Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved Irish music. I remember listening to CDs of the Irish harp or people singing traditional Irish songs and squishing my ear up against the speaker so I didn’t miss a single note. I was entranced by the unfamiliar sounds of the Irish language, the high-pitched lilting of the tin whistle contrasted with the low bellowing of the uilleann pipes. It all sounded so far away, so very different from the world I lived in. Never did I imagine back then that I would end up in Ireland studying its music and getting to hear it live.
Truthfully, it was my childhood experiences of listening to Irish music that drove me to study vocal performance in college. I had always loved singing and was fascinated with how music and singing intertwines with peoples’ lives and their surrounding environments. As I’ve travelled across Ireland these past two months, I’ve met so many incredible musicians and seen so much rugged beauty in this country’s landscape. It’s given me an entirely new understanding of the traditional Irish music I’ve always loved.
My experience of hearing and studying traditional Irish music has been so different from my experiences with the classical music I’ve studied in America. It’s a folk tradition that’s been passed down through so many generations, and against all odds, it has survived and is thriving today. The fact that you can hear live music every single night if you want to, even in a small town in the countryside, is so thrilling, and it’s shown me how powerful great music can be when it’s accessible to everyone.
At my home university of Eastern Michigan University, I’ve sung in the choir for the entirety of my time there. I knew that when I came to Maynooth University here in Ireland, I wanted to audition for their choir. There’s no better way I’ve found to connect with other people than to sing with them, and I was lucky enough to make it into the Maynooth University Chamber Choir. I was nervous at first because the choir, with only 30 members, was smaller than I was used to and most of them were Irish, but immediately I was welcomed like one of their own. With this group, I’ve gotten the opportunity to engage with native Irish speakers and sing songs in the Irish language, which is something I never thought I would have the privilege of doing as an American. I’ve made some amazing friendships within the choir that I’m certain will follow me throughout my life.
As a music student, I never thought I would be able to study abroad because of how rigorous and demanding my program was. But after talking to my advisors and professors about my goals, we were able to come up with a plan to help this dream come true for me while still staying on track for graduation. And, honestly, I’m so glad I did because coming here has given me an entirely new perspective on music. I feel that I’ll go back to the States a better artist because of it.
Slán go fóill! (Bye for now!)
Catherine Lietz is a student at Eastern Michigan University and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is studying with ISA in Dublin, Ireland.