At the end of July, I attended the International Community Music Activity Pre-Conference to ISME in Edinburgh, Scotland. I was honoured to give a short presentation of a research paper on the role of community musicians to foster creative collaborations across style-boundaries (that is, when musicians who play different styles – jazz, rock, baroque, hip hop – unite to creatively collaborate, a facilitator is very useful to the process, and a community musician is well-suited for this role). Mostly, though, I was as a quiet participant.
Before the conference, I was enthusiastic about attending, hoping it would fuel my enthusiasm and readiness to launch into the world of Community Music that is essentially freelance, at least in Canada. Forging connections with leading international community musicians, opening the channels for communication for years to come, was also a goal of mine. Inspiration did not come in the flavor of an enthusiastic and emotional high – it came with a more realistic kick in the pants to just jump in. Here are my takeaways
The conference organized some great social events, like an evening of Ceilidh (Scottish folk music and dancing), and a field trip which included a visit to Sage Gateshead (www.sagegateshead.com/join-in), a musical picnic at Northumberland Park with entertainment from The Fastest One Man Band (www.fastestonemanband.com), and some brief stops at Bamburgh Beach and Hadrian’s Wall. And last, but certainly not least, I got to catch up and hang out with my classmates, director and colleagues from the University of Limerick.
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AuthorAs a Water Scientist turned Community Musician, I am developing my practice and identity, one experience at a time. Archives
October 2019
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