I first started taking an interest in music in primary school when I was eight. I was
part of the school's gospel choir and I also took part in after-school
recorder/tin whistle classes, performing at different communions and confirmations
that took place in the small chapel in my primary school, Clonburris in Clondalkin.
I also sang in the school choir. I was not too pushed about it at first because
music was not the first thing on my mind at that early stage. I just enjoyed going to
the practice sessions and I also enjoyed the performances. My music teacher,
Fiona Morley, encouraged me to keep up with the music because she saw I had
a raw flair for music.I took up playing the guitar when I was twelve because I was advised from my
primary school music teacher to move on to more difficult aspects of music,
so from there I started doing guitar/vocal/music theory lessons in the Clondalkin
School of Music in Clondalkin Village where I also learned to write and compose
songs and understand the basis behind melody, harmony and rhythm in popular
music.I have completed five grades in music performance and I still study music theory
and perform music to this day. At first I was attending classes about three times
a week and I did not enjoy it much. But I gradually started listening to different
types of music and I grew to love it. (Bob Dylan is my hero!) I still attend regular
classes in the Clondalkin School of Music. My teacher there, Peter Stanton,
further encouraged me to write and perform songs which I do to this day.I was first asked to do an impression of one of the teachers in my school by a
friend of mine who had heard me doing vocal excercises and thought I would be
able to pull off the teacher's accent. After I gave it a go, I noticed I was also
able to do impersonations of a lot of other teachers and one or two celebrities.
(Bob Geldof visits and rants in my religion class, Jack Charlton talks about
his interest in fishing to one of the religion teachers and the deputy principal
introduces Nelson Mendela to the student body in the longer podcast below .)
One of my teachers heard that I was doing an impression of him and didn't like
the idea. But after I did it for him, he saw that it was not malicious. He was the
first teacher to see the funny side of this. So I have put him in the small podcast
below. But I have to be careful. It is not always welcomed in the same way
by everybody.I also manage to imitate the voices and verbal characteristics of some of the
students (one of them is arguing with his teacher in the larger podcast below)
but some of those in my year are not as appreciative as the teachers. I
do this anytime - sometimes in the classroom, sometimes in the corridors and
sometimes (don't mention it too loudly) in the pubs.To give you a flavour of what I do, I am including a little podcast of my
efforts...but no names mentioned. (Permissions have been sought and given.)
A larger podcast is available here. Maybe even more will follow.
Click on the small radio to hear my brief podcast. (4 Teachers.)
Click on the large radio to hear my long podcast.
(Other teachers and some celebrity visitors to the
school.)
When I leave school I hope to continue with my first love, music. I want to study
music, possibly as part of an arts degree and continue to perform. It would be
great if I could make music part of my professional life in the future.
