Women in Irish Traditional Music

With a six-decade long career linked by work in the area of human rights, activism and advocacy, I recognise and value the passion and dedication clearly evident in this book which shines a light on the often overlooked, unacknowledged and undervalued position of women in Irish Traditional Music. What is particularly impressive about Joanne's book, is her unwavering commitment to highlighting the broader sociocultural and political landscape of Irish society while simultaneously exposing the specific dynamics related to our tradition which continue to enable discrimination and prevent it from being a safe, inclusive space. This work and the understandings within are a welcome new resource for academics, activists, and practitioners alike. It underscores the significance of our musicians as cultural ambassadors and the necessity for our musical spaces to be accurate reflections of modern Ireland. * Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. *
This timely and pioneering work presents a thoughtful, multi-dimensional, and nuanced problematisation of the gender-based inequities experienced in the commercial and avocational spaces and scenes navigated by Irish traditional musicians. Cusack offers a compelling contribution to ongoing advocacy that strives for increased diversity and inclusivity across multiple areas of musical activity in Ireland and beyond. * Dr Jack Talty, Irish Traditional Musician and Lecturer in Irish Traditional Music at University College Cork *
The most important and impactful works in academia address difficult societal issues through hard questions and truthful examination. In Women in Irish Traditional Music, Joanne Cusack holds a mirror up to gendered norms and long-held foundations in the scene and presents the strongest statement to date in the age of FairPlé, with the deep engagement of a tradition bearer and co-founder of the movement. * Scott Spencer teaches at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. *
The book is aimed beyond those interested only in women or in Irish traditional music and dance alone. Some of it is painful to read because it contains hard truths about what women have experienced; at the same time, the urgent currency of its claims belies the oft-stated comment that "it's all about the music itself." * Sean Williams, professor of ethnomusicology and Irish traditional musician *