Me at Music Network

I thought it would be an idea to give a brief update on why I’ve been so lax with blogging lately and what I’m up to at the moment:

With the Quiet Music Ensemble and the Music for Tipperary performances tied off I’m concentrating all my efforts on Music Network programmes (check out our spanking sparkly new website!) before jetting out to Melbourne in the new year!

Aisling Roche was appointed Acting CEO for a seven month period and I’ve taken on some aspects of the Development Programmes role. This includes taking care of Music Network’s Partner Promoters all over Ireland and also looking after some of the Audience Development work Music Network is always engaged in. We’re in the middle of the last tour of the season with amazing violinist Tasmin Little and she’s selling out all over the country. For those of you who didn’t hear her on the JK Ensemble last week, she’s a bright, incredibly intelligent solo violinist and is a vehement supporter of educational and development work. She’s doing a series of masterclasses and workshops along with the performance and has amazing energy. There are still tickets left to Music Network’s Gala Fundraiser next Sat (05 Dec) and I’ll be there with bells on so pop in and say hi! Tix from Music Network. Fidil and Trihornphone will also be there on the evening to entertain!

I’m also still primarily working on the Music Capital Scheme and with the panel discussions for the 2009 awards coming up this week watch this space for award announcements!! There was a healthy interest in the scheme again in 2009, which demonstrates the ongoing need for capital support for music in Ireland.

Another project I’m not directly involved in but will be speaking about at the Forum for Music annual plenary on Monday next is the Music Education Programme – aka the U2 Funds! U2 have come on board to support a programme Music Network have been developing for the last number of years. We are currently looking for applications for the position of Project Manager on the initiative and hope to roll out the tender process in early 2010. For more info on this call the office (01 6719429) and add your name to the mail out list!

Music Network are coordinating Ireland’s first dedicated day for music in 2010! lovelive:music takes place on Friday 16 April 2010 and will be a day of free music events all over Ireland. We’ve already taken calls from promoters, venues, centers, individual performers and groups all over the country eager to participate! The website is under development and I hope to be able to link to it shortly!

So, that’s it in a nutshell!

Blog this…

I have a load of emails in my inbox with the subject line “Blog this”, which are meant to remind me to follow up on something or other. I don’t always get around to blogging the notes I sent, but here are the few in my inbox at the moment:

Notes:

Creative Review blog cover an interesting project by Youth Music in the UK to celebrate their 10th year. I was doing a little research into international musical instrument projects last year for the Music Capital Scheme and came across Youth Music. They instigate some very worthwhile projects in the UK and are worth checking out.

On that note, the deadline for the Music Capital Scheme landed on Monday last and my office in the coach house is once again the most flammable room in the building with piles of applications in boxes and on my desk. Watch the Music Network website for announcements of awards in December.

Jennifer Walshe continues to stir things up in the US – read the brow-wrinkling description of her latest project Ma La Pert in Issue Project Room

NorthWest Connects is a networking event coming up on Sat 28 Nov in Sligo which promises to bring together local creativity and regional networks. I’d love to be attending – it looks like a promising hub for creative entrepreneurs and businesses in the North West area. The attendee list is already the Who’s Who of the most innovative people working in the North West, and indeed in Ireland as a whole and the most amazing part is it’s free! Twitter

Gigs:

Music Network are in the middle of another tour at the moment – Songs for Cecelia is stopping at a venue near you over the next week or so. The Dublin takes place in the Coach House this coming Tuesday although I’m pretty sure there are very few tickets left.

I like that the emails bulletins from Note Productions are titled “a little note”. The latest one contains details of an upcoming performance by Iarla Ó Lionáird in preferred Note venue, St Audeons Church. The Dublin concert features a guest performance by Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and should be a lovely gig!

Apparently Tuesday nights are the nights of choice for contemporary music in Dublin. I attended the second of the Kaleidoscope series in the Odessa Club on Tuesday last, which featured performances by Malachy Robinson, Clíodhna Ryan, Kate Ellis, Cora Venus Lunny, Martin Tourish & Lorcán Mac Mathuna and an improv by Enda Bates & Linda Buckley. Tourish’s Exegesis left a lasting impression and I’d like to hear the work again when I’m not falling down with exhaustion after a mental day.

Starting this coming Tuesday, New Sound Worlds is a programme curated by Siobhán Cleary, taking place in the NCH each Tues for four weeks. There is no websites for the series but information on tickets is available from the NCH site. Word on the ground is that people will be giving their right arm to attend the first performance by Sarah Leonard and Rolf Hind on Tues. I’ll be putting my hand in at the Coach House so won’t make the first performance but it should be excellent.

On one last note, I promised a quick mention to a new night starting in Dublin- SALT is a new gay music night in Twisted Pepper, every second Wed. The organisers are billing it as a new night targeted at young gay people who are not comfortable with the gay scene as it exists and could well be a fun night!

culture notes & that…

The QME performance on Saturday night last was a beautiful exploration of improvised and experimental electro-acoustic music. I’ll write a longer post on the event once I get the pics.

A project initiated by artist Mark Garry went online on MySpace today, it’s worth checking out if you get a chance. Sending Letters to the Sea is a music project that brings together musicians Ireland and France that work across genres. It includes contributions from Karl Him, Nina Hynes, Sean Carpio and Fabien Leseure.

On Friday (06 Nov) in Cork UCC Concert Series presents an improv session with Han-Earl Park and Paul Dunmall. It’s a lunchtime event so if you’re around Cork at lunch drop over to O’Riada Hall in UCC.

Jonathan Grimes uploaded a video of Roger Doyle’s 60th birthday concert to his blog – check it out

CMC are hosting open nights for student composers (Tues 04 Nov) and student music teachers (Mon 09 Nov) – details here

Donal Dineen’s Small Hours presents Fresh Air Festival – a  celebration of his picks of new music. It’s airing on Today during Dineen’s 12 midnight to 2am slot and will include artists such as 3epkano, chequerboard, dark room notes, Katie Kim, R.S.A.G and a load of others. I’m going to try catch the first show tonight although am pretty wrecked after the weekend so we’ll see if I make it through the whole show.

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ArtCamp is a new initiative along the same lines as BarCamp for artists and arts workers. There is no info up yet but keep an eye on the site for updates.

Take your Seat initiative runs from 09 – 14 November, promoting arts and performance. The initiative aims to demonstrate that attending events is not just about box office takings but is about supporting the performers -the people who dedicate themselves to standing/sitting in front of the audience on an ongoing basis. As someone who always found it painful to stand up in front of anyone and perform, I wholeheartedly support the initiative – get out there and put bums on seats!

The National Campaign for the Arts is growing in numbers. If you haven’t already become a member please join up and show your support – many of us are connected with the arts, either directly and indirectly. Any cuts to public support for the arts will have a detrimental effect on the lives of many people I know. Use your vote and your voice. They also have a petition on the website, which includes the retention of Culture Ireland, The Film Board and artists exemption.

 

quick post

I’ve missed a load of gigs I wanted to flag because I’m up the walls in prep for the QME gig in DEAF09 this weekend. The QME are performing on the last day of the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival and we’re in the middle of rehearsals at the moment. They’re going really well and after listening to them rehearse Alvin Lucier’s Shadow Lines yesterday I’m really excited about Saturday evening. The performance lasts from 5pm -10pm; drop in at any stage during the evening, there is no obligation to stay for the full 5 hours. The tickets for that gig are on sale at www.tickets.ie from a very reasonable €15/10!

I was very sorry to hear today that this year’s DEAF is going to be the last festival. Organisers Eamonn Doyle and Karen Walsh are gearing up for a big blow-out party on Saturday night to give the festival the send-off it deserves. After eight years running DEAF both Karen and Eamonn have other projects they want to start. It’s a shame that a festival as great as DEAF will come to an end as the organisers move on, but this is the case in a small country such as Ireland where great events are dependent on a few key individuals.

Also – something sweet and non-music related: Temple Bar Chocolate Festival is this weekend!! Yum!

I’m not sure if he’s still doing it but Damien Mulley was putting together a list of interested bloggers to go on the mail out lists of PR company mailouts.

When I originally made the note to blog about the new Tom Waits album you could listen to it for free online. I did. It’s great. Sorry…….

Global Irish Economic Forum Report from the Dept of Education

My DEAF picks

I finally had a chance to have a look through the DEAF programme and these are my picks over the ten days (watch for the plugging!). After I completed the list I realised there is no way I’ll actually get to all these gigs, especially as some of them overlap but if I could bi-locate this is what I would check out

Ongoing:

ATOM: Meditations on the disappearance of the independent record shop, Projector Collective @ Filmbase

Donal Dineen: Mix media installation @ Filmbase

RELAY: Online sound project, Presented by The Model @ Filmbase

Thurs 22 Oct

Messages Sonores: Peter Maybury @ Road Records, 11am – 6pm

Beautiful Unit: Presented by The Model, New Spaces for Music, Location to be announced online, 7pm*

Fri 23 Oct (AKA Spatial Music Collective day!)

Spatial Music Collective: Workshops @ NCH, 2-5pm

Spatial Music Collective: Alvin Lucier’s I am sitting in a room @ NCH, 6.30pm

Spatial Music Collective: 8.5 @ NCH, 8pm

Baby Beef: Presented by The Model, New Spaces for Music, Location to be announced online, 7pm*

Dam Funk (actually I’ll be going just for DJ Kormac): @ Twisted Pepper, 11pm

Sat 24 Oct

Somadrome: Presented by The Model, New Spaces for Music, Location to be announced online, 7pm*

Sun 25 Oct

Roger Doyle: Crash Ensemble @ Project Arts Centre, 7.30pm

Sunday Roast: @ Globe Bar, 8pm

Mon 26 Oct

Yurodny: Presented by Diatribe Recordings @ Button Factory, 7pm

Thurs 29 Oct

Relay Launch: Polly Fibre performance & talk from curator John Lambert @ Filmbase, 6pm

My Heart is in the East: An evening of Sephardic and Persian music @ Smock Alley, 8pm (I caught a similar programme in the Samuel Beckett a few months ago and it was a beautiful performance – check out my post on it here)

Sat 31 Oct

night leaves breathing: Quiet Music Ensemble @ Filmbase, 5-10.30pmpm (plug!!!!)

A Gallimaufry: Mountains @ Douglas Hyde, 2-10pm

*New Spaces for Music details correct at time of posting but are subject to change so keep an eye on DEAF twitter!

The hiatus comes to an end

Upcoming events

(Plug Alert!) On 31 October in Filmbase the Quiet Music Ensemble (QME) present night leaves breathing; their first performance since the launch of the ensemble in July 2008. Prepare yourself for a 5-hour extravaganza of experimental music, sonic environments, uncommon Dreamhouse and drone music as the QME brings DEAF09 to a close. The QME website is under development at the moment so there are a few bugs but there is gig info here and tickets here. The QME will be joined by musician, curator and writer David Toop for an improvisation and the event will conclude with a performance of his work for the QME night leaves breathing.  MySpace & facebook

Kaleidoscope is a new music series curated by musicians Kate Ellis and Clíodhna Ryan. I missed the first night at the beginning of October but will definitely be heading along to the next one on 03 Nov in the Odessa Club. For those of you interested in eclectic performance across all areas of classical music this is definitely one for you.

Ergodos present Smyth/Marshall/Sanders this Wed coming (14 Oct) in the NCH. Info on the gig here and tickets from the NCH website.

Stet Lab in Cork kick off their 2009/2010 series this evening in The Roundy, Castle St. With performance titles such as Folk from Hell and Tuba and Laptop Shenanigans you can be sure this is going to be a very interesting evening of experimental music!

Reviews in brief

Jaki Irvine’s new work Seven Folds in Time is showing now in Temple Bar Gallery & Studios and will continue until 31 October. The piece explores the relationship between music and image and plays on the space that exists around practice and anticipation of performance. I find it resonates specifically with the performer in me, however the positioning of the monitors and the extreme close-up shots of the performers allow viewers with no performance history to enter that space and experience the concentrated state of trance when preparing for some future performance.

I made the trip to Louth on 01 October to experience the unique sounds of the Hilliard Ensemble at their best. Performing their Arhkangelos programme, the ensemble brought the audience on a tour of sacred music across Europe, traversing West to East. I could easily write a long review of the performance but time limits only allow me to link to the review by Philip Hammond. If I miraculously find time in the next few weeks I’ll detail my experience.

Culture notes

The deadline for Music Network’s Music Capital Scheme is less than a month away at this stage. Get your applications in to me before 02 November. More information on the award here, email me on capitalscheme@musicnetwork.ie or call 01 671 9429.

The Journal of Music is unlocking articles for a day at a time – today’s article is an interview with pianist Paul G. Smyth by Benedict Schlepper-Connolly.

There is a forum for experimental music meet-up’s online and the site has a Dublin-based group. At the moment it seems like a space for new arrivals in Ireland to make friends, regardless of their musical leanings, but has the potential to become a good networking site for new music. Keep an eye on it…

Notes

Artist Seth Kim-Cohen is writing a twitter novel… Also, check out his recently published book In the Blink of an Ear: Towards a Non-Cochlear Sonic Art. I haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet but when I do I’ll give it a short review. I’m in the middle of Alex Ross’ The Rest is Noise, which is an unbeatable guide to twentieth-century music. It’s information heavy but conjures a visual map to the significant events, works and artists of the twentieth-century.  Again, when I get through it I’ll write a few notes on it.

Modest Mouse (I love the giant fly on his site) is coming to Ireland! Whee!

You facebook people – join my Music Capital Scheme group and get loads of info on capital support for instruments in Ireland!

Michelle Browne’s Mind the Gap project is continuing as a part of the Fringe Festival. I caught the Fare Play trip last weekend and took a taxi spin around Dublin with the epitome of a Dublin taxi driver giving me a guide to the buildings and follies that form a part of the Nama fiasco. The driver was pro-Nama and had a load of convincing points to make (e.g. Manchester, a city with a larger population and annual financial turnover than the whole of Ireland, has FOUR MP’s and a handful of counsellors, who keep the city ticking over without any major disasters while we need a couple of hunderd TD’s and a couple of thousand counsellors…) but I’m still not convinced and believe the government is working very hard to bail out it’s boys club.

I also caught Die Roten Punkte at the Bosco Tent on Saturday night. It was an awful lot of fun and had the audience doubled over with laughter as Otto and Astrid brought us on a hilarious and occasionally cringe-worthy adventure that is their music career. For a small duo with teeny instruments to have an entire tent stand up and make hand gestures at will is no mean feat in audience engagement! Myself and my mates hung around for the evening and danced the night away with live music and a DJ to follow – a great fringe evening!

Just for kicks “oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy“

Culture Notes

CMC’s plans for Culture Night unveiled – technophiles take note!

Justin Carroll’s group Togetherness perform in The Back Loft on Sat 19 Sept. I’m not in Dublin that weekend but it should be a great gig with Sean Carpio on drums, Dave Redmond on bass and Hughes Mayot on sax.

size2shoes are going from strength to strength and about just launched a “mini-website”, The Vault, featuring tracks, interviews, free downloads and loads more. I really like these guys after seeing them support Julie Feeney in Crawdaddy for her album launch. They’re gas lads, check it out – you might even learn a bit of beatboxing from Moley…

I joined artists network called Art Review but am still trying to figure out how it’s going to benefit me… More on this as soon as I figure it out…

Unique performer Dave Flynn is featured on two new releases – his own CD of contemporary traditional Irish guitar available for purchase here, and his guitar music also features in a publication called Contemporary Anthology of Solo Guitar for Five Fingers of the Right Hand. I haven’t had a chance yet to listen to the CD yet but if Flynn’s live performances are anything to go by it should be an excellent listen.

On Thur 27 Sept The Clonmel Junction Festival presents Dulsori in Chadwicks. “Their energetic, elemental performances are raw and passionate affairs as the world’s most enthralling drumming troupes. Dulsori never fail to thrill and excite.” – sounds like great craic and it’s very reasonably priced at €15 for adults and €5 for children. Call Premier Music on 052 6129811 for tickets!

Culture Notes

Just in the door from Waterworn as a part of Absolute Fringe and it was really, simply the most elegant work I have laid my eyes on. A shadow play based on a tale of sea adventure, the play revolved around one character and his day at sea, hunting whales. I haven’t seen shadow puppets since I was a child and my Dad used to make them to entertain us before we went to sleep and this was a treat and a half. On entering the darkened tent space, we passed a hunched over figure playing an out of tune piano that managed to sound charming without grating on the ears. The lights came up behind the sheet and there was an instant engagement with the silhouetted figure. There is something lonely and poignant about shadow plays that lent itself perfectly to the tale of loneliness and tragedy at sea; enhanced by the Michael Nyman-style repetitive rhythms of the piano. I went with my friend Niamh and after the play she remarked that the haphazard tuning and creaks of the old piano made perfect sense in the handmade tone of the production. If you get a chance, please see it – it made us want to run home and create our own shadow play theatre, and we might just do that yet!

I also got a chance today to drop into the Douglas Hyde at lunch for a short talk by the curatorial assistant Barry White about the current exhibition of Paki Smith works. I hadn’t actually seen the show at that point and was delighted to be introduced to some of the works within the context of Paki’s work. The show is brilliant – there’s an awful lot of work displayed, supplemented by a load of his workbooks and journals, but its well worth taking the time to see everything. I found the imagery, ideas and imagination in the work really inspiring and have a small idea for a wee craft project after spending time in the space.

I have a ticket in my pocket for the Synth Eastwood gig at the Spiegeltent tomorrow so very much looking forward to that and in particular to the spatial mc two-hour pre-show gig! Spatial mc emailed out a list  “eye-catching facts about the show”:
• Sadly this is the last year The Spiegeltent is in Dublin
• This is the best priced show in The Spiegeltent (€15!)
• Free Absolut reception!
• 5 minor Irish celebrities may be in attendance
• 6 different music styles on offer
• Multi speaker dancing is the equivalent of 2 triathlons
• Free Absolut reception!

Culture Night is only a few weeks away at this stage and because it’s taking to the road and going national this year there are a few serious decisions to be made. For the past few years it was just a matter of trying to decide which of the many, many events to attend in Dublin, however this year we’re faced with the option of heading home or to other parts of the country to sample the cultural events on offer there. I’ve decided to head for west and will be spending the night in Sligo taking in all they have to offer. More anon…

One last quick note – google give grants to arts and not-for-profit organisations looking to use their Ad Words facility. Get in touch people!

Music for the Golden Vale round-up

So I’m back online after an amazing weekend in Tipperary (apart from the small matter of Tipperary losing the all-Ireland).

I’m still processing the weekend in my own way – by the time the performance started I was so invested in it’s outcome that I found it difficult to stand back from the performance an evaluate it critically. I had hoped to have someone do that evaluation for me but due to tighter and tighter budget I had to leave that out at the last minute. It really was wonderful though. There was a smaller audience than I had hoped but those who made it were absolutely attentive and seemed as invested as I was. The new commission by Ian Wilson, performed by the NCC and Iarla Ó Lionáird , under the baton of James Wood was beautiful and at the end of the evening, was very emotional for me personally.

A huge thank you to all involved. I need to take this space to say thanks in particular to my brother Donnachadh who spent the day ferrying me around, taking care of everything I need and to Niamh Ryan who ran my box office and was there the whole way through the development of the project as an objective point of view. Without the two of them I would have been absolutely lost in the production on the day.

The evening ended with a great Tipperary-style knees up in my Holycross local, with music played into the wee hours (and some Kerry slides danced in the lounge)!