Episode 6: Tríona Ní Shíocháin (pt.2 of Made in Ireland)

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In October 2020 Routledge published, Made in Ireland: Studies in Popular Music, this is part of Routledge’s global popular music series which, as they put it, is ‘devoted to popular music largely unknown to Anglo-American readers’. This collection of essays, through a wide range of historical and critical vantage points, explores popular music on the island of Ireland. 

In the previous episode, which was part one of this two part feature on Made In Ireland, I spoke to two of the editorial team, Áine Mangaoang and John O’Flynn. In that episode we took a birds-eye view of this collection, talking through the different thematic sections and discussing the various essays. For this episode, the second and final part, I wanted to dig a little deeper into just one of those essays and, while there are some really great essays in the collection, Tríona Ní Shíocháin’s contribution really stood out to me as having a particular importance and it is an extended conversation with Tríona that follows in this episode. Tríona’s essay in Made in Ireland, entitled “The Politics of Sound: Modernity and Post-Colonial Identity in Irish-Language Popular Song” was particularly compelling because it was addressing popular music trí mheán na Gaeilge, through the medium of the Irish language and as such this is really an essential contribution to the collection, not least in terms of locating Irish culture and identity in the Anglo-American, English language dominated world of popular music.

Tríona Ní Shíocháin

Episode 5: Made in Ireland (pt. 1) with Áine Mangaoang & John O'Flynn

-Download Show Notes here -

In October 2020 Routledge published, Made in Ireland: Studies in Popular Music, this is part of Routledge’s global popular music series which, as they put it, is ‘devoted to popular music largely unknown to Anglo-American readers’. !is collection of essays, through a wide range of historical and critical vantage points, explores popular music on the island of Ireland. Made in Ireland is edited by Áine Mangowang, John O’Flynn and Lonán Ó Briain and in this episode Lines on Music speaks to Áine and John about the collection and about the process of putting it together. We also discuss several of the chapters, we speak about Áine and John’s contributions to the collection and about some possible future trajectories of research on Irish popular music. !is episode is part one of two. In the following episode we speak to Tríona Ní Shíocháin about her contribu-tion to the collection, “!e Politics of Sound: Modernity and Post-Colonial Identity in Irish-Language Popular Song”, so stay tuned for that. 

Episode 4: Street Music

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Busking… most musicians do it at some stage or other, for some it is even their primary income. From BB King, to Tracy Chapman, to Ed Sheeran many household names in the world of popular music have cut their teeth busking. Playing on the street provides musicians with a unique performance environment, which requires particular strategies to draw and hold an audience… not everyone can do it. 

In this episode, ‘Street Music’, we speak to Dr Elizabeth Bennett about her co-authored report ‘From Brass Bands to Buskers: Street Music in the UK’, where we dig down into the cultural history of street entertainment and busking. We also speak to Dr Diana Omigie and Heather Thuringer about their research paper ‘The Busking Experiment: A Field Study Measuring Behavioural Responses to Street Music Performances’ to find out what scientific methods and research approaches around behavioural analysis can tell us about what makes a successful busker.  

The episode begins and ends with the music of Toulouse ensemble Les Fanfleurs Brass Band. You can find our more about the band at their website here http://www.lesfanflures.fr/welcome/fr 

If you have enjoyed this podcast please do subscribe, leave a positive review on iTunes and share with those who might be interested. Feel free to offer your feedback about the show or get in touch by connecting on Twitter: @linesonmusic or via our website www.linesonmusic.com

Episode 2: Recording and Representing

In this episode, ‘Representing and Recording’, we speak to Prof. Krin Gabbard about his seminal edited collections Jazz among the Discourses and Representing Jazz. We also discuss his current thoughts on representations of jazz in the 21st century. We explore the early history of jazz in New Zealand with Dr Aleisha Ward, with particular reference to the bandleader Epi Shalfoon. Finally, Alan Munshower tells us about his ongoing research into the effects of now ubiquitous recording technology on live performance, particularly around improvised music. Books, articles, websites, movies and recordings mentioned in this episode can be found in the reference list in the free downloadable show notes.

All of the music you hear in this episode comes from Dublin’s ReDiviDer. If you would like to know more about ReDiviDer you can visit drummer/bandleader Matt Jacobson’s website.

If you have enjoyed this podcast please do subscribe, leave a positive review on iTunes and share with those who might be interested. Please also do feel free to offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting on Twitter @linesonmusic or via our website www.linesonmusic.com

Full show notes, with biographies and bibliography free to download here.

Episode 1: Menace and Influence

In this, the first episode of Lines on Music, we speak to Gabriel Solis and Marc Hannaford. All music courtesy of ReDiviDer.