MUSIC. It blares out of the car next to you at the traffic lights, chat in the pub, drives you badrowns out any chance of a quiet nanas when you're queueing at the checkout. So what, please, does Music Network mean by designating today as Music Awareness Day? Aren't we surrounded by the wretched stulf?
Well, yes, admits the company's chief executive, Niall Doyle. "Music is all around us all the time - in the background. But we want to bring it to the forefront of people's minds; we also want to encourage people to get out there and do something musical, play an instrument, sing in a choir - just try to make some time today to enjoy some music and help others to enjoy it too."
Music Awareness Day is also intended as a celebration, for the Music Network organisation is 10 years old this year. "We thought about how we would like to celebrate our birthday," says Niall Doyle, "and because we were founded as a touring organisation we decided to go for a programme of events in which lots of local organisations could get involved."
Thus the programme includes events as diverse as a day long music marathon on Ramelton Main Street, Co Donegal, today; a concert of Scandinavian folk tunes by the Reykjavik Singing Sisters at St Joseph's Church in Dublin tonight at 8.30 p.m.; a "hands on experience with the tuba in Portlaw Community Centre, Waterford, this morning at 10, and a table quiz at the Queen's Hotel in Fan is tonight at 9 p.m.
Clifden, Co Galway, Tinahely, Co Wicklow and Cahir, Co Tipperary have been designated as regional centres for special programmes of events, so that in Tinahely. National School the pianist Anthony Byrne will give piano tutorials this morning from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. and there will be a concert by the harpsichordist Emer Buckley and the Lachrimae Consort in the Tinahely Courthouse Centre tonight at 8.30 p.m.; there is a children's workshop by traditional musicians Joe and Anne Burke in Clifden's Alcock and Browne Hotel today at 3 p.m. and a concert by the same artists in the Central Hotel tonight; and in Cahir, a workshop for fifth and sixth year music students by the group Khanda in Cahir House at 11 a.m. and a traditional music session at the same venue tonight at 9 p.m.
As for Co Mayo, well, the entire county will be bopping to music of one sort or another today, if Marie Farrell of the Linen hall Arts Centre has anything to do with it. She's hosting a "music meitheal" at the arts centre all day - which, as she explains, means that there will be music of all kinds performed throughout the day, with opportunities for informal workshop sessions in the upstairs gallery. "If anyone wants to have a bash on the bodhran, we'll fix them up," she promises. "We're really anxious that as many types of music are represented as possible - classical, jazz, blues, traditional, rock. It's nice that it's informal people can come in and take part if they want to, or they may just want information on what classes are available or about a room at the centre to start a class or whatever."
Meanwhile, at six public libraries in Co Mayo, there are recitals plus exhibitions of music literature, scores and other related materials. "We're using the day as an opportunity to put music in a public place," says John Coll, arts officer with Mayo County Council "We also want to launch the notion of setting up a music collection on CD within the Mayo library system - so we'll be hoping there's a sponsor out there somewhere who can help us get that under way." As if all: that weren't enough, the nation's pipe bands are on standby, with the 60 members of the Irish Pipe Band Association ready and willing to make appearances in their local towns.a at some point during the day. "Any excuse," as Marie Farrell puts it, "for a bit of a party." Now that's what I call music.
