Jan. 6--It wasn't quite the Irish version of "American Idol," but Mark Dignam did start his musical career with a high-profile gig in Ireland. Almost every day, he and fellow musicians -- including Glen Hansard, who would find success with The Frames and Swell Season, and win an Academy Award for the song "Falling Slowly" from the movie "Once" -- would take to the streets of Dublin to busk for spare change. You think those kids on "Idol" have pressure performing for Simon Cowell? Try making a living catching the attention of hundreds, if not thousands, of passersby who have better things to do. Dignam arrived in Pittsburgh in 2000 and has since been performing at various stages and venues. He's opened for musicians including Billy Bragg, Swell Season, Joan Armatrading, Richard Thompson and Tim Finn. He also spends time in New York's East Village with the Fairplay Collective, collaborating with fellow Irish musicians Brendan O'Shea and Michael Brunnock, and Pittsburgh native Jenna Nichols. Dignam currently is ensconced in Treelady Studios in Turtle Creek, working on a new album, "Monumental Way," which he hopes to release early in 2010. The star who would play me in the movie version of my life and why: Kate Winslet, so I could spend hours in her trailer, on set ... coaching her! Childhood hero and why: Pluto, a fun and friendly dog, yet lousy as a planet, it seems Pick your favorite captain: A. Kirk B. Kangaroo

C. Crunch D. Jack Sparrow...