Parts and Charts…

Dear Reader - first of all we’re going back in time a bit today…

The Big Thing

I loved this. From Theme Night Academy graduate Joe Gorman.

And now that things are a bit quieter I’m reading it again.

Possibly my favourite ever New Year’s resolutions article.

In mid-February - ah sure why not?!

We can start at again any time.

Where else but Sligo?

Nothing we don’t know but sometimes a reminder is nice.

A note of appreciation for our landscape and fresh air.

Go on - get out in it!

What’s New?

1. SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL: Thanks for all your emails. The response has been huge. Really looking forward to making this video later in the year.

2. ANIMANIACS GEOGRAPHY LESSON: Was reminded of this during the week…

3. PARTS AND CHARTS: The latest in the schedule of Theme Night Academy masterclasses took place last Wednesday. I spoke about writing charts for a band and Niamh Crowley brought the teens through some exercises on writing parts for strings. Great to see so many energised teenagers once again!

Finally…

This came up on my daughter’s playlist the other day. It’s timeless really.

Till next time - Kieran.

Something Beautiful

Dear Reader - What a beautiful week. From start to finish…

These guys (Clada) brought incredible energy to our first two shows last week. We had a magic couple of hours with them on Thursday afternoon recording this…

The Big Thing

This piece got a big reaction last week. At the shows and judging from your emails since. Many of you asked where you could hear it again so I attach a video below of Niamh and I playing it in 2021.

And a reminder - if you have any ideas regarding a video we want to make for it - please send an email to themenightshq@gmail.com

Where else but Sligo?

I posted a reflection on Theme Night #36 on Facebook and Instagram yesterday.

I’ll repost the text below, although please click on the links if you want to see some photos. It was so good to see so many of you there - and I really felt the support - so thank you all.

Theme Night #36 flew past in a blaze of surprises, humour and great performances.
It felt like musicians and audiences alike knew it was the only such show this year and were determined to give even more than usual as a result.

It was an emotional week. Joyful and nostalgic in equal measure.
The best yet lots of you said.
And contrary to what some people thought - I’m not retiring!

I was however more nervous than usual beforehand - there was more of me on display I guess. Song choices, some of my own compositions and some personal dedications. But that made the payoff greater - thank you to everyone for your support on this.

And so now we take a pause to figure out what comes next.
And while I’m looking forward to that, there will still be lots happening - so keep an eye on these pages.

What’s New?

1. BOOKS: I have been bought a few books as presents recently - and finally got to start one last night. Here are the titles - and I’ll let you know over the coming weeks if I have any strong recommendations.
   - Treacle Walker by Alan Garner
   - what art does by Brian Eno and Bette Adriaanse
   - Poor by Katriona O’Sullivan
   - The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday

2. MASTERCLASS #5 - PARTS AND CHARTS: As part of our Theme Night Academy programme - with Niamh Crowley and I. The focus this time is on arranging - and it takes place this evening.

3. FIRST DUBLIN CONCERT: We had a lovely evening in Clontarf GAA Club on Monday last. Lots of new students getting to perform for the first time in a supportive and friendly environment. And we had cake!

Finally…

One of my favourite pieces of music, and I have just been informed that Paul McCartney closed with it at a surprise New York gig last night.
It was Joe Hunt’s choice initially - and what a choice!
We did from Golden Slumbers (10:45) to The End…

Till next time - Kieran.

Red Moon Rising!

Dear Reader - The only Theme Night of 2025 starts tomorrow…

The Big Thing

And we’re at the stage of preparations where I find it difficult to get any perspective on the show. In show week you must trust in the vision that you and your team have crafted, and move from job to job in rehearsals in the effort to realise it.

Usually l emerge from this at around 7pm on Wednesday and switch from rehearsal mode to show mode and we present to you the results of our work.

And then you guys get to decide how you feel about it.

So here we are - for the 36th time. And once again I’m hopeful. And nervous.
Trusting. And excited!

Looking forward to seeing lots of you there.
Last few tickets (for Wednesday only) here.

Where else but Sligo?

Last Wednesday we launched the Theme Night Academy.

We had a lovely gathering in the GlassHouse Hotel. The room was full of people who have been a part of the Teenage Theme Nights over the last 10 years and it was nice to celebrate how far we have come in the company of our friends and supporters.
Our special guests for the evening were Shane and Gillian Filan, and it was also great to see some graduates back doing their thing.
Joe Gorman hosted the event for us, Paddy Keyes sang one of his recent releases, and producer of the Academy’s programme Joy Feehily told the room of the thought and intention behind it all.

The evening was packed with music and conversation - one highlight being a new version of Swear It Again from three current members of the Academy - Amber, Sarah and Zach.

It was so nice to have the opportunity to tell everyone of our plans for the future - and indeed we are looking forward to it as we continue to nurture the development of teenagers through music performance and education.

What’s New?

1. NEW SLIGO ROVERS ANTHEM: We recorded this the other day - and we are very much looking forward to launching it for the upcoming season in the Showgrounds. It will be exclusively premiered on Theme Night #36 this week.

2. STAKEKNIFE: Once again Mark Horgan has told a dark story from past days in Ireland through the lens of those most affected by it. I listened to the final episode yesterday, and it gripped me from start to finish. Find it here.

3. BENSON BOONE AT THE GRAMMYS: Costume (ahem!) changes, acrobatics, light show - this performance has it all!

Finally…

Michael Rooney is one of our special guests on Theme Night #36.
This is his tune, but we didn’t get to play it together on this occasion - am so excited about doing so this week.

Till next time - Kieran.

Shock tactics!

Dear Reader -

Delighted to present our first Theme Nights release of 2025 - and as @thehuntersburrow7453 commented on YouTube last night - 'I feel like I've found some secret treasure'.

The Big Thing

You may have seen on my social media that next week’s Theme Night #36 is going to be the only Sligo Theme Night of 2025.

The short explanation is that I feel in order for the shows to endure, I need a bit of time to reflect and think to ensure they stay fresh and exciting for all involved.
You can catch further thoughts on this on my Facebook or Instagram.

The focus can now turn fully to next week’s shows however, and wow have we something amazing lined up for you all.

• Possibly the most personal Theme Night so far - and that scares me!

• Some of my favourite songs being sung by some of my favourite singers.

• Brand new music being premiered.

• One of our strongest ever teenage sections.

• And for the first time in 36 Theme Nights, we’re employing shock tactics - wait till you see our opening!

Tickets still available for Wednesday night Feb 5th.
The only Sligo Theme Night of 2025 - please join us!
Get them here before they’re gone.

Where else but Sligo?

I sometimes feel that I'm always telling you about how great this show or that show was. And that you must be thinking 'ah they can't all be that good'!
But it's a sign that things are going well I guess, because I genuinely do get a buzz from them all.

And also Sunday night WAS amazing,

Our biggest Young Songwriters' Showcase yet. 19 brand new songs. Evidence that our Theme Night Academy programme is working - Steve Wickham gave a fantastic masterclass in November on songwriting and he was in inspirational form that night.

Plus it was our first time in the Hawk’s Well Theatre - and I just loved seeing all the teenagers up there on that stage performing their own music. And once soundchecks were over they basically ran the show themselves. Blaine Heekin and Mimi Lee keeping the show moving like pros. Even when the unexpected arose.

And the standard of the songs was so high. Rory Maitland and Luke Devaney left really excited about so many possibilities for recording songs and videos with this bunch. Plus the sense of community and friendship among this group would do your heart good.

More to come in these pages…

What’s New?

1. THEME NIGHT ACADEMY LAUNCH: A big week for us in the Theme Night Academy. Last Sunday you read about above, Thursday sees our 4th Open Mic of the year, and on Wednesday we officially launch the Academy with the help of special guest Shane Filan. More in next week’s letter.

2. DOLLY PARTON ON POINT AGAIN: “I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life, because I learned early that if you don’t, you get disappointed a lot. If you do, you might be pleasantly surprised quite often.

   I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. I re-read passages from my favorite books. I hold the little treasures that somebody special gave me. By keeping my eyes open for unexpected joys, I find the world gives back more than we sometimes think.”

3. COOLERA LIPSYNC FUNDRAISER: What a night! Surpassed all expectations. Would recommend it to anyone looking to raise a few quid.
   Nice spending it in the company of Lauren and Brian too.

Finally…

One of ‘Kieran’s choices’ for next week…

Till next time - Kieran.

Heaven…

And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak…

Dear Reader - this was the feeling I had at a gig last Friday night anyway.
But also…

The Big Thing

What a way to start the week yesterday as Kevin Egan handed over the keys of the car I get to drive for the next while.

As mentioned in a previous letter, Kevin has kindly asked me to be a brand ambassador for Peugeot and it has been a pleasure to work with him and his team so far.

As you can see, the car in question is a brand-new Peugeot 5008 and I don’t know who in our house has been more excited to try it out!

No bus to school for my daughter this morning - she wanted a spin and was busy figuring out which friends she would invite so we could use all 7 seats. My son sat in on the handover so he could show me how to use the amazing technology, and Sinéad is in love with the heated steering-wheel!

It really is a great family car and I look forward to spinning around in it over the coming months.

Where else but Sligo?

This is Kenya.

A member of our Theme Night Academy, she wrote and performed a beautiful song called Frames at last year’s Young Songwriter’s Showcase.

Our team of Rory Maitland, Luke Devaney and James McManus have been making some magic around the song and music video and we look forward to presenting it to you all in the coming days.

We hope to premiere it at this year’s Young Songwriters’ Showcase - taking place in the Hawk’s Well Theatre this Sunday 26th Jan at 8pm.

And it’s the biggest yet!
Steve Wickham presented a masterclass on songwriting before Christmas and something must have been in the water that night, because more than 20 new songs from our Theme Night Academy musicians are coming your way this Sunday night.

Tickets here.

What’s New?

1. TRAD JAZZ: I saw a gig on Friday that reminded me of the joy I get from this music. Trumpet, piano, drums and an hour of heaven. What’s more I got chatting to the piano player and he is in college in Birmingham with Teenage Theme Night graduate and former student Conor Bastible. Small world!

2. PLAYLIST: We also discovered the secret to a good playlist that night - pick great artists - not necessarily A-listers but great nonetheless. Then don’t pick their hits, but maybe a lesser known album track. That way the listener can immediately recognise the quality of the music yet still experiences mystery due to not recognising every song or artist.

3. COOLERA LIPSYNC FUNDRAISER: OK they have excelled on the pitch over the last few months - let’s see what their on-stage credentials are like! It should be a great night of fun - and I might even do one or two myself. All for two good causes. Tickets via the QR code below.

Finally…

Some of the finest ever players of trad jazz.
Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Ray Bron and Ed Thigpen.

Till next time - Kieran.

To win just once…

Dear Reader - is it ever enough?!

The Big Thing

It was an exciting day in Dublin yesterday as we set up shop for lessons in a new Dublin venue. Wesley House is a beautiful spot near the canal in Leeson Park - close to Donnybrook, Ballsbridge and Ranelagh.
My colleagues Joy Feehily and Paddy Keyes will be looking after the lessons there and it’s great to see so many local students interested already.

Thanks to Don, Paula and everyone in Wesley House who have helped us get started. We still have a few places left for this term here and in Clontarf if any of you dear readers have friends or family nearby.

Where else but Sligo?

All of a sudden we’re just three weeks out from Theme Night #36 - Kieran’s Choice.
And thank you all for your support - bar a handful on Thursday it seems like the Wednesday night is the only night for which there are tickets left.

I’ll be going into this theme in a bit more depth next week, but today’s good news for anyone who still has to buy tickets is that we have a big visiting artist announcement for - yes you guessed it - the Wednesday and Thursday shows.

This band are quick movers. They only formed last October and already they have played the Late Late show, had a couple of Tiktok videos reach 1 million views, announced a 15-date Irish tour as well as a couple of huge announcements coming shortly!

And - if you look closely at the picture below you’ll see Sligo drummer Sam Purcell on the left. Many of us have marvelled at Sam’s talent for years now and so it’s great to see him as a core member of a band playing great music and going places!

And as part of that journey they will be in Sligo with us on February 5 and 6.
Get your tickets here!

What’s New?

1. HWT SEASON LAUNCH: A big night in the Hawk’s Well theatre tomorrow evening (Wed 15th) as the January season is launched. I’m really looking forward to it, especially to a performance from Theme Night Academy member Kenya Carr.

2. HOUSEWIFE OF THE YEAR: I loved this film when I saw it late last year. I see it’s being shown in the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon tomorrow night (also Wed 15th), and while I was on their website I also noticed my friends The Kings of Cool have a big gig there this Sat 18th.

3. COOLERA’S RUN COMES TO AN END: I’m not going to attempt to analyse the game here - it’s not that type of forum. However part of the joy of this season for me has been watching former teammates and friends lead and be at the helm of what the club has achieved this year. John McPartland, Con O’Meara, Barry Doyle, Neil Carew, Gerry McCarroll, Micky Downs, Stephen Carty. They have done themselves proud, and this interview with Con is a wonderful example of what I’m talking about. Shoutout to true professional Sligo man Micheál O’Domhnaill asking the questions too.

Finally…

When Davy Carton of the Saw Doctors saw this version he was so blown away that he wrote online that it made his career as a musician worthwhile. Have a listen and you’ll see what he meant.

Till next time - Kieran.

The most wonderful time of the year…

Dear Reader - I do love a bit of January…

The Big Thing

5 fingers, 5 pianos, 5 locations!

Learn to play piano by ear with our 8-level structured and progressive learning curriculum.

Now enrolling for a new term of lessons in Strandhill, Rathcormac, Boyle, and Dublin (Clontarf and Donnybrook).

More here.

Where else but Sligo?

“Ye have a great community spirit out in Ransboro”.

I have heard this said many times over the years - and often when people say it they are referring to the Coolera Dramatic Society gang. A crew of local people who set up the society over 50 years ago and have contributed hugely to the community and beyond since. There are many larger than life characters in said crew, including one Jim Doyle.

Now Jim would be known well in table quiz circles throughout the county, but in Coolera he is known primarily for his famous annual car treasure hunt. It takes place over the Christmas period and I wrote about it in a letter this time last year. Jim and I are pictured below with fellow treasure hunt enthusiasts Sinéad and Sorcha.

I am writing about it today because Jim officially retired as chief treasure-hunt-setter after this year’s hunt, and somehow I ended up as his successor!

This is actually a huge honour - we have participated in the hunt for over 20 years now and Jim’s hunts are works of art. I don’t say that lightly. So much work goes into them and he manages to flummox some of the brightest minds in the area year after year. I have no idea how I’m going to follow his legacy but I look forward to trying and I will be inviting you all to take part in it next December!

What’s New?

1. NO CROWS ON TOUR: Still have great memories of these guys playing at our wedding! They’re on tour this month.
   Sat 18th January 2025 - Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda
   Fri, 24th January 2025 - Celtic Connections, the Hug and Pint, Glasgow
   Fri, 31st January 2025, 8pm - Monroe’s Galway

2. JUST WRITE! “There is someone out there with a wound in the exact shape of your words”. Nicely said James Clear!

3. ALL ROADS LEAD TO BREFFNI PARK: All-Ireland club semi-final. Cuala v Coolera-Strandhill. Sat Jan 11 @5pm. I enjoyed this preview.

Finally…

The Crows!

Till next time - Kieran.

Lots of new and lots of fun...

Dear Reader - Firstly thanks for reading all year.!
Once again this letter’s readership has grown in 2024 and it’s great for me to see that so many of you enjoy it from week to week.

I’d like to wish you all the very best for 2025. If possible don’t just fall into it.
Take some time to reflect, figure out what you’d like to change and then attack it!

The Big Thing

The 5 most-read letters of 2024…

• August - Introducing the Theme Night Academy - one of our biggest announcements of the year.

• August - Level 8 - what the last level of our piano curriculum looks like, plus a story of losing car keys on Streedagh beach!

• October - Taking lessons again - I contacted a UK-based piano player to see if he would take me on for some lessons. Thankfully he did!

• January - The whole shack shimmies - pre-Theme Night #33 excitement!

• March - Beginnings - Our Theme Announcement for Vicar St.

Where else but Sligo?

Siblings Mícheál and Eimear Kearney have been friends of our family for a long time now. And after a busy Christmas, an invitation on Sat 28th to Bree’s to see Whatever Suits with them was just what I needed.
And it turned out to be quite the night - filled with Teenage Theme Night nostalgia and a wonderful way to round off the year.

Firstly the band rocked. Clever setlist, great musicianship, and a lively crowd that were there to see them and enjoy every minute. There were 8 in the band too - so a big sound and lots to enjoy!

And Ken McDonald you would have been proud - your former students Sam Purcell and Michael Campbell switching over and back between drums and percussion without a hint of an ego on show. Both having a great time - so good to see.

James McManus’ first gig back in a couple of months and he managed to turn the guitar up all the way to 11. Pulling faces as only he can.
Fraser Gaine mischievous throughout and magically produced two spare saxophones at the end of the night for Tom Ryan and Niamh Keaveney to join him.

The two Stephens (McGurrin and O’Dowd) at the back of the stage holding it all down but still finding their moments to make their mark.

Claire Loftus was my first ever star piano student. She went off to music college in Cork and I hadn’t heard her play in years. So nice to hear how her playing has developed (wow!) and to chat to her afterwards.
And Sean ‘Cabbage’ Callaghan fronting it all with his unique presence and charm. His voice disappearing fast but like John Lennon recording Twist and Shout he kept finding one last show of strength to keep the crowd rocking.

I had this wonderful wholesome feeling throughout. Watching a bunch of young musicians up there doing their thing and doing it so well. All smiling and in the moment. And on top of that there were so many of their Teenage Theme Night friends in the audience. It was a proper scene. Everyone out for the music.

Thanks for the invitation guys!

What’s New?

1. 2025 PLANS: It’s going to be a big one. Lots of new and lots of fun. Looking forward to sharing it with you all.

2. JIM DOHERTY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: I advertised this last week but it was even better than I thought. Listen back here.

3. MY FAVOURITE RECORDING MOMENT OF 2024: Thanks Niall McCabe for the memory, and to Luke Rory James and Joy for capturing it.

Finally…

My favourite song to listen to this year - from letter 186…

Till next time - Kieran.