PRLog (Press Release) –
Sep 26, 2007 – Concertina virtuoso Edel Fox who is regarded as one of the most accomplished Irish musicians of her generation, will participate in a session with teenagers following an hour-long workshop.
According to Ms. Tara Connaghan, Traditional Arts Co-ordinator with the Arts Office of Clare County Council, "Trad 4 Teens is a monthly traditional music session aimed at encouraging teenagers to maintain their interest in traditional music, to enjoy making new friends interested in music and to have fun playing music."
Ms. Connaghan explained that Trad 4 Teens, which is open to all teenagers, aims to provide teenage musicians with a quality venue to perform in.
"With recent licensing laws prohibiting under 18’s from being in pubs after 10pm, many teenagers lack the opportunity to develop their musical interests. Trad 4 Teens gives teenagers an opportunity to play in an informal session with young people and provides for social interaction and good fun", she added.
The idea for Trad 4 Teens came about when music teacher and singer/songwriter Claire Watts observed that there was a distinct lack of venues for teenagers to perform at within the county. Claire responded to a call by the County Arts Office for new initiatives in the Traditional Arts and Trad 4 Teens was born. The first pilot session took place in the summer of 2005 and due to its popularity, workshops now takes place regularly at Glór on the first Saturday of every month.
Ms. Connaghan continued, "The workshops are not instrument-specific as the Trad 4 Teens sessions include a variety of instruments such as fiddles, flutes, accordions, whistles and concertinas. This approach has been especially evident in our current series of workshops, which has featured three of Ireland's leading traditional musicians - Michael 'Blackie' O'Connell, Kevin Crawford and Edel Fox."
A prized pupil of Noel Hill, Edel Fox made her radio debut on Clare FM's 'Mist - Covered Mountain' at the tender age of seven. Despite her young age, her musical resume boasts a list of accolades, she's a regular performer on Irish National Radio and the BBC and has performed in festivals and concert halls from North America all the way to Asia. In 2004, Edel was awarded one of the highest honours for a traditional musician in Ireland - the TG4 Young Musician of the Year award.
In addition to being an engaging performer, Edel has recently released a debut album with fiddle player Ronan O'Flaherty and teaches annually at the Willie Clancy Summer School in her hometown. She also teaches annually at festivals in the US, including the Irish Arts Week Festival in East Durham, NY. She currently studies music at the University of Limerick.
The upcoming workshop and session is open to all teenage musicians and no booking is necessary.
-ENDS-
Note to Editors:
- Ms. Tara Connaghan is available for interview or further comment. To arrange please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations on 086-8534900 or email media@dunphypr.com
Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
Clonboula,
Connolly,
Ennis,
County Clare
IRELAND
www.dunphypr.com
media@dunphypr.com
00353-868534900 (Mobile)
00353-656839692 (Fax)
