Welcome…

I’d love to tell you a bit about myself, and share some of my music with you!

I’ve lived in various places, but home is in the wild and beautiful Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal. We’re on the Wild Atlantic Way right on the ocean, and the water is such a huge part of our lives up here.

I’ve always played music and written songs, I play a few instruments and continue to try to learn more!

I started working with children in a community music setting over 15 years ago – first with early yrs classes and later with older children for group guitar and group singing.  We do everything from performing, writing, recording and playing guitar & ukulele.  I also partner with groups all over Donegal/Derry & beyond – some of my partners have included The Playhouse Theatre, Derry, Carnegie Hall, ETB (Educational & Training Board), Inishowen Development Partnership, Creative Ireland, Donegal County Council & Library, Cruinniú na nÓg, as well as family centres, schools and specialist groups. I work with every age group – from babies to teens and right through the generations through our massive choir of ages and other community endeavours.

In the past few years as those first music babies became teenagers, I saw how much they needed their creativity to guide them through those turbulent years. I saw too that us adults needed it every bit as much as they did. Especially when you look at how many of us fall through the cracks of benefitting from group activities likes sports/team events, whether through choice or ability. We can all be supported to create and grow and be part of something beneficial and enjoyable, whether it’s football or songwriting. We all need that outlet, we all deserve to belong somewhere. Music fires every part of our brain and being, the benefits are huge and the rewards are endless. Now more than ever, it’s what we need.

I turned to Music for wellbeing more and more during the pandemic and since that crazy time, and found a home among the Social Emotional Learning community, who so beautifully articulated what I’d been trying to achieve in my classes. I developed projects around Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and Songwriting programs for adults as well as children, to remember, respect and retell their stories. I studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in their Group and Community Music Diploma (distinction ahem..). I brought nature into the fold through the Leave No Trace programme, writing a music based on their principles and becoming a Leave No Trace Trainer. We reignited our Inishowen Choir of Ages, and I found a way to connect with every age through ‘Sing Strong’ training – a singing programme designed to help those struggling with COPD, Pulmonary Fibrosis and other breathing related illnesses. The benefits can extend to all singing groups through carefully designed exercises. I also worked with ‘Golden Melodies’ groups sharing that training through old familiar music for lung and brain health.

If you take a browse through the pages on this site, you’ll find all the goods on how I incorporate music into every part of the community, and how you can too – whether it’s at a class or workshop, a school, your workplace, online or in your spare time. There’s also plenty of information on The Music Box music school, the wonderful Carnegie Hall collaboration – The Lullaby Project, the story of our amazing Inishowen Choir of Ages, and of course some of my own songs too.  All  of these are stories still being written, and growing and changing all the time…..I’m currently also running music/writing sessions in support of Palestine, as well as the Inishowen Folk Collective where singers and songwriters share the beauty of songs and stories from the folk, ballad, americana etc genres. I hope to meet you along the journey.

Have a wee look around, and get in touch if you’d like to chat about anything at all!