The Center of International Programs recently held a virtual discussion with musicians from Northern Ireland as part of the Northern Ireland Virtual Study Abroad Program. During this time, students had the opportunity to learn more about traditional Irish culture and music.

Click here to watch the recording.

Brian, Josie and Sean, the musicians who joined us live directly from Northern Ireland, played live music and gave us an insight into musical instruments such as the flute, the uilleann pipes, and the history of how the names originated. Our students learned how the pipe works, the different parts of it, the sounds they make, and the differences between different types of pipes such as the bagpipe and uilleann pipes.

Josie explained how music changes from region to region, and how she experiences that in her career. The musicians expressed that Northern Ireland’s music tends to be more “aggressive” in humor because of cultural circumstances such as their politics, the population’s dark sense of humor and the influences from the neighboring countries.

The three shared interesting facts about different kinds of dances, including the Reynolds dance, set dances, and sean-nos dancing. Sean, a member of the Battlefield Band, talked about how his music career started and shared a memory of his time performing in St. Petersburg, Florida.