an open minded approach to music By Brendan McCreanor
I was very fortunate to have Irish music so close to my home as a child. I started the whistle at 6 in Scoraíocht Lann Léire in Dunleer, which not only immersed me in music but Irish dance, language and culture. I hadn’t many outlets as a child but I always enjoyed the inclusivity of Irish music in sessions. It was a safe place to hide and now and again I could put my head above water with a new tune as part of a set if I was feeling brave. It is that inclusivity and ability to meld into one that I enjoy at the slow sessions. I can take the reins but it is ultimately decided by the hive mind where we go. Everyone gets something different out of it. I still see music as genreless. I tried classical, rock n’ roll and pop pieces on my whistle, which didn’t always work out. This frustrated me and I think it was this frustration that led me on to play the fiddle. Its fretless fingerboard and whole world of opportunities is very appealing to me. I found that when I play a different instrument it sparks off ideas in a different part in my brain, which I find exciting. Whenever I am on the quest for a new instrumental in a song with my band Kern for example or I need a break from the physicality of the uilleann pipes I just change instrument. This open minded approach to music was always present and it grew considerably when I undertook the Applied Music Degree in Dundalk IT. There, my mind was exposed to new and exciting things like electroacoustic music and some of the more obscure contemporary composers. Here too my curiosity and music library grew extensively when it came to folk and traditional music from around the world. I have worked and toured with singer/songwriters, rappers and rock guitarists over the last few years which certainly keeps things fresh for me. I first of all have to find out where the artist is coming from and where they see me fitting into their overall sound. Intuition comes in very useful here to me. For the work I do as a trained hospital musician I have to possess music from a few genres in order to appeal and cater to the varied clients and staff that are working in Ireland’s care facilities today. I used to attend care homes for the elderly as a child in Ardee and Drogheda at least once a year when I was with Scoraíocht. It was here I knew bringing music into care facilities was something special and I am very happy to be making my way into this burgeoning area of work in my professional life as a musician. Brendan McCreanor is a musician and facilitator of the Slow Sessions
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