair of the department, associate professor Patrick Bondy expands his love of wisdom by honing his appreciation of music. 

Since his teenage years, Bondy said he’s played a multitude of different instruments, from the guitar to the mandolin to the harp to a penny whistle.

“I started when I was a teenager, just playing bass and then a little guitar and stuff,” he said. “And then over the years, (I) would get an opportunity to pick up another instrument and then after a while, I started thinking, ‘Oh, here’s another instrument. This one’s cool. I haven’t tried that yet. Let’s try it, and then I like it’… Anytime a new one comes along to try and it seems interesting. Why not try it?”

In all his time spent learning new instruments, Bondy said he only had a few lessons “here and there” on his eclectic mix of musical tools. 

“I mostly am self taught on most,” Bondy said. “… I like to play just by myself.”

Bondy said while it can be difficult at first, once he understood the fundamentals of music, he could learn to play multiple different instruments. 

“Once you’ve learned sort of basic music theory, and you’ve learned how to play one instrument, it becomes a lot easier to learn other ones,” Bondy said. “Even if they’re a little funky.”

While Bondy said he enjoys playing all genres of music, there is one in particular that has stolen the majority of his time as of late. 

“These days, (Irish music is) what I’m playing,” Bondy said. “And I grew up in Canada, and some of my favorite music was the East Coast Canadian music. It’s inspired by a blend of Irish traditional and Scottish and French, and then it’s sort of got its own East Coast flair.”

Bondy is not only inspired by certain genres but also by artists who have made their mark within those groups. 

“Loreena McKennitt – she’s a Canadian artist. She’s got a bunch of albums and if you’re into vocals, she’s got such a nice voice,” Bondy said. “She plays in her songs all sorts of different eclectic instruments … (She) inspired (me into) branching out into just doing all these different things.”

McKennitt plays more standard instruments like guitars and basses, but she also plays “a different wacky instrument” which Bondy aims to add to his collection.

“There’s a hurdy gurdy in some of them,” he said. “I think at this point the hurdy gurdy would be a cool addition.”

While Bondy hasn’t been able to secure a hurdy gurdy, a small pear-shaped fiddle with a crank on the end, quite yet, he did pick up a new instrument around three years ago: the harp. 

He said he became interested in the stringed instrument after hearing harp music around and finding its sound to be “really really nice” and “soothing.” As he listened, he began to think he could play one, if only he could get his hands on one. 

“It’s hard to just stumble across a harp because that’s a more expensive kind of instrument,” Bondy said. “You can’t just get them for $100 at Guitar Center.”

Bondy said he started with purchasing a lyre — a cheaper instrument that would still allow him to grasp the basics of harp playing while determining if he really wanted to pursue this expensive expenditure. As he learned, his resolve was hardened and he began to look for something with “more strings, more range, more versatility.” Bondy said he looked for six months before he found a sale on a lap harp. 

“The best part about playing the harp is that it is so relaxing,” Bondy said. “When you’re playing tunes, that’s one thing, but if it’s been a long day, you’re wound up or you got a headache or something, you sit down (with) your harp back on your shoulder, pluck out some arpeggios, and it’s like one of the most relaxing things I know.”

Despite the relaxation that repeating scales brings, there are several trials that come with playing the lap harp, alongside the exuberant entry fee.

“It moves around so it’s a lot harder just to keep it stable enough and be accurate,” Bondy said. “… Another challenge is the size of my fingers. It’s very easy to accidentally hit the string next to it and if it’s still ringing, then that’s not nice.”

Despite the difficulties, Bondy continues to sharpen his playing skills by simply practicing. 

“Just learn where your fingers go and you practice it again and again and your hands just get used to the tunes.”

Bondy said he likes to play his music by himself, but this hasn’t stopped him from broadening his reach and posting his talents for others to see.

He created his own YouTube channel called Pat’s Music where he posts recordings of himself playing his wide array of different instruments. He said he just created it for fun, but the comments holding compliments help him feel good about his performance. 

“I don’t expect it to take off at all,” Bondy said. “… But you know, I really like making songs, and when I get a recording of a tune down to a good enough point that I’m happy sharing it, then I throw it up on the YouTube channel.”

Bondy records covers of songs frequently but has also recorded a song composed by himself titled, “The Band Playing in the Old Town.”

“Sometimes, you just have a tune that gets into your head,” Bondy said. “You don’t know where they come from, sometimes it just gets to your head and you think, ‘Oh man, better do a recording of that.’”

While not everyone has such a diverse interest in musicality, Bondy said he encourages people, even those who only have a slight interest in music, to “just pick it up.”

“If you still have an interest in it, then I tell you, you can totally just learn a few chords and then strum them like 10 minutes, 20 minutes a day,” Bondy said. “And over time, those get second nature and then learn a few more chords, and then learn some scales … Don’t put it away in a case somewhere.”