Irish Times: Day 2

 Bright and early, we arrived at Tara Street. A day in the newsroom awaited us. We were soon introduced to Caroline, one of the women who works at the news desk. Her role is to sift through the many emails, faxes and press releases that the Irish Times receives on a daily basis and decide which of them are newsworthy. She then forwards these stories to the appropriate departments in the building.

At 10:30, we went to an editors meeting. Around a conference table sat a number of editors for different sections of the paper. There was a business editor, arts editor, politics editor etc. They each presented the stories that would be going into their section of the following day's paper and the stories that they would be following throughout the day to come.

 Later on in the day, we were introduced to Conor Goodman, the features editor. He is in charge of all of the content in the paper that is not news, sports or business-based. This content is found in many of the features in the paper including the 'Irish Times Magazine', the motoring supplement and 'The Ticket'. He explained that we will be going to see a movie tomorrow and will be critiquing it in our own article afterwards. 

 Following that, we sat in on another editors meeting, this time to finalise exactly what was going to be published. Each editor sat around presenting the stories that were ready to be put in the paper, and those that requires work. 

Irish Times: Day 1

This week, I am doing my work experience in the Irish Times. I am greatly privileged to have such an excellent week ahead of me.

After arriving in the paper's offices in Tara Street, we were introduced to Margaret from HR, who organised the placement. She took us on a small tour of the building. We saw the news desk, the editors, the supplements section and the canteen.

Then we all got into taxis and headed for the National Concert Hall. We were told that we would be going to see an event called 'Music in the Classroom'. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by one of the Irish Times' marketing team, who is in charge of organising these concerts. They have been running for over 25 years. 

Though I am unsure what the collective noun for a group of school children is, I'd say 'a cackle' would be quite apt. Because that's exactly what they did; chuckling and roaring non-stop throughout the 90 minute performance. The show was very entertaining, and it had everyone standing and clapping-along by the end. It featured music varying from the classical strings Tchaikovsky, to the adventurous sounds of Mission Impossible - All performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra.

After lunch, we went to the 'Little Museum of Dublin'. Though it was not my first visit to the museum, I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing the history of our capital being presented in such a jovial and rational manner.

WCDMUN

 My second MUN, yet still very daunting. Around 200 delegates representing far-flung countries including China, the Russian Federation and New Zealand.

Fueled by a potentially lethal concoction of caffeine and jelly snakes, I headed to Wesley. I can be forgiven for my antics, as the conference started on the same day that we returned from Gartan. Although we were on a mental high following the great week, physically, we were drained. Nonetheless, our delegation (which was that of the Netherlands, by the way), carried on regardless.

On Friday we split into our committees and handed in our resolutions. I was on the Economic and Social committee , or ECOSOC for short. In the last MUN conference I had attended, I had been on the disarmament committee, yet, being quite the pacifist, I couldn't handle all the talk about terrorism and guns!

It was much to my surprise when I received a note from the chairpeople informing me that my resolution was going to be discussed. Naturally, I was ecstatic - But that didn't guarantee me any success with it. We began discussing it on Friday evening at around 8. We had to pause the proceedings at 9 o'clock as it was time to go home. Fortunately, as the case may be, at that stage I was in a vegetative state of tiredness and disillusion, so for my own sake, it was a relief to go home!

Feeling rather refreshed on Saturday, we went back to the school and began discussing my resolution again. After about two hours, we reached the voting procedure. By a handful of votes, my resolution passed!

We spent the hours following drinking tea, deliberating and discussing. My committee passed another two resolutions in this time.

After lunch we went to GA (General Assembly) - I really should have a glossary for this blog post! - This was where all the delegations gathered together irrespective of which committee each delegate was on. We began discussing an emergency resolution about ISIS. A resolution about NGOs working with governments followed. Unfortunately, though we put up our placard a number of times, we were only recognised once.

It was another really enjoyable MUN, and as a delegation, we are looking forward to the next one. Well done to all of you!

RTE

Yes, I did a week of work experience during the mid-term break! - I suppose I'm seen as crazy to some and as committed to others.

 DIGITAL

On Tuesday, we went to digital. They are the section of RTE in charge of the website and RTE Player. We were part of a focus group with the team where they asked us about our online habits and about how we consume the media. They also showed us ways in which RTE were selling innovative digital ways of advertising to their clients. Their plan was to create something that is interactive and entertaining for the viewer, away from the monotonous nature of traditional ads.

RADIO

On Wednesday, we went into radio - my favourite section of the campus, narrowly beating the canteen! - We talked to Carl who works on 2XM, one of RTE's digital stations. He schedules pre-recorded shows, playlists music etc. Carl also features on 2FM's Nicky Byrne Show, where he is forced to do a variety of crazy stunts, all for the purpose of entertainment!

Then we went into 2FM, where we met Marc Mc Cabe. Before you ask, I confirmed this with him - That he is in fact the same Mark Mc Cabe of Maniac 2000 fame. Anyway, if you weren't going to ask, you now know! - Mark is the music director of 2fm. Basically this means that he picks all of the songs on the station, and categorises them based on popularity/chart positions/spotify plays etc. He then compiles them into playlists and they are broadcast on each show.

We headed downstairs to the studios, where Alan Swan, the producer of The Nicky Byrne Show, was waiting. Much to the dismay of the TY students with me, where we were informed that Nicky had left the building! - Not that I really cared all that much, I was more interested in the brand new 2fm studio. 'CC1' is looking very modern and funky, I'm sure you will agree! - Ignore the anorak jargon here!!!

Then we met Michael Cahill. He is the producer of Rick O'Shea in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I never got to ask the question I had always wanted to ask - Is Rick O'Shea a stage name? - Luckily, Google had the answer for me, and it is little but an alias. He told us about his path into radio and about the daily shenanigans on the show.

TELEVISION

On Friday we went to the television centre to see the Late Late Show being rehearsed. Unfortunately, as recording/photography was prohibited in rehearsals, I didn't get any photos. The set looks cramped in reality compared to its vastness on television. It was interesting seeing such a large team working alongside each other to produce a two hour show.

We were brought through the Fair City studios, which looked incredibly insignificant in person, much to my surprise. We heard how the show is edited as it was being filmed, which I had never realised.

We saw a number of editing suites where promos and vts were made, and where presenters dubbed and voiced their packages. These are the behind-the-scenes elements of tv that many are unaware even exist.

Here are a number of pictures of me in various studios:

                                 

CONCERT/SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

On Thursday we took the bus into the Natonal Concert Hall. Our group was taken around by the administrative director of the RTE symphony orchestra. We were told about their performances and given a brief history of the concert hall. 

We made our way into the auditorium and watched the orchestra rehearse for about 20 minutes. It was a brilliant experience hearing the great amplification of the acoustic instruments playing together.

Reflection

It was a really brilliant four days at the country's public service broadcaster and I envy everyone that gets to work in such an exciting and varied environment.

The Role of Music in the Civil Rights Movement

 In this project, I will investigate the role that music played in the civil rights movement. I will be examining why music was such a powerful medium in securing justice for African Americans, I will discuss a number of famous events which involved music during the civil rights movement and study four songs from the period in detail.

 Why Music?

It stems from the 1800s, when black slaves sung together while they worked and night.

 In a country so oppressed, where black people didn't have the right to vote, couldn't go to the same schools as white people or couldn't use the same means of transport as whites, African Americans were demoralized. Singing provided a happiness, a safe haven away from the violence, a feeling of community. Music gave black people the voice that they didn't have.

Black people sung in groups. Communities were united. Each person was reminded that they were not alone, they stood together in the fight against injustice and inequality. This gave them hope. Equally, it also showed the powers that be in government that American citizens were not willing to tolerate any racist policies. The songs were weapons, tools against oppression. Politicians recognised this.

 Songs are populist. Enjoyed by both races, it was hoped that the white people would be exposed to these songs enough in order that they recognise the true pleas hidden among the lyrics. The songs were thought-provoking, and encouraged white people to fight against the injustices in their own nation. As a result, it became an extremely powerful tool against oppression. In some cases, music was the catalyst for change. It showed white people the

The call and response style of singing was common at the time. It involved a lead singer singing a line, followed by a group of singers singing a response to that line. While each singer may have felt afraid, sad, pitiful, this arrangement.

Rhythm and Blues was an up-and-coming genre in the 1950s. Pioneered by African American's , it showcased the hurt and fear among the black community across the United States.

Notable events in the Civil Rights Movement involving Music

 March on Washington - African Americans from all over the country unite in Washington to protest. They ask the government for change, for rights and for. Martin Luther King delivers his powerful 'I Have a Dream' speech. The soundtrack for the day was performed by Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Mahalia Jackson, among others. The crowds chant, cheer and cry at the moving scenes of the day. They are united in song, bringing them hope and

 Montgomery Bus Boycott - After the simple, yet remarkable act of Rosa Parks, the city of Montgomery was in protest. African Americans would gather together and sing for equality, sing to see the end of segregation, sing in hope that the situation would change. One of the songs that they chanted together was 'We are Soldiers in the Army'. This was a church hymn which was adapted for the purpose of political protest. The powerful lyrics referencing death and . It used the call and response technique, meaning that the protesters followed a lead singer and responded to their chants.

 Funeral of Martin Luther King - African Americans had lost their leader. He was their main representative in the civil rights movement. They banded together for this touching ceremony. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson and - sang to pay tribute to their inspirational peaceful leader.

 Selma to Montgomery Marches - Black people walked the 54 mile journey between Selma and Montgomery, protesting for the right to vote. Musicians including Nina Simone, Sammy Davis Jr. and Harry Belafonte accompanied the protesters. The marches led to a landmark achievement in the civil rights movement, as the Voting Rights Act was passed into law in 1965.

Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the Wind

 I will start with a song written by a white singer-songwriter. I feel that a lot of the time, a segregated America is presented to us in such a way that, it is almost as if blacks and whites would not see eye-to-eye. This is definitely a misinterpretation of the situation. This song proves it incorrectly. Bob Dylan, a white musician, showed great concern towards the injustices faced by African American's in his country. This song became an iconic part of the civil rights movement.

Bob Dylan himself is cryptic when it comes to disclosing the true meaning of the song. America, many black people in 1960s America would have felt it was written for them. The opening line reads:

"How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man?"

 This lends itself to those suffering injustices, the victims of racial inequality and those seeking equal rights. Yet it was not necessarily written about the civil rights movement in the states, more so about the world's problems. Nonetheless, it was adopted by African Americans searching for equitability, and became symbolic of the civil rights movement.

"How many years can some people exist, Before they're allowed to be free?"

 This line may be referring to the freedom marches across America. Where black people, young and old, had gathered together to protest for their rights. Songs similar to this were chanted at these marches.

"How many times can a man turn his head, Pretending he just doesn't see?"

 It is possible that this line may be referring to the ignorance of America. This line suggests that Americans were aware of their ignorance and wrongdoing, but preferred to pay little heed to the problem. It is only when a person stands out from the crowd with the courage to acknowledge this wrongdoing, that change will come. Dylan uttered those powerful words in order to do so.

"How many deaths will it take till he knows, That too many people have died?"

 It is possible that this line is also referring to the ignorance of the nation. Questioning and recognising the injustices, this song and others like it were the catalyst for change. White people heard the lyrics; they confessed their iniquity and felt the pain of their black.

This song was just one of a number that Bob Dylan composed highlighting the injustices faced by black people.

In 1973, following what he believed to be the wrongful conviction of black boxer Rubin Carter. Carter was jailed for shooting a number of customers in a bar in 1966. Dylan released 'The Hurricane' nine years later, protesting the boxers' innocence. Carter, who passed away last April, was eventually freed by petition in 1985.

Dylan released the album 'The Times they are A-changin'. It compiled eight ballads dealing with the themes of poverty, social divide and racism.

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

 Sam Cooke was a black gospel singer. After hearing Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in The Wind' he was inspired to write a song about racial segregation in America, and so, 'A Change is Gonna Come' was born. Cooke was amazed that Dylan, a white songwriter, could capture the emotions of black people so perfectly in writing 'Blowin' in the Wind'. Based on Cooke's impression of white people being ignorant and racist, he could not understand how someone like Dylan would be so empathetic and understanding to African Americans.

This heartfelt masterpiece became one of the most iconic songs of the civil rights movement.

The song is emotive. Cooke is speaking on behalf of all black people. The singer himself had been denied access to a room in a motel on the basis that he was black. He felt the pain of his African American counterparts, day-by-day he had experienced injustices. This enables him to compose such an impassioned song.

Cooke was taking a completely different tone when writing this track. A gospel singer, a number of his singles had peaked in the pop charts. But it was in 1964 that he wrote a political ballad. He was addressing social issues in a clear-cut manner. This was a brave and courageous move to do, and came as a shock to many of his fans, some of whom would have been white.

"Oh there been times that I thought I couldn't last for long, But now I think I'm able to carry on"

 This line is significant. It marks the perseverance of African Americans. Their triumph over hardship. It is celebrating the fact that black people are uniting together, which is marking the start of a social revolution.

"But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will"

 Though the song is dealing with a massive social problem, it manages to maintain a positive tone. In this line, Cooke is certain that change beckons, it is only but a matter of time. This hopeful attitude makes the song quite remarkable.

We Shall Overcome

 This is probably the most iconic protest song of all time. After being chanted at numerous marches across the nation, it became the anthem of the civil rights movement.

Originally a song sung by black slaves, it was titled "I'll be alright someday". This was sung at churches under the title of "I'll Overcome Someday". From the church pews to picket lines, the song began being used at political rallies. The lyric soon morphed into 'We Shall Overcome'. The plural 'we' represented black, and white people coming together to fight injustice.

We shall overcome has become iconic of the American civil rights movement. But there are few tracks that can boast to have featured in liberation movements around the globe. This is quite possibly, the world's best well-known protest song.

It has a universal meaning. The simple, yet poignant lyrics can be understood by everyone, and it can be used in numerous contexts. For example, it became used during the Northern Irish peace process.

Joan Baez recorded a version of 'We shall overcome'. She performed an iconic rendition of the song at the March on Washington in August 1963. Both blacks and whites were united in song to tackle inequality.

In a presentation to congress, American president Lyndon Johnson quoted the protest song:

"Their cause must be our cause too. Because it is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome."

 This represented the influence that the music of the time had on politics during the civil rights movement. Lyndon Johnson was to issue the Civil Rights Act 1964, banning segregation and giving black people the right to vote.

Billy Holiday - Strange Fruit

It was originally a poem, but Holiday set it to music in 1939.  It was a brave move for her to do so. The song refers the mass-lynching of black people in southern America. The dead black bodies are compared to fruit hanging from trees in an horrific metaphor.

"Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black body swinging in the Southern breeze"

Though it is only three verses long, the song is haunting. The gruesome lyrics portray the emotion. The dead bodies are compared to fruit, as they hang from a tree.

"Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh, And the sudden smell of burning flesh!"

The exotic trees and aromatic landscape is used as a contrast to the grim, lifeless bodies.

This is possibly one of the most macabre songs of the time. It deals with a serious theme, and presents it to us in a frightful manner.

The track has since been covered numerous times. My favourite cover version is that of Nina Simone. A black jazz artist, she had a unique style of singing in which she conveyed great emotion and sentiment through her voice.

Simone wrote 'Mississippi Goddam' , an upbeat track describing the issues of the . The song itself makes reference to the 16th street church bombings in Birmingham, in which four young girls were killed. There was outrage at the time, as church was seen as a sacred oasis, free from violence. Nina Simone captured peoples emotion and anger when she composed the song.

European Youth Parliament

Last weekend I attended the European Youth Parliament in Athlone. Teenagers from all over the country had come together for a weekend of debating, politics and collaboration. I was part of the committee on International Trade.

We got together on Friday in Athlone where we separated into our committees and began team building games. Within an hour, we knew each other's names. Next, we began to solve a number of puzzles together.

After a 7 hour sleep, we congregated again in the Marist College. We divided into our groups and began to work on our resolutions. Each person in my committee was given a couple of post-it notes and we were told to write down ideas we had that we could put in the resolution. We then discussed the pros and cons of each idea, and ruled a number out. In record time, after much deliberation and far too many tea breaks, we drafted our resolution. The topic of our resolution was about policies that the EU could implement to unite its citizens. It was a very broad topic, so our resolution encompassed solutions to a number of problems - we were proposing a flight card to offer discounts to those working/studying abroad, a standard VAT rate across member states, improved internet infrastructure in the EU and improved teaching of foreign languages.

After drafting the document, we had a vote on who would be presenting it before the General Assembly. I was chosen to make a speech describing the resolution and encouraging people to vote for it.

On Sunday, we gathered together in our suits at General Assembly. I had spent hours the night before writing my speech. Fueled by coffee, I was ready to debate, vote and reject a number of resolutions. I spoke rejecting a number of proposals made by different committees and made a speech against a resolution on cartels in Europe.

Then it was our turn - I had to make my speech. All of our team was on high alert - ready to reject the comments of other committees and encourage people to vote for our resolution. I must admit, much to our surprise - our resolution was passed through GA! We were ecstatic.

At six o'clock on Sunday it was time to go home. We sat through the emotional closing ceremony and exchanged goodbyes with the new friends we had made. It was a great experience. Meeting new people and working with them. I definitely feel that I have improved how I work in a team through attending the EYP. I can't wait to go back in March!

Gael Linn Radio Course

This week I am doing a radio course in Irish. Seeing as I have an interest in radio, I decided to do the Gael Linn broadcasting course. The week-long course is presented through Irish and takes place in the organisation's offices on Dame Street.

Naturally, I was a bit anxious going this on Monday. Meeting new people, learning new things, visiting new places - all in a different language! But my worries were just going astray. I was welcomed into Gael Linn by Martina, who asked me my name and where I was from. I waited till other students arrived and then headed upstairs where I was introduced to Daragh. Daragh was running the course. It was straight down to business, and we were told exactly what to expect over the next five days.

 In the morning, we went through a dictionary of Irish words that related to broadcasting. Daragh told us that this vocabulary would be essential throughout the rest of the week. We talked about different sources of news that newspapers used and watched the TG4 evening news.

After a short break we broke into groups where we wrote a press release.

On Tuesday, we split into groups and prepared our radio shows. We decided to do a show on teenage voting and if 16 year old's should have the right to vote. We then hit the streets and recorded a vox pop as gaeilge.

Wednesday was the day that we recorded our shows. At eleven, we went to the studios of Raidio na Life. Unfortunately, our main anchor presenter was sick. So, just in time, I had to stand in for her. We had a huge job re-writing the scripts and changing features. Nonetheless our show was recorded an hour later.

On Thursday, we started our second project. We started making our short film. We split into new groups and brainstormed. My group decided to make a modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet. We were each assigned characters and we began scripting the film.

Tomorrow, we will record the movie.