School Of Irish Music

The North Texas School of Irish Music is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization that is part of the School of Irish Music Inc. The school was formed to provide goals, structure, and performance opportunities for young people who are interested in learning Irish music.

We also provide an avenue for private lessons for adults, and help them connect with other playing outlets such as the Dallas Slow Sessions adult learning group operated by Jim Wells (www.dallasslowsessions.com).The school was originally formed as part of the Traditional Irish Music Education Society, but as the success of the school quickly grew along with its size, TIMES unanimously agreed to spin off the organization into its own entity.

Clare Adkins Cason began violin studies at the age of 4, having been born into a family of musicians. She attended the University of North Texas, where she was chosen as Outstanding Undergraduate in Music. Presently she holds leadership positions in the Sherman Symphony, East Texas Symphony, and the Dallas Bach Society.

The traditional music of Ireland has been handed down over several centuries, though new tunes have been continually added along the way as each generation of musicians makes their contribution to the repertoire. Traditional Irish music includes both vocal and instrumental music.

At our school we are currently mostly focusing on the instrumental ensemble music, which was primarily written to accompany solo or social dancing, as well as song through our Gaelic Youth Chorus.

Our Irish Youth Band is an ensemble program for young people to learn to play traditional Irish music. The ensembles are grouped according to the age and skill level of the students. The Irish Youth Bands have 2 public concerts each year, plus several volunteer performances for local festivals and events around the Metroplex.

The North Texas Gaelic Youth Chorus is a youth group of singers age 8-18 who perform Irish folk songs harmonized in a chorus. The songs are mostly in the Irish language (Gaelic) and are traditional in nature. The chorus is part of the North Texas School of Irish Music, a 501(C)3 non-profit that was formed to provide goals, structure, and performance opportunities for young people who are interested in learning Irish music.