Nick Roth is a saxophonist, composer, producer and educator. His work seeks the liberation of improvisation from composition, the poetic syntax of philosophical enquiry, and the function of music as translative epistemology. He has been composer-in-residence at the Centre Culturel Irlandais (CCI), the European Space Agency (ESTEC), dlr LexIcon, the California Academy of Sciences and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). He is artistic director of the Yurodny Ensemble and a partner at Diatribe Records, Ireland’s leading record label for new music. His work is represented by the Contemporary Music Centre and the Association of Irish Composers.

Kevin is a musician from west Cork with particular interests in Javanese gamelan, popular music and community music.  He is a founding member and assistant director of the Irish Gamelan Orchestra, with whom he represented Ireland at the International Gamelan Festival 2018 in Java. As a teacher he has over fifteen years experience as a classical guitar tutor, and teaches Central Javanese Gamelan performance courses in University College Cork, University of Limerick and in Skibbereen.  He is the founder and director of the west Cork Ukulele Orchestra, and the co-director of the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival.

In Practicum A students receive individual instrumental/vocal lessons, perform in the Javanese gamelan ensemble and study the theory of several world music genres.

Instrumental/vocal lessons

• World Music students take lessons on their primary/first instrument and a world music instrument. Lessons on the primary/first instrument are intended to support the development of each student’s existing instrumental/vocal practice. Lessons are taught by approved teachers and take place at the Irish World Academy.

• World Music students also take lessons on a new, world music instrument. These lessons are intended to support the development of new instrumental/vocal practices, giving students an opportunity to learn to play a new instrument and a new repertoire of music. Lessons are taught by approved teachers and take place at the Irish World Academy. Instrumental tuition is offered on several instruments including Indian Sarode, West African Djembe and a range of Javanese gamelan instruments.

Javanese Gamelan Ensemble

• Students take weekly ensemble performance classes in Javanese Gamelan, learning to play the Academy’s recently acquired set of Indonesian instruments – an orchestra of 40-60 tuned bronze gongs, metallophones and drums.

World Music Theory

• Students taking the World Music pathway take their own Theory stream, which focuses on developing their understanding of the music traditions and practices that they study in their ensemble classes and individual lessons.

Practicum C is an ensemble, performance module, which provides students with the opportunity to participate in a wide range of music and dance practical learning. World Music students take two compulsory ensemble classes (for example: West African Mandinka Drumming Ensemble and Middle Eastern and Balkan Music Ensemble) and also choose two performance classes from the range of options offered by all BA Performing Arts pathways (for example: Gospel Choir, Irish Traditional Music Ensemble and Flamenco).

The Critical Encounters module consists of fourlecture courses. All lectures are taken by 1st year BA Performing Arts students. 

Critical Encounters with Irish Music and Dance 

• In this class students are introduced to Irish traditional music and dance studies. Students deepen their knowledge of traditional repertoires and performance practices and develop their scholarly engagement with Irish traditional music and dance. Students engage with a range of research approaches drawn from various scholarly disciplines, including ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology.

Critical Encounters with World Music and Dance 

• In this class students are introduced to diverse music traditions from around the world, including, popular musics of West Africa, the court music of Indonesia, classical musics of India, folk and Celtic musics of Europe, classical music of the Arab Middle East, and traditional musics of Canada and America. Students deepen their knowledge of diverse repertoires and performance practices, develop their scholarly engagement with music and dance, gain a more global view of music and dance, and contextualise their own music and dance practices within the wider world of music and dance.

Critical Encounters with Western Art Music and Dance 

• In this class students study a range of western art music and contemporary dance repertoires and practices. Students deepen their knowledge of diverse repertoires and performance practices and are introduced to the scholarly disciplines of musicology, dance studies and arts practice.

Critical Encounters with Popular Music and Dance

• In this class students study various genres of popular music and dance. Students deepen their knowledge of diverse popular repertoires and performance practices, and deepen their knowledge of the role of popular culture in social, political, economic, cultural and artistic life. Students develop a critical view of popular music and dance, and contextualize their own music and dance practices within the wider, commercially mediated world of music and dance.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

In Practicum A students receive individual instrumental/vocal lessons, perform in the Javanese gamelan ensemble and study the theory of several world music genres.

Instrumental/vocal lessons

• World Music students take lessons on their primary/first instrument and a world music instrument. Lessons on the primary/first instrument are intended to support the development of each student’s existing instrumental/vocal practice. Lessons are taught by approved teachers and take place at the Irish World Academy.

• World Music students also take lessons on a new, world music instrument. These lessons are intended to support the development of new instrumental/vocal practices, giving students an opportunity to learn to play a new instrument and a new repertoire of music. Lessons are taught by approved teachers and take place at the Irish World Academy. Instrumental tuition is offered on several instruments including Indian Sarode, West African Djembe and a range of Javanese gamelan instruments.

Javanese Gamelan Ensemble

• Students take weekly ensemble performance classes in Javanese Gamelan, learning to play the Academy’s recently acquired set of Indonesian instruments – an orchestra of 40-60 tuned bronze gongs, metallophones and drums.

World Music Theory

• Students taking the World Music pathway take their own Theory stream, which focuses on developing their understanding of the music traditions and practices that they study in their ensemble classes and individual lessons.

Practicum C is an ensemble performance module. It provides students with the opportunity to participate in a wide range of practical music and dance learning. World Music students take two compulsory ensemble classes (for example: West African Mandinka Drumming Ensemble and Middle Eastern and Balkan Music Ensemble) and also choose two performance classes from the range of options offered by all BA Performing Arts pathways (for example: Gospel Choir, Irish Traditional Music Ensemble and Flamenco).

This module introduces students to aspects of sound and movement from around the world, questioning the nature of ‘World Music and Dance’ in the 21st century digital age.

This module introduces students to professional audio and visual technologies relevant to performers in their field. Students learn to use audio and visual  technologies in professional contexts: recording concerts, providing technical support to a wide range of performances and generating media appropriate to the world of performing arts.

This module introduces students to a variety of popular musics from around the world. Students will explore aspects of the history, performance practice and repertoire of selected popular musics.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

In the first semester of year 3, students go on ‘co-op’placement, a university-wide module designed to engage students in real-world, professional learning experiences. UL’s Cooperative Education division, in consultation with the Academy, helps students to identify opportunities in a variety of contexts, including arts management, education, performance, media and related areas.

In Practicum A students receive individual instrumental/vocal lessons, perform in the Javanese gamelan ensemble and study the theory of several world music genres.

Instrumental/vocal lessons

• World Music students take lessons on their primary/first instrument and a world music instrument. Lessons on the primary/first instrument are intended to support the development of each student’s existing instrumental/vocal practice. Lessons are taught by approved teachers and take place at the Irish World Academy.

• World Music students also take lessons on a new, world music instrument. These lessons are intended to support the development of new instrumental/vocal practices, giving students an opportunity to learn to play a new instrument and a new repertoire of music. Lessons are taught by approved teachers and take place at the Irish World Academy. Instrumental tuition is offered on several instruments including Indian Sarode, West African Djembe and a range of Javanese gamelan instruments.

Javanese Gamelan Ensemble

• Students take weekly ensemble performance classes in Javanese Gamelan, learning to play the Academy’s recently acquired set of Indonesian instruments – an orchestra of 40-60 tuned bronze gongs, metallophones and drums.

World Music Theory

• Students taking the World Music pathway take their own Theory stream, which focuses on developing their understanding of the music traditions and practices that they study in their ensemble classes and individual lessons.

Practicum C is an ensemble performance module. It provides students with the opportunity to participate in a wide range of practical music and dance learning. World Music students take two compulsory ensemble classes (for example: West African Mandinka Drumming Ensemble and Middle Eastern and Balkan Music Ensemble) and also choose two performance classes from the range of options offered by all BA Performing Arts pathways (for example: Gospel Choir, Irish Traditional Music Ensemble and Flamenco).

This module introduces students to the disciplines of ethnomusicology, ethnochoreology and arts practice. Students engage with relevant principles, concepts and methodologies.

This module develops students awareness and understanding of the impact of the arts on health and well-being. Students study the role of the arts in various settings, including hospitals, community settings and mental health settings. The role of the arts in society, more generally, is also considered.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

In Practicum A students receive individual instrumental/vocal lessons, perform in the Javanese gamelan ensemble and study the theory of several world music genres.

Instrumental/vocal lessons

• World Music students take lessons on their primary/first instrument and a world music instrument. Lessons on the primary/first instrument are intended to support the development of each student’s existing instrumental/vocal practice. Lessons are taught by approved teachers and take place at the Irish World Academy.

• World Music students also take lessons on a new, world music instrument. These lessons are intended to support the development of new instrumental/vocal practices, giving students an opportunity to learn to play a new instrument and a new repertoire of music. Lessons are taught by approved teachers and take place at the Irish World Academy. Instrumental tuition is offered on several instruments including Indian Sarode, West African Djembe and a range of Javanese gamelan instruments.

Javanese Gamelan Ensemble

• Students take weekly ensemble performance classes in Javanese Gamelan, learning to play the Academy’s recently acquired set of Indonesian instruments – an orchestra of 40-60 tuned bronze gongs, metallophones and drums.

World Music Theory

• Students taking the World Music pathway take their own Theory stream, which focuses on developing their understanding of the music traditions and practices that they study in their ensemble classes and individual lessons.

Practicum C is an ensemble performance module. It provides students with the opportunity to participate in a wide range of practical music and dance learning. World Music students take two compulsory ensemble classes (for example: West African Mandinka Drumming Ensemble and Middle Eastern and Balkan Music Ensemble) and also choose two performance classes from the range of options offered by all BA Performing Arts pathways (for example: Gospel Choir, Irish Traditional Music Ensemble and Flamenco).

This module introduces students to the final year project, which is an extended research project which will be presented in a 10,000 word thesis or equivalent. The student agrees on the subject of their specific project with the course director and is introduced to a number of sample research projects and methodologies.

This module examines issues pertinent to the lives of professional musicians and dancers, such as: promotion; effective communication; industry structures; touring; dealing with statutory arts bodies; and funding structures. Classes may feature professionals working in these fields and regular faculty with relevant experience. This aspect of the module is supported by a lecture series and assessed through attendance and written assignments in the form of professional portfolios and resources.

This is the second of the two Irish World Academy modules for the FYP. The student works in a one-on-one context with their supervisor. Students produce their own unique piece of research in any genre (or across genres) adopting a disciplinary or interdisciplinary approach to their study.

This module is designed to give advanced undergraduate students the opportunity to explore a particular topic in an in-depth way not possible in introductory or survey modules. Specific topics will be chosen by the faculty member coordinating the module and will generally be research based. It is intended to serve as a recruitment stepping stone taking 4th year undergraduates into considering post-graduate studies in the international field of ethnomusicology.

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options vary from year to year but typically students can choose from  range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.