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Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 3, Page 60

Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 3, Page 60
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periodical Publisher
Na Píobairí Uilleann
periodical Editor
Chairman, NPU
periodical Title
Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music
volume Number
1
issue Content
112Ceol na hEireannbut it is undoubtedly true. Different lifestyles and the greater importancenowadays of leisure activities have created an environment in which allartistic activities can thrive, if encouraged. Over the last halfcentury therehas been plenty of encouragementfrom the voluntary sectorsomewell-directed and some not, but coming from within the ITM communityitself. The majority of the people of Ireland had abandoned interest in the nativepopular music over the course of the present century, for a simplereasonif someone makes brown bread themselves you cant sell thembrown bread, so you persuade them they really want white bread, whichrequires modern industrial equipment to properly produce. Commercialinterests, aided by the mass-media and on occasion by the Church and bythe State, operated to popularise a more readily-manufactured musicalproduct, the newly created popular music of Britain and America. Thisvery attractive and sophisticated music (but no more so than what itreplaced) was marketed in various ways, and, for a variety of reasons, itwas purchased. By the mid-century, the majority of Irish people werecompletely ignorant of Irish music. It was not possible to avoid encountering the most abysmal ignorance on the subject. Forexample the existence of an Irish form of bagpipes was simply unknownoutside ITM circles. This widespread ignorance has been all but dispersedin the last thirty years. A majority of Irish people still prefer other types ofmusic, and a substantial minority profess to detest traditional music, but ithas achieved a level of recognition that it has not enjoyed since the earlyyears of the century.There is also, of course, a downside. The rapid expansion of the performer-baseover the past 20/30 years has involved, indeed required, teaching methodswhich, to some extent, have had the effect of distancing learners from directcontact with tradition, and of homogenising the previously disparate regionalstyles.The practice of learning traditional music in formal classes, among a group ofother learners, is a relatively new idea. It was a necessary development in orderto cater for the demand for instruction, but it has its attendant drawbacks. In aviable tradition the transmission of material is characteristically in a many-to-one fashion. That is, a person acquires repertoire and style from many sources,some admittedly stronger and more important than others. This is a source ofstrength for the music because it allows different approaches to performing, orvariations of a piece, to be evaluated and selected by each new generation.The passing on of the tradition in a class setting turns this relationship on itshead. Instead of many-to-one there is a one-to-many relationship, and thestudents are exposed to the styles and repertoires of a restricted number ofplayers. In extreme cases, as when such classes are adhering to a standardisedsyllabus or otherwise following some form of centralised direction, theforeseeable outcome is the transformation of traditional music into a classicalmusic, i.e. a music with a canon of approved repertoire and style. It cannot betoo strongly stated that the essence of traditional music is that it is a bottom-up genre.The jury which decides what is and is not to be incorporated into the music isthe entire body of practising musicians, and they are making it up as they goalong. When this function is usurped or otherwise passes to self-styledguardians the effect is inevitably the devitalising and institutionalising of themusic. This has happened again and again throughout Europe (includingIreland). Readily recognisable examples include the folk-dances of Ireland andmany other countries and the fiddle and piping traditions of Scotland. Thesewere all vigorous folk arts which fell into the hands of those who regularisedand regulated them into a position in which the folk had no input whateverinto their survival or development. It is possible for the real guardians of themusic, the full community of practitioners, to organise itself into clubs, or evenmovements, and to achieve valuable goals in support of the music. Suchorganisations, however, never supplant the whole musical community as thearbiters of inclusion or development.Furthermore, class teachers concentrate on passing on their competency in aParticular activity. They also pass on their own preferences and prejudices. TheSituation itself acts to pass on something more, which is not intended. This isthe mono-cultural outlook of the students. Instead of learning their craft, as inearlier times, in a social context, where they are exposed to a variety of forms,they become accustomed to a musical situation which consists of a group ofperformers engaging in exactly the same activity. Given the fact that the vastmajority of classes are given over to teaching instrumental dance music, it is notsurprising that a generation of young musicians has been turned out which isIrish Music 113F
issue Number
3
page Number
60
periodical Author
[Various]
issue Publication Date
2001-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 3

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