THIS St Patrick’s Day, cafés and venues across Donegal are taking part in a new pilot project that encourages businesses to play music created by local artists, turning everyday spaces into places where people can discover the music being created around them.
The pilot is part of a new idea developed by Letterkenny singer-songwriter Maria McCormack called the Listening Spaces Network, which recognises venues that intentionally play and support music made in their own county.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Maria said she has long been a champion of local talent.
Three years ago, she created Over the West Online Radio, which plays Irish music 24 hours a day.
“As a singer-songwriter, releasing music I understand what it’s like to desperately be trying to get your music played on radio and how difficult it is.
“So I wanted to create somewhere where only Irish music is played and where we could support local and national artists.
“Our motto is ‘if you create it, we will play it’,” she said.
McBrew Coffee will take part in the pilot project this weekend.
This led to her new initiative, which will further support home-grown talent. Maria and her fellow DJ Ben McCormack from Clare came up with the idea of Irish Coffeehouse Sessions.
“So much incredible music is being made in Ireland, yet in many cafés and public spaces people often hear more international music than the music being created in their own counties.
“This project simply reconnects those spaces with the artists around them,” Maria said.
“I have only been collecting the artists’ names this past week and I already have over 200 Donegal people releasing music. So this will also serve as a registry or archive of artists.”
A small vinyl badge will be displayed in participating cafés which lets customers know that it is a place that supports music made in Donegal.
Once fully rolled out a small vinyl badge will be displayed in participating businesses.
Maria hopes that if the pilot proves successful, the idea could expand county by county, creating a network of Listening Spaces across Ireland and beyond.
“We have incredible musicians in every county in Ireland. The idea is simple – what if the places where we gather every day helped people discover them?”
Music for the cafés can be accessed by customers by simply scanning a QR code, linking to curated playlists of Donegal artists and to Over the West Online Radio.
The Counter Deli in Letterkenny are involved in the pilot project.
Cafés and venues participating in the pilot initiative include The Counter Deli and Bloem in Letterkenny, and True Brew and The Coffee Loft in Ballybofey.
Mo Chlann Speciality Coffee & Bar and McBrew in Donegal Town have also agreed to take part.
Other participants include Roasted & Toasted in Bundoran, Revive in Dunfanaghy, Happy Camper Café in Creeslough, Breac House Retreat in Horn Head, and Dawros Bay House in Rosbeg.
Having ten businesses involved in the pilot project is no small feat; Maria believes they were all more than happy to get on board because this has been done from the heart.
“I have been trying to champion local music for so long, it’s all I spend my life doing and people know that.
“So when I put the post up people knew it was coming from a good place and that I am not somebody just trying to make a business out of something.”
She said it is only small but it will make a huge difference for local artists, whose music will be playing in ten different cafés for four consecutive days.
Donegal artists who would like their music included in the playlists can get in touch through: www.overthewestonlineradio.com
Bloem in Letterkenny proudly displaying their framed QR code.
The Coffee Loft in Ballybofey will also be playing local artists all weekend.
