It Takes a Village: Family and Community Connections with Irish Music"There was music before me and after me." These powerful words open the book The Living Note: The Heartbeat of Irish Music and encapsulate the “living” nature of Irish musical traditions. Having come to the end of my semester in this module, I have become aware of the important and recurring role of 'Family' in Irish culture, and in particular in the arts. Every week I found myself engaging with the word family, whether in films like Se Mo Laoch-Joe Derrane or Dara Bán Mac Donnchada, in class with our teachers like Pádraic Keane and Colm Gannon, or during the Arts in Action concerts of Brothers Ó hIarnáin and others. The common thread has always been this concept of family. The more I engaged with these different sources of information, the more I began to understand the vital role this simple six-letter word has played throughout the history of music. It is not only unique to the individual, it is always changing. I challenged myself to explore the connection between music, Irish culture and family bonds. Alongside these connections, I want to examine the impact it can have on the individual and community through an alternative definition of family. Pádraic Keane, one of the professionals called on to teach the whistle section of our module, was one of the first musicians I heard talk about the notion of family. Coming from a lineage of musicians, he grew up surrounded by music. Specifically, his father, Tommy Keane, was also a renowned musician. He told us about his natural tendencies and this sense of attraction towards music. Many artists are linked to their work through passion; however with Pádraic you may see a deeper connection… in the middle of the card… especially with Ireland. I am honored to have had this experience that I will forever hold close to my heart from my semester abroad, and I can't wait to see where this new knowledge can be useful in my future.BibliographySéMo Laoch' ("You are my hero "): Joe Derrane https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U4CBZhY4H0Oileán Thoraí'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF9i3jJ_qcUDara Bán Mac Donnchada- https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=VqHSIaLHx9cFlanagan, William. Ireland Now: Stories of Change from the Global Island / Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, c2007.Woods, Peter. The Living Note: The Heartbeat of Irish Music /Dublin: O'Brien Press, 1996Henigan, Julie. Sean-nos in Donegal: in search of a definition. 19996. http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/sean-nos.htmAn Chead Mhairt de Fhomhair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqrNB7gPPPY