Projects

Rooted in the research of child developmental psychologist Sandra E. Trehub on Musical Predispositions in Infancy, Nótaí Beaga pioneers a bilingual, multidisciplinary approach to introducing traditional Irish music to infants. It combines original compositions, song, dance, and theatre with live concertina performance in interactive workshops, offering a developmentally informed model for early musical engagement.

Mentorship from experts including Thomas Johnson (Ceol Connected) has guided the project’s design, ensuring both artistic excellence and educational impact. By making traditional music accessible from the earliest age, the project establishes a framework for nurturing cultural literacy, cognitive development, and parent-child connection nationwide, with plans for general release in 2027.

Idir na Nótaí was a nine-month project, funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, exploring the Anglo concertina as an accompaniment instrument for Irish traditional singing.

Working with mentors Gerry O’Beirne and Máirtín O’Connor, and collaborating with singers Éilís Kennedy, Teresa Horgan, and Breandán Ó Beaglaoich, I developed new approaches to chording, arrangement, and melodic response, expanding the expressive possibilities of the concertina.

The arrangement work contributed to the recordings featured on the 2024 FOURWINDS release Allta and my 2026 album Rise. My work with singers can also be heard on Éilís Kennedy’s So Ends This Day and in ongoing performances with Teresa Horgan, Tommy O’Sullivan, and Gerry O’Beirne.

Idir na Nótaí introduced new approaches to concertina accompaniment, expanded its harmonic and expressive potential, explored ornamentation in unconventional keys, and continues to inform both performance and teaching practice.

Tuathúlacht is an immersive exploration of living tradition rooted in the culturally rich landscape of West Kerry, Corca Dhuibhne, my home and enduring source of inspiration.

Funded by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, it draws from distinctive local repertoire, customs, and musical traditions, including the television series Caipíní, An Pota Stóir by Feargal Mac Amhlaoibh and Con Durham, alongside archival and commercial recordings, printed sources, the sound archive of Radio na Gaeltachta housed at Ionad an Bhlascaoid and many others. Through composing and responding creatively to these sources, I developed original works that reflect the character and nuance of the West Kerry style.

The project gave rise to the Three Sisters set of polkas, featured on my new album RISE.