4. Mikey Kenney - Class and folk music education in Liverpool
Folk singers and musicians Joanie Bones and Oliver Cross discuss some of the themes that emerged from the Access Folk research project about participation and inclusion in folk singing in England. Drawing on findings from the research report Accessing Folk Singing in England they interview singers, musicians and educators as well as drawing on their own lived experience to discuss issues around disability, gender, ethnicity and much more.
In this episode Oliver interviews fiddler and singer Mikey Kenney about socio-economic barriers to getting involved in folk music, differences for a young person in Ireland and England to learn folk music, and his approach to engage young people in Lancashire Youth Folk Ensemble. Drawing on the interview Joanie and Oliver discuss class, difference, English folk “academia” and their experience of folk music in Ireland and England.
Mikey and Oliver mention the Irish music organisation Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (pronounced “Coaltas” for short) and Mikey’s work with the Lancashire Youth Folk Ensemble. You can learn more about Mikey’s work and music on his website and through social media @Mikeykenney
Music in the episode: “The Path I Walk Upon” from Mikey Kenney’s album The Reverie Road (2018)
Credits
The Access Folk Podcast is a co-production between Joanie Bones, Oliver Cross and Access Folk, a research project run by Fay Hield and based at the University of Sheffield.
The podcast was produced in 2023 by Esbjörn Wettermark and Rowan Piggott and funded by Access Folk and The University of Sheffield’s Public Engagement Development Fund.
Our theme tune is “Old Adam (Reprise)” from Fay Hield’s album Old Adam (2016, Soundpost Records).
All the music in the Podcast series is used with permission from the artists and copyright holders.