Joey Abarta is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most exciting young bodhrán players in Southern California. He learned much of his earliest bodhrán playing from Steve Forman of Los Angeles and much of his uilleann piping from Dublin-born Patrick D'Arcy, who now lives in Los Angeles. Joey recently performed in "A Grand Irish Variety Concert," a production of Kerry Records at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco. He teaches bodhrán privately in the Los Angeles area and in 2004 taught the advanced bodhrán workshop at the California Traditional Music Society's Summer Solstice Folk Music, Dance and Storytelling Festival in Calabasas.