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Changing cultural landscapes: the co‐existence of musical genres in Irish culture and education

A survey of music in contemporary Ireland cannot be complete without examining the relationship between music in general culture and music in formal education. One of the goals of formal education is to motivate and prepare youth to participate in the cultural life of the nation. Cultural life is represented in part by the various musical genres that are relevant to functioning in a particular society at a given time. Education in music has traditionally played a role in building a sense of national identity among youth, transmitting to them a repertoire that reflects their common cultural heritage, and knowledge and skills that allow them to partake of musical life in the community. David J. Elliott brings the process full circle when he writes: ‘Music education is not something that operates autonomously in a culture; it also functions powerfully as culture’ [1]. In the past, music in Western education served to reproduce the values of the middle class, and its primary goal was to transmit art music to the next generation. Now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the scope of music education has broadened considerably to include other musical genres such as popular music, traditional music, and various world musics. This transition has occurred over the past few decades due to changes in educational thinking, trends in immigration worldwide, the impact of media on youth culture, and the dissemination of local musical traditions across the globe. Similar to other countries such as the UK and the USA, Irish musical culture and music in Irish education have been influenced by these international trends. The landscapes of musical culture are changed for ever by socio-political, economic and technological realities that bring diverse music into people’s lives in unprecedented ways. The focus of this essay is an examination of the unique response to such changes in the Irish context. In presenting the topic, I first provide a historical background on music in Irish education, since such knowledge is a prerequisite to understanding the foundations of contemporary music education and its relationship to musical culture at large. Next, I survey aspects of musical culture in contemporary Ireland that are relevant to developments in formal education. Finally, I provide a model for music education for today’s youth in Ireland based on the foregoing exploration.