This past summer, from June 16–21, a group of SMTD students and alumni of the summer master’s degree program in music education participated in a multi-day workshop at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (IWA), University of Limerick. They spent several days learning about Irish traditional music, song, and dance through lessons and lectures, and they immersed themselves in Irish culture and music. They also interacted with local secondary school music teachers, sharing their experiences as educators and comparing teaching methods in the United States and Ireland. The workshop included a cultural tour through County Clare, home to internationally renowned musical traditions and traditional musicians. The trip was led by Marie McCarthy, professor of music education. “It was a privilege to accompany the teachers on their musical and cultural journey,” McCarthy shared, “observing them interact with Irish music teachers as they exchanged perspectives and gained insight into music education in another country; learn traditional music and dance through oral transmission; and perform at the Irish World Academy and in sessions in local pubs.”
McCarthy also related the reactions of the trip’s participants and her gratitude for the group’s hosts and those who made the trip possible: “Participant reflections on the experience speak to the profound impact it had on their musical growth, teaching philosophy, and cultural worldview. Míle buíochas (a thousand thanks) to our hosts at the Irish World Academy – Professor Helen Phelan, director; coordinators Avril McLoughlin and Pam Cotter; and the entire team of tutors and presenters. This eye-opening, enlightening, and inspiring ‘trip of a lifetime,’ as many participants referred to the workshop, was made possible by generous support and funding from the Department of Music Education, the Office of the Associate Dean for Faculty Development, and the Center for World Performance Studies.”
Julia Plato
Despite all the warnings of daily rain in Ireland, we woke up to sunshine and blue skies, and we made our way to the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. The beautiful University of Limerick campus echoed with birds chirping and the River Shannon rushing under the Living Bridge. At 9 a.m., Theatre 2 was filled with sounds of a recording of the legendary Tommy Peoples playing the fiddle, and we listened to the intricate ornamentation that we were soon going to learn for ourselves. Fiddle player Avril McLoughlin, one of several IWA instructors we met with throughout the week, led a discussion about traditional Irish instruments, musicians, and forms, sharing her love for the traditional Irish style and admiration for the esteemed musicians she introduced to us.
Inspired, we headed upstairs to learn how to play this music for ourselves. Each of us received our own tin whistle, and soon we were filling the room with music. Majella Bartley, our tin whistle mentor, played through our very first tune, “Three Little Drummers,” patiently teaching us phrase by phrase. Surprisingly, we started learning the piece with cuts and taps right from the beginning, immediately building our ornamentation tool box. Over the next few days, we added “The Liverpool Hornpipe” and two polkas, “Rock Chapel” and “Tripping to the Well,” to our growing repertoire of Irish tunes.
We also had the opportunity to learn the bodhrán, a traditional Irish drum. Jamie Troy taught us how to hold the beater and the basic wrist movements for playing the bodhrán. As we started experimenting with reel and jig beats, we quickly discovered it was no ordinary drum. Jamie amazed us with his ability to make a single drum sound like an entire drum set with snare, bass drum, and toms. Throughout the week, Jamie helped us explore different parts of the drumhead and the pitches we could create. We added syncopated accents in varying parts of the reel beat, and we soon found ourselves relaxed and jamming out to the fun music we were playing.
SMTD students participating in a bodhrán class
After lunch each day, we returned to the IWA for an Irish dance session with Pam Cotter. Many of us entered the first dance class a bit apprehensively, unsure if we could keep up. Pam’s energy immediately took over, and within 10 minutes, we were skipping and doing “the sevens.” We successfully applied these steps to “An Rince Mór” group dance, so Pam promoted us to “Siege of Ennis,” a more intricate céilí dance. Things quickly became more complicated, but we navigated the dance on our toes and with our arms by our sides.
On Wednesday, we learned figures three and four from “The North Kerry Set,” which were more casual than the previous dances. These partner polkas are often performed at weddings, as many guests are likely familiar with them. Twirling around and laughing, we found these dances to be our favorite, and we were eager to add them to our performance set for Thursday’s final performance. Sweaty but smiling, we drank lots of water before heading back to Theatre 2.
On Monday, we met a group of Irish school music teachers and discussed our similar and contrasting music education and teaching experiences. We bonded over the challenges of encouraging students to participate in sports or music and the ongoing need to advocate for the importance of music in our schools. We compared the exam-focused music curriculum and vibrant community music scene in Ireland to the ensemble-focused curriculum and pull-out lessons in the United States. These connections gave us a greater appreciation for our own teaching environments and left us excited to continue learning about Irish music education.
SMTD students, Professor Marie McCarthy, and tutors from the Irish World Academy, after a music and dance performance in the Tower Theatre of the IWA
Each evening, we immersed ourselves in Irish pub music culture and fell more in love with the music community. One night at a session at the White House pub, we were surprised when some University of Limerick students, including our bodhrán teacher, Jamie, entered as the evening’s performers! Since we had arrived early at the pub, we had already taken our place near the live music area. The waiter initially asked us to move for the musicians, but Ciarán, the button accordion player, intervened, saying, “They are our friends,” and we were allowed to stay. The music was captivating, and we enjoyed watching their chemistry as a group and their genuine enjoyment of playing together.
Another evening, we visited PaMcGrath’s, a thatched cottage pub in the countryside outside Limerick. As our program’s students started filling the pub, local musicians arrived carrying fiddles, tin whistles, bodhráns, flutes, guitars, and banjos. At the bar, I spoke with one of the fiddle players, sharing that we were music educators from the University of Michigan. We bonded over fiddle playing, and he invited me to join the session later. As the music filled the pub, we tapped our toes, watching the camaraderie among the musicians. After a few sets, the fiddle player I had spoken with earlier approached and asked if I was ready to join in for a set. Excitedly, I took my place on the bench, where a fiddle awaited. I asked the accordion player if he knew “The Miller’s Maggot,” and he said, “Yes, take it away!” I placed my bow on the string, started the tune, and soon the entire group joined in. The final note rang through the pub and I couldn’t stop smiling! This was truly an experience I will never forget.