Music Writer Mentoring Schemes

(Photo: Writix)

Since 2017, the Journal of Music has run six different Music Writer Mentoring Schemes. The purpose of the schemes is to expand the range of writers that contribute to the magazine and to encourage new voices. 

In March 2017, The Journal of Music launched two Music Writer Mentoring Schemes in County Clare and Galway City supported by Clare County Council Arts Office, Galway City Arts Office and the Arts Council. This was followed by the launch of a Mentoring Scheme for Northern Ireland in January 2018 supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and in March 2019, a scheme for Galway City and County supported by Galway City Council and Galway County Council. In October 2019, a mentoring scheme specifically for Irish traditional music was launched, supported by the Arts Council under the Deis Recording and Publication Award.

See further details below. 

Galway City Music Writer Mentoring Scheme
The Galway City writers were Dylan Murphy, Shannon McNamee, Vincent Hughes, Julie Seagrave and Jake Morgan. Read full biographies of the writers here. Their articles are available at the links below.

Dylan Murphy – Galway Only Knows: Brian Wilson  
Vincent Hughes – Outbursts and Lulls: Overhead, the Albatross / Moments of Striking Optimism: Wild Alee by Talos
Jake Morgan – Two Americas United: RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Shannon McNamee – Lankum’s New Fire / An Otherworldly Destination: Judith Ring
Julie Seagrave – Straight to this Heart: Loah / Hear the Water: Naomi Berrill

From left to right: Toner Quinn (Editor), Jake Morgan, Vincent Hughes, Shannon McNamee, Julie Seagrave, Anna Murray (Asst. Editor) and Dylan Murphy.

County Clare Music Writer Mentoring Scheme
The Clare writers were Ruth Smith, Ian Bascombe, Deirdre Clare and Alan Reid. Read full biographies of the writers hereTheir articles can be read at the links below.

Deirdre Clare – The Song Harvest: Paul Brady / Room for Everyone: Martin Hayes Quartet
Ian Bascombe – Riches of Clare: Sheila Garry, Elaine Hogan, Conor McCarthy and James Duddy / Under an Irish Sky: Floriane Blancke
Ruth Smith – Day of All Days in Doolin: Lisa Hannigan / Layers of Knowledge: An Tara
Alan Reid – Triple Tradition at the Fleadh Cheoil: The Boruma Trio / From the North Country: Florence Fahy

From left to right: Ian Bascombe, Ruth Smith, Anna Murray (Asst. Editor), Toner Quinn (Editor), Alan Reid, Deirdre Clare, Siobhán Mulcahy (Clare County Council Arts Officer)

Northern Ireland Music Writer Mentoring Scheme
The Northern Ireland writers were Stevie Lennox, Laura Sheary, Marc Gregg and Aine Cronin-McCartney. Read full biographies of the writers here. Their articles can be read at the links below.

Laura Sheary – Nature and Fairy Stories: NI Composer Showcase
Marc Gregg – Ireland Past, Present and Future?: Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble
Stevie Lennox – Folk-Quake: This is the Kit
Aine Cronin-McCartney – Beyond the Walls: Ulster Orchestra – EO Lab Project II

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From left to right: Ciaran Scullion (Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland), Stevie Lennox, Aine Cronin-McCartney, Marc Gregg, Laura Sheary and Toner Quinn (Editor, The Journal of Music).

In 2019, the participants from Galway City were Rachel DeckardMassimo CattaneoJake Tiernan and Kerri Haberlin and the participants from Galway County were James Fleming and Tara Broderick. Further details on the scheme are available here.

The five participating writers in the Traditional Music Writer Mentoring Scheme were Kevin McCullagh, Miceál Mullen, Ciara O’Leary FitzpatrickSadhbh O’Sullivan and Moya Sweeney. Further details on the scheme are available here.