ABOUT! Join Breaking the Firewall on Saturday, July 11 at 12pm CT for an introduction to Irish musical tradition as a living, participatory practice across space and time. We will listen closely to how musical meaning is made in motion: phrasing, timing, variation, lift, restraint, and the subtle decisions that only make sense when music is co-created by listeners and players. We will encounter musicians thinking and playing in real time, even when mediated through early recording technology. The focus will be on developing a way of listening as part of an ongoing practice, which may also include singing, dancing, and playing.

A playlist and further listening resources will be provided. The session will be recorded for those unable to attend.

Who’s this for:
Open to all, especially those curious about Irish traditional music beyond surface-level framing. No prior musical training is required. This is not an introductory survey of instruments, scales, or stylistic categories. It is a space for learning how to listen more carefully and more critically to what we assume we are hearing.

If you are already familiar with older recordings, including early 78s or archival collections, this class offers a way to reconsider how those materials are often framed in terms of loss, authenticity, or cultural depletion.

Note:
BTF is planning to launch additional "Irish Traditional Music" workshops as part of our regular programming, such as lilting. In order to attend future lilting workshops or other types of "Irish Traditional Music" workshops, you must first attend or watch BTF's Listening and Practice workshop. BTF's Listening and Practice workshop provides important foundations for how to engage in our rich, living tradition in ethical and generative ways.

If you have any questions or access needs, please email breakingthefirewall@proton.me.

Fundraiser:

This workshop is also a fundraiser for Trans people most impacted by genocide, in partnership with Mx. Yaffa. Please donate if you are able to, and please note that no one is turned away for lack of funds!

Breaking the Firewall is a media collective working to build solidarity in the Irish diaspora and beyond through storytelling, culture and analysis.

Traditional Music: Listening and Practice

An Introductory Workshop to Irish Traditional Music

Team Members