Resource Author
MoserResource Description
E 314V: Irish-American Literature and Culture
Fall 2005; Joe Moser
Irish Music Group Presentation
This assignment asks you to work collaboratively to illuminate a piece of Irish-American, or Irish, music for the rest of the class. Songs with political or historical significance would likely work best for this project, but the only ironclad stipulation I would put on your choice of song is that it cannot be an instrumental—it must include lyrics. Your presentations should be NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES in length, and each should begin with a short introduction to the song and then the presentation of the piece of music itself (playing the song for the class). In your group of 2-4 people, you should each explore a different aspect of the song. Every presentation should pay some attention to the lyrics and offer an interpretation of the song’s story and/or message. Other aspects of the song you should consider exploring would include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. the way that this song represents Irish-American, or Irish, politics, history and/or culture
2. the performers’ own thoughts on the song (quoting interviews would be very helpful in this case)
3. the composition and recording of the song, as well as its live performance (in this case, you may want to choose to play a live version of the song)
4. the way that this particular song fits into the album of which it is a part, and/or the way that this song reflects the artistic or cultural concerns of the singer or band in general
5. public and/or critical reception of the song
--How did the critics respond to the album that this song is from? (quoting reviews would be helpful in this case)
--How many copies did the album sell? Did this particular song receive extensive airplay, or any airplay, in the U.S. or Europe?
--Was this song ever a subject of controversy? If so, what was the nature of the objections to it?
6. If the song is a folk tune, or a song originally written or recorded by another artist, how does this artist/band’s version differ from earlier versions and enrich our understanding of the piece?
A few suggestions for artists/bands to consider:
The Clancy Brothers, Steve Earle, Black 47, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, Solas, Sinead O’Connor, U2, Liam Lynch, Thin Lizzy, Loreena McKennitt, The Waterboys, Elvis Costello, The Pogues, Wolfe Tones, Christy Moore/Planxty/Moving Hearts, Tommy Makem, Cherish the Ladies, Altan, Van Morrison
Some of these artists may not be technically Irish or Irish-American in origin, but the main thing is that they address Irish subject matter in at least some of their songs. Make sure you choose a song that is directly connected to Irish-American culture in some way, but also please choose a piece that you like and find interesting.
You will make your presentations in class on one of two dates:
Friday, November 11 or Monday, November 14