Every Friday, the Farmer's Market comes to downtown with flowers, baked goods and fresh produce -- but that isn't all it has to offer.

It also features traditional Irish music, courtesy of a student fiddle player.

Will Mills (sophomore-integrative arts) has been playing the Irish fiddle for more than nine years and has been performing for four-and-a-half of them.

Those who frequent the market may have seen him before on the right side of Locust Lane, between the first couple of stands. He shows up prepared, with his sheet music and fiddle case open, ready to catch any money that passers-by throw his way.

On his MySpace.com Web site, Mills cites popular traditional fiddlers Kevin Burke and Eileen Ivers as his influences.

"Most of what I play is traditional Irish tunes, but I bring a more modern twist," he said.

Despite Mills' enthusiasm for Irish music, he has never been to Ireland.

"I'm going after graduation; I might get a degree in Irish music from the University of Limerick," he said.

The performance aspect of playing is Mills' focus at the moment.

"I go and play in the Farmer's Market where it's low pressure," he said.

Mills also plays at monthly sessions in Bellefonte. The "sessions" are informal gatherings of Irish musicians, usually in pubs or restaurants. Most Irish songs have been passed down and played for decades, so it isn't hard for musicians to join up in a session.

Mills said the sessions range from four to as many as a dozen musicians at once, all playing the same traditional songs.

In addition to the Farmer's Market and the sessions, Mills said he plays in State College "here and there." Sometime near the end of October, he hopes to have a show lined up at Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave.

Mills performs with his neighbor and self-taught guitarist Jeff Howanek (sophomore-communications).

"I started playing with him, and it was wonderful," Howanek said, "and I'm really fortunate to be playing with someone who is so good at it."

Howanek's favorite part about performing is "after shows hearing people come up to you and tell you how good you sounded."

Making the switch to Irish music wasn't the easy for Howanek, who comes from a punk-rock background.

"It's a lot of funky chords and different things that I wasn't used to," he said. "It's so different than other styles."

Mills recorded his first album, Murphy's Assignment, this past July. In what he described as a "marathon weekend," he pulled together a 10-track album with the help of Howanek.

It features Mills playing the fiddle, doing vocals and playing the bodhran, a traditional Irish drum made from goatskin.

Howanek contributed the guitar, backup vocals and some percussion as well.

"Recording was a really amazing experience ... It was really fun," Howanek said. "I knew that we sounded good. I'm still amazed."

Mills said he has copies of the album for sale every week at the Farmer's Market.

"I've always played Irish music predominantly," he said. "I just have the most fun playing that, I guess."