In Conclusion...

When I first began thinking about studying abroad, the message I heard from every person I talked to about it was the same. “You should do it. You’ll learn so much by going to another country.” Being in Ireland was definitely a learning experience for me, achieved through the medium I love more than any other: music. Having musical experiences across both the Republic and Northern Ireland taught me a great deal about differences in attitude towards music between my society and theirs, and, more than anything else, what purpose music serves in Ireland.

The rules of musical performance are much looser in Ireland and Northern Ireland than they are in the United States. Before I went to Ireland, I had never really seen a rhythm guitarist improvising new types of rhythmic accompaniment throughout a song, or watched a guitarist finding good-sounding chords on the spot. At home, guitarists playing rhythm usually find a type of accompaniment and stay with it throughout the song, and they follow standard chords that someone has written down. This is even the case in jazz, one of the most improvisatory genres. The openness to rhythmic improvisation in Ireland meant that band members relied on each other much more than they do here, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in music.

Music is a profoundly social experience no matter where I see it, but the social aspect of it seemed magnified in Ireland. There, it is something that anyone can do, and any person who makes music deserves respect, regardless of experience or instrument. Busking on the streets of Galway City had no limits at all. Everyone from a novice guitarist to a classically trained violinist to a guy beatboxing into a didgeridoo was welcome, and many passersby accepted each musician they saw with a nod, a smile, or a tip. That level of respect and welcoming attitude that the Irish have for musicians was something that I have not encountered nearly as often at home.

Finally, music in Ireland tells stories about Irish history and culture. The song “The Foggy Dew” celebrates the fight for Irish independence and examines the sorrow that came with that fight. The leaders and lessons of the 1916 Easter Rising remain alive in the memory of the Irish people through a song. Even a pipe organ can serve as a reminder of history. The Gallery Organ at Galway Cathedral reflects the connection between music and faith, reminding all who see it of Ireland’s intense religious history. Memories of the Troubles and hope for peace live in the Guildhall Organ of Derry. History comes alive and is remembered through music.

My trip to Ireland was primarily focused on literature. However, music is such an integral part of life there that I could not help but notice it. Music lives in every corner of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and so do the lessons it has to teach about history and everyday life. Hopefully, I will one day return to Ireland and experience once again that feeling of its green hills and lively cities coming alive with the sound of music.