JAMES STRECKER: Please tell us about one or more projects that you have been working on or have recently completed. Why exactly do they matter to you and why should they matter to us?
EIMEAR ARKINS: In June 2018, I released my debut album, What’s Next? The album is a collection of Irish fiddle tunes, ballads and sean nós songs. I’m excited to have a compilation of songs and music that mean something to me, and to be able to share them with others!
JS: How did doing these projects change you as a person and as a creator?
EA: The recording process first seemed daunting, and once I got started, it then seemed never-ending. In reality, the album was recorded and produced in just a few months. Anyone I’ve spoken to agrees that recording makes you hyper-critical of yourself, whether it be your playing or singing or your interpretation and execution of melodies and lyrics. Recording forces you to really listen to yourself in a way that you may not have done before. I heard things in my performance of tunes and songs that I liked and plenty of others things that I didn’t. Although there were frequent frustrations, I found the whole process very humbling and rewarding. I soon realized that perfection is not an attainable goal and there comes a point where you have to say enough is enough; if it hasn’t improved in the last three takes, it’s not going to improve in the next three. Of course, there are things that you hear yourself that nobody else hears. It’s like looking in the mirror, you might see a blemish every time you look in the mirror because you know it’s there, but anyone else looking at your face might never see it. From recording to production and promotion, the entire process was a wonderful learning experience. I am very pleased with the finished product, but of course, if I was back again, I would do certain things differently. And that is probably my biggest takeaway from the experience – a recording is just a snapshot of who you are and how you play or sing at a particular moment in time. Everything I learned I can use in the future when I record again.
JS: What might others not understand or appreciate about the work you produce or do?
EA: Some people may not understand the thought that goes into performing pieces of Irish music. When you see an Irish tune written down, it looks much simpler than a piece of classical music – typically only a few lines long and the range rarely spans more than two octaves. But to play the tune exactly as written on the page would not be doing the tune or the tradition justice. A lot of thought goes into putting one’s personal stamp on the tune through embellishments, dynamics, tempo variations and so forth. These aspects of performance are written into classical pieces but in Irish music their inclusion is left to the discretion of the performer. Furthermore, Irish tunes are rarely played in isolation, they are typically arranged into sets of two or three tunes and again these pairings are the performer’s choice. In essence, I think some people may not necessarily understand or appreciate that playing Irish music amounts to more than just “playing a few tunes.” The same goes for singing. There is far more involved than just learning the lyrics and the melody. Lots of thought goes into the process of selecting, rehearsing and performing these tunes and songs.
JS: What are the most important parts of yourself that you put into your work?
EA: I am very proud to have grown up in County Clare; a place known for its rich musical heritage. When I moved to America in 2014, I started to incorporate a lot more Clare music into my repertoire. It became increasingly more important to me to promote and preserve the music of my home-place and to share the compositions of some of the great Clare fiddle players, that have influenced so many players. Even though I visit Co. Clare regularly, performing Clare tunes and songs allows me to stay connected to my home-place during the periods of time that I’m not there.
JS: What are your biggest challenges as a creative person?
EA: One of the challenges I’m often faced with arises when working with others. Collaboration can be so rewarding and fun and can make you hear and think about a piece of music in a way that you may not have done so before. But sometimes it’s hard to reconcile two musicians’ conceptualization of how a piece of music or a song should or shouldn’t sound. One might like it fast, the other slow or one might like it with lots of accompaniment and the other may prefer it a capella. This is more of a general challenge of working with others than specifically a creative challenge but it is important to me to feel comfortable when I perform a song or tune and I want those playing with me to feel comfortable too. Often the only way to make this happen is to reach a creative compromise.
Another challenge is being patient. There are creative avenues that I would like to pursue and there are milestones that I would like to meet but you have to walk before you can run. Finding balance between where I am now, and where I would like to be in the future can be a challenge sometimes and certainly not one that I face alone.
JS: Imagine that you are meeting two or three people, living or dead, whom you admire because of their work in your form of artistic expression. What would you say to them and what would they say to you?
EA: I would love to have met Kitty Linnane, a wonderful piano player from County Clare who was at the helm of the Kilfenora Ceili Band for 40 years. The band has played concerts and céilís the length and breadth of Ireland, traveled extensively internationally and has played major festivals like Glastonbury and Milwaukee Irish Fest. The band celebrated its centenary in 2009. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about gender equality in folk music and I wonder if Kitty would have anything to say about that. What was it like being a female piano player in the mid-1900s, when very few female musicians played publicly? What were some of the challenges she faced as leader of the band and what advice would she have for someone taking on that task today? Is there anything she would have liked to have done differently or anything she would like to have achieved that she did not, either in her own personal playing or with the band. I wonder did she anticipate or dare to anticipate how successful the band would become?
Another person I would love to have met is Junior Crehan. I am a huge admirer of his compositions and I would love to have had the chance to talk to him and play some of his tunes with him.
JS: Please describe at least one major turning point in your life that helped to make you who you are as a creative artist.
EA: I came to America in 2014 to attend Graduate School and when I was approaching the end of my studies, I was offered a place on a month-long music tour. Initially I declined as my focus at the time was on finishing my studies and beginning my career. Up to that point music had always been a hobby and I had never really considered pursuing it full-time. A few months later, I was offered the same tour again as they still had not found a fiddle player and singer to fill the role. At that point I decided that perhaps I should take a few months or a year to focus on music and see what comes of it. And I am so glad I did!
JS: What are the hardest things for an outsider to understand about your life as a person in the arts?
EA: I think the hardest thing for most people to understand is why I have a life in the arts! A frequent question that I am asked is “why did you spend so many years in college if all you want to do is play music?” I know many other talented performers who have been asked the same question on more than one occasion. It’s as if people cannot comprehend that you can be both an intellectual and a musician. I’m not sure why some people believe that this is an either/or situation and many insinuate that a life in the arts is somehow not as respectable as having a regular job. I have two Masters degrees, which I worked very hard for, but they don’t have expiration dates. And I didn’t just wake up one morning and think “to hell with full-time employment, I wanted to be a musician.” Becoming a musician has taken years of dedication and continues to take hours of practice and patience. You never stop learning, regardless of your profession. I know that I still have so much to learn and there is a lot I want to accomplish in my artistic career.
JS: Let’s talk about the state of the arts in today’s society, including the forms in which you work. What specifically gives you hope and what specifically do you find depressing?
EA: There is no doubt that Irish music, song and dance is in safe hands. There are thousands of young people learning to play music in Ireland and there is massive interest in Irish culture across the globe. As a lover of the Irish language, I do worry from time to time about its demise but there has been a renewed interest in it of late, particularly through song. It is very much on trend right now to translate pop songs to Irish and I hope that other trends like this will help to preserve the language.
I sometimes worry that Irish music will never achieve the same level of respect as other musical genres from a general audience. There are some that will always just consider it “a bit of diddly-i” and not appreciate the work and time that many Irish musicians dedicate to their craft. Perhaps if there was more coverage of Irish music on mainstream national radio and television shows, people would have a better understanding of the artform. There are designated Irish music programs on Irish radio and television but it would be hugely beneficial to artists, concert venues and festivals to get more exposure on mainstream shows, to increase their audience and awareness.
JS: What exactly do you like about the work you create and/or do?
EA: Performing is an absolute joy. I love having the opportunity to share music with other performers and with audiences around the world. I take great pride in being a cultural ambassador for my county and my country. It is a privilege to be considered an exponent of traditional Irish music and to be able to promote the rich cultural heritage of my home-place.
JS: In your creative life thus far, what have been the most helpful comments you have heard about your work?
EA: All comments are helpful because they offer an opportunity for self-reflection. Some of the most helpful comments I’ve received have been critical comments. Even if I didn’t necessarily agree with the criticism at the time, the comments forced me to listen to an aspect of my performance through the ears of someone else. Some criticisms make you think twice (both subconsciously and consciously) when preparing for future performances.
One helpful comment that stood out for me came from an audience member after a concert a few years ago. I was one of a number of performers in the concert and I came out on stage, did my piece and left, just like everyone else. Or so I thought. But this particular audience member told me that it looked like I rushed off the stage, and I probably did in order to get out of the way of whoever was coming on after me. She told me that in future I should wait on stage for a few minutes to soak up some of the applause. Initially I thought that this would look a bit odd or self-serving but she went on to explain that applause is her way of showing how much she enjoyed and appreciated what I shared. She felt that connecting with the audience for just a few moments after the performance, made the entire performance just that bit more special for her. I always try to engage with the audience during a tune/song but I never thought about how that engagement and connection could continue when it ends. She showed me the importance of allowing the audience to play their part.
JS: Finally, what do you yourself find to be the most intriguing and/or surprising things about you?
EA: An Irish girl, from a small village in the west of Ireland, now based in St Louis, Missouri, making a living playing and teaching Irish music… I think that makes me one of a kind!