Spring school could lead to music tourism

FIVE years on from his tragic death, Joseph Browne’s memory is still honoured through his beloved music. As well as passing on traditional music skills, the spring school in his name could make one South Galway village a music tourism destination, according to organisers.

The Joseph Browne Spring School of Traditional Music, which since its inception in 2007 has been synonymous with Gort, this year moves to Kinvara. This relocation is something the school’s director believes could be of major benefit to the area.
“Already I have had informal enquiries about the school from universities in America, such as Boston College and New York University, where they have departments dedicated to the study of Irish traditional music and culture. Music tourism, particularly from a music education perspective, has been in existence in Ireland for many years now. One only has to look at the success of the originator of the genre, The Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay, and the benefits that brings to the local economy. I believe Kinvara is perfectly placed and poised for the development of music tourism. If we can keep the school functioning this year, I am convinced that in the coming years it will draw more people to the village and thus would provide Kinvara with another economically viable weekend at an off-peak time of year,” said Máire O’Keeffe, director of the school.
With support from local businesses, Máire believes the spring school could grow into a major attraction contributing to the local economy. Despite acknowledging Kinvara’s reputation as an exceptionally artistic village, renowned for “the calibre and quality of the musicians from all disciplines living in the area”, Máire explained this is not the reason the festival was moved to the area.
“We have had to move the location of the school for very practical reasons,” said Máire, who organises it in conjunction with Joseph’s mother, Riona.
“The move is a logistical one. Like so many other things, we have had to downsize. We are not getting any funding from the Arts Council this year, nor did we receive any last year. So we are really running the school on a shoestring. We managed to hold the school last year despite this and this year we are holding a benefit concert and the proceeds of this will go directly back into the school,” she added.
The seaside village’s main music venue also proved a draw for the school.
“Kinvara has a lovely venue in Johnston’s Hall. It is intimate and the sound is great there, so our benefit concert will be acoustic. All the musicians are playing for free and the money is going back into the school. It is a great opportunity to hear the tutors play and it is a great opportunity to support the school going forward,” she said.
“Another big thing for us was that a large number of our students every year come from Kinvara. It has a huge population of young musicians at the moment. It has the Kinvara Young Musicians, who met weekly during the summer and held regular, very well-attended concerts here. Kinvara itself has become really well known at this stage for its traditional music and lots of musicians of various genres live here. For instance, Dermot Byrne, the accordion player with Altan, is doing the accordion classes for us and it is a great and rare opportunity to get Dermot teaching. He lives here now and for anyone in the area who wants to attend accordion classes, it is a great opportunity,” Máire commented.
Máire works in St Joseph’s National School in Kinvara and this will be the venue for this year’s classes.
“The principal here, Dominic Gallagher, has been very supportive and is allowing us to use the school. In previous years we had held classes in Gort Community School, which was also a great facility. Denis Corry and the staff there were big supporters of ours over the years and we are so grateful for that but like I say because of circumstances we have had to downsize so the move to Kinvara is part of that,” she explained.
According to Máire, moving the school should be of great benefit to businesses in Kinvara because it attracts participants from all over the country. As director of the school, she is hopeful that businesses in the area will, in return for the additional income the school generates in the local economy, support events held as part of it.
In a letter to local businesses in Kinvara, Máire pointed out that the first three years of the Joseph Browne Spring School of Traditional Music benefited from generous Arts Council sponsorship, which, along with the master classes, allowed two major concerts to be held every year during the Spring School, as well as a céilí with the Kilfenora Céilí Band.
“Although these were costly events to run, they were extremely well attended and highly successful events and greatly complemented the master classes held during the three days of the school. Last year, however, faced with severe cutbacks and restrictions in funding generally throughout the sector, it was decided that, in order to be in a position to continue with the Joseph Browne Spring School of Traditional Music into the future, it was necessary to let go of the concerts and céilí and focus very firmly on passing on the tradition through the classes and afternoon Bearers of the Tradition master classes. This proved very successful and allowed us to be in a position to continue with the school in 2011,” she stated.
“Having been heavily involved in the voluntary organisation of the May Bank Holiday Fleadh na gCuach for nearly 12 years from its inception and having seen the benefits it has brought and continues to bring to the local community and economy, I believe the Joseph Browne Spring School of Traditional Music offers huge potential for the whole community but especially for the business community in the area and, of course, for our young musicians.
“It is a high-quality event with a great track record as regards organisation and no more than the Cuckoo Fleadh, which was begun in the first year of the new May bank holiday all those years ago, the Joseph Browne Spring School of Traditional Music takes place during a time when families all over Ireland are free to travel, the spring mid-term break for primary and secondary schools. It also has the potential to attract people to Kinvara at an off-peak and quiet time of year,” Máire outlined.
The spring school was initiated in February 2007 in response to the untimely death of 19-year-old Joseph Browne from Knockmeal, between Crusheen and Gort. The spring school in his name, as well as celebrating his memory, seeks to carry on his music teaching and his strong belief in passing on what he himself had learned.
Despite the lack of funding, last year’s spring school was a resounding success, according to organisers and the 2011 event promises another strong line-up of traditional musicians offering classes and performing over the three days.
The fifth annual school coincides with the spring mid-term break for primary and post-primary schools and classes will take place in St Joseph’s National School, Kinvara from 10am to 1pm from Thursday, February 24 to Saturday, February 26, as well as the Bearers of the Tradition master classes on Thursday and Friday afternoons with well-known legends of traditional music.
The highlight of the school is set to be the benefit concert, scheduled for Friday, February 25. It will feature music from Eileen O’Brien, Geraldine Cotter, Edel Vaughan, Máire O’Keeffe, Garry Ó Briain, Dermot Byrne and Timmy Collins, among others.
Further information and booking forms are available from www.josephbrowne.org.