The Making: On Writing Irish Music

This blog comprises the research component of my senior thesis capstone project at Davis & Elkins College, where I am completing an Interdisciplinary BA in Multimedia Performance Studies. The project itself encompasses this body of written research, a capstone presentation to the college community, and a solo performance piece that coincides with the D&E Dance Festival, April 21-23, 2017. 

The work examines the cultural and historical context of two very different composers and uses this inquiry as a lens through which to investigate my own creative process as a player and writer of music. Through an exploration of the lives and extant works of Turlough O'Carolan and Josie McDermott (17th and 20th century composers, respectively), I hope to better understand the role of composition within the Irish music tradition. My examination of Carolan and McDermott has been guided in part by the following questions: How do new compositions find their way into the shared repertoire of a tradition? What themes can we identify that connect the experiences of music-makers in different times and across cultures? What identities are created and performed as individuals navigate their own interpretation of Irish tradition, and indeed, of our constructs of “Irishness”?

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I will use this research and my own preparation for the live performance portion of my thesis to scrutinize the expressions of identity that inform my own work, and to examine the changing interpretations of the historical and social context in which these two earlier composers are situated.