Kevin McNally
Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick
Kevin McNally is a musician from west Cork with particular interests in Javanese Gamelan, classical guitar and community music. He is assistant director of the Irish Gamelan Orchestra and teaches gamelan and Irish music in UCC School of Music and The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in UL. Alongside teaching and performing, he is the co-director of the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival. The performance discussed in the presentation can be heard in full at the following link: https://youtu.be/7gJ-ZHX4W70
This presentation will document my changing research direction as a result of the complete shutdown of my community music practice because of Covid. Originally planned as a concert for Javenese gamelan ensemble, I devised a solo performance for guitar, tape and gamelan which required a whole new set of skills and techniques, from which I will play examples. I will show how, despite this setback, the work responds to my central research topic developing an ecologically aware approach to community music, inspired by ecological philosophy and indigenous knowledge. The new music, titled Tabhartas, uses electro-acoustic processing to create feedback loops including large bronze gongs and a specially-modified fretless electric guitar.