Making Music with Sonamus: the Wicklow Teaching Residency, a pilot teaching residency presented by Music Network and Wicklow County Council Arts Office, concluded on 9th June with a large-scale informal performance at Poulaphouca House and Falls, Co. Wicklow.
Sixteen County Wicklow residents aged 55 and over participated in the Residency, reigniting their love of playing music under the guidance of renowned Wicklow quartet Sonamus.
Running from January to June 2021, the Residency offered participants both individual and group tuition on piano, guitar, cello and whistle. Tuition was entirely free of charge and instruments were provided as needed for the duration of the project.
Benefitting from the combined musical backgrounds of Sonamus members Eamon Sweeney (guitar), Rachel Factor (harpsichord), Annette Cleary (cello) and Tim Doyle (whistles), the Wicklow Teaching Residency offered participants the opportunity to experience and learn an array of musical styles and techniques.
Individual and group lessons took place online between January and April and the residency concluded with three outdoor ensemble sessions in May and June where participants and Sonamus relished the opportunity to play music together in-person for the first time.
Making Music with Sonamus: the Wicklow Teaching Residency was presented by Music Network and Wicklow County Council Arts Office. Music Network is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. This initiative was also funded by Creative Ireland and the Government's Resilience and Recovery Plan 2020–2021.