An Leabhragán/The Bookcase

What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music, and Other Essays
Toner Quinn (The Journal of Music, 2024)

This new book on Irish music has been a quarter of a century in the making. The fifty or so essays and articles are drawn from Toner Quinn’s work as editor of The Journal of Music in Ireland, first published in print form in 2000, now entirely online since 2010. Quinn saw that there was no real public discourse about music in Ireland; all Irish music, not just classical, jazz, traditional, or popular music. There have been separate forums for all of these. But where was the discussion about what it means to be an Irish musician of any kind in Ireland today? Toner Quinn saw a space for this discussion and created it. Twenty-four years later, the magazine has become a respected and valued place for musicians, composers, collaborators , organizers and listeners to discuss and inform on the topic of Irish music. Many subjects, some of them controversial, have come up: what, exactly, is trad music? How is its practice different from two or three generations ago? How do we value an art form which has been highly praised publicly, but underfunded and underpaid to those who create the music? What classical music is being created and performed in Ireland? How about jazz, collaborative works between classical and traditional artists, experimental music?

Along the way, the essays would mark the passing of older musicians, chronicle the hardships of trying to make music or bring it to audiences during the Covid pandemic, highlight the small and large triumphs, such as paying a guaranteed wage to “creatives” in Ireland, including musicians. The Journal of Music encouraged music makers to share their experiences in all aspects of Irish music. We found out that yes, there is new and experimental music coming out of the country, both from classical tradition and within the trad community. I started reading The Journal of Music about fifteen years ago, and as a musician and composer who plays and writes music in both traditional styles and classical, I find Quinn’s approach of giving a platform to other musicians doing similar things both refreshing and reassuring. No matter how the reader/listener feels about different forms of musical expression, there is a real respect for all the forms in The Journal of Music, and an invitation to appreciate and discuss them. All kinds of music in Ireland are fluid, dynamic, and have a great range of expression; thus we can have traditional ceili bands and trad sessions, Martin Hayes and The Gloaming, Sinead O’Connor and Bono, the Crash experimental new music ensemble, and the Irish National Orchestra’s repertoire. No topic is too controversial, including questioning why musicians often have to fund their own tours, recordings, and indeed their lives with no standard of pay or expectation of fair remuneration for their work and talent. Critical thought and robust exchange of ideas is both necessary and exciting in all forms of art, and Irish music benefits from such discourse.

If you think you know a lot about Irish music, I recommend you read What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music. Your eyes will be opened to a breadth of music you’ve not considered before, you’ll discover more about the Irish music you already enjoy, and you’ll learn a lot. For me, the two biggest take-aways are: how do we best support the places and people which/who nurture music, both in practical terms and less tangible ways? (to which I add: thank you, Center for Irish Music!) And: how do we respect and support ALL the ways in which Irish music is expressed, and also their creators, even the ones not especially “our cup of tea?” I consider this book essential reading for all musicians and those who love Irish music. Toner Quinn’s education includes both classical music training and trad playing (fiddle) , and he knows and loves his subject thoroughly. Although it is not on American bookshelves, you can order it easily online through https://journalofmusic.com/shop.

Sherry Ladig is a Saint Paul, MN based musician and composer. www.irishartsmn.org