GETTING music students prepared for a fleadh competition is always a challenge, but few approach it with such dogged determination as Annmarie Acosta.

Given the fact that she is actually studying for a master's degree in traditional Irish music performance at the University of Limerick, over 3,000 miles away, to say that she has been tele-communicating is an understatement, leaving tunes and providing feedback on answering machines or via the web for her hopeful prize-winners at the upcoming Pearl River Fleadh (www.nyfleadh. com).

For those who do break through and go onto the All-Ireland Fleadh and Scoil Eigse in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, financial aid would be very welcome to their efforts. That means the fifth annual fleadh fundraising concert by the Acosta School of Irish Music and Dance follows on the heels of the New York fleadh at Rory Dolan's in Yonkers on Saturday, June 9 from noon to 5 p.m. (please note afternoon hours this year).

Acosta always turns out a great lineup for the raffle-filled marathon event, and this year you can expect to see Eileen Ivers, Joanie Madden and Gabriel Donahue, Brona Graham, Dawn Doherty, Marie Grady, Johnny Cuomo, Kenny Vesey, David Barckow, Michelle Bergin, Christopher McLoughlin, Marie Reilly, Seamus MacConaonaigh, Martin Reilly Senior, Frankie McCormick and, of course, students of the Acosta School and perhaps a few more musicians who stroll by the popular McLean Avenue redoubt on the Yonkers/ Woodlawn border.

It will be my pleasure to serve as the emcee for the afternoon, and I look forward to seeing many of this column's readers there to help launch these summer students over to Tullamore in August. For more info contact Annemarie at 718-945-9364 or at [email protected].