Lines on Music

- Download show notes here -

In October 2020 Routledge published, Made in Ireland: Studies in Popular Music, this is part of Routledge’s global popular music series which, as they put it, is ‘devoted to popular music largely unknown to Anglo-American readers’. This collection of essays, through a wide range of historical and critical vantage points, explores popular music on the island of Ireland.

In the previous episode, which was part one of this two part feature on Made In Ireland, I spoke to two of the editorial team, Áine Mangaoang and John O’Flynn. In that episode we took a birds-eye view of this collection, talking through the different thematic sections and discussing the various essays. For this episode, the second and final part, I wanted to dig a little deeper into just one of those essays and, while there are some really great essays in the collection, Tríona Ní Shíocháin’s contribution really stood out to me as having a particular importance and it is an extended conversation with Tríona that follows in this episode. Tríona’s essay in Made in Ireland, entitled “The Politics of Sound: Modernity and Post-Colonial Identity in Irish-Language Popular Song” was particularly compelling because it was addressing popular music trí mheán na Gaeilge, through the medium of the Irish language and as such this is really an essential contribution to the collection, not least in terms of locating Irish culture and identity in the Anglo-American, English language dominated world of popular music.

— DOWNLOAD FULL SHOW NOTES HERE —

Busking… most musicians do it at some stage or other, for some it is even their primary income. From BB King, to Tracy Chapman, to Ed Sheeran many household names in the world of popular music have cut their teeth busking. Playing on the street provides musicians with a unique performance environment, which requires particular strategies to draw and hold an audience… not everyone can do it.

In this episode, ‘Street Music’, we speak to Dr Elizabeth Bennett about her co-authored report ‘From Brass Bands to Buskers: Street Music in the UK’, where we dig down into the cultural history of street entertainment and busking. We also speak to Dr Diana Omigie and Heather Thuringer about their research paper ‘The Busking Experiment: A Field Study Measuring Behavioural Responses to Street Music Performances’ to find out what scientific methods and research approaches around behavioural analysis can tell us about what makes a successful busker.

The episode begins and ends with the music of Toulouse ensemble Les Fanfleurs Brass Band. You can find our more about the band at their website here http://www.lesfanflures.fr/welcome/fr

If you have enjoyed this podcast please do subscribe, leave a positive review on iTunes and share with those who might be interested. Feel free to offer your feedback about the show or get in touch by connecting on Twitter: @linesonmusic or via our website www.linesonmusic.com