Community Music Activity Pre-Conference - Edinburgh, Scotland

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

• Incrementalism. One step at a time. Learn a little bit at a time.
• What you set out to do will not always work out, no matter how prepared or intentional you are. It will not be clear a lot of the time.  There will be no obvious answers.
• When you think you are doing the right things, feedback may tell you otherwise, so just go with it.  That’s just the way it is.  Don’t take it personally.
• A lot of community musicians are doing their community work without remuneration.  Probono. Free.
• Step into it, and just do it. Be silly, be radical. Don’t apologize, don’t accommodate, just do it.
• I thought I would make connections closer to home.  I made one strong one.  And that’s all it takes. 
• Maybe one day I will do a PhD – but first I will get more experience facilitating groups and working on my own musicianship and musical identity.
• Be eloquent.  Get comfortable with the discomfort.
• Famous, world-renown community musicians are regular people. They don’t go around singing and making music all day, every day.

 
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.