Congratulations to Margaret Houlihan who has been nominated in Music Tutor of the Year sponsored by Creative Scotland Youth Music Initiative in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2024. Vote for Margaret Houlihan now!. It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 30th November in Inverness Leisure. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Margaret of Margaret Houlihan the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
I'm originally from Co.Cork, in Ireland, and got into Scottish music through my father who is the pipe major of Cullen Pipe Band. From a young age he encouraged me to take up the bagpipes and I became a member of the band.
I started teaching piping as a teenage in Cullen and when I was 17 I moved to Scotland after being accepted into the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) Piping Degree course.
Shortly after moving to Scotland, I joined Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia pipe band and I also competed regularly in the Scottish solo piping scene.
After graduating from the RCS, I became a piping instructor at the National Piping Centre, in Glasgow, and I'm still enjoying it 25 years on.
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
My involvement in Scottish music began from a young age. My father plays the bagpipes and the piano accordion, which meant I heard a lot of Scottish music growing up. As my love of Scottish music grew, I decided to try to make a career in something that I enjoyed so much. I get a lot of joy from teaching and helping students, regardless of age and regardless of level, and teaching piping has become a real passion for me. Having grown up in a very remote area of Ireland, good piping tuition was not readily available and I had to resort to recording myself on a tape and then posting the tape to Scotland for feedback from a piping teacher. With advances in online teaching platforms, being able to teach Scottish music to anyone who wants to learn, regardless of location, has never been easier and is something I enjoy passing on.
Any particular career highlights?
Winning the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championships with Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band in 2000 and also winning the Silver Medal as a soloist at The Northern Meetings, Inverness, in 2007. Returning to my home band, Cullen, and winning the World Pipe Band Championships with them in 2007 was a real highlight for my family and for the community of Cullen. A more recent highlight was returning to play with Shotts & Dykehead pipe band after 22 years.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to continue teaching and performing and I look forward to traveling and experiencing new places and meeting new people along the way. I will also continue to nurture my son's musical interests as they progress with their musical journeys, with Callum on piano and Rory on pipes.
Margaret Houlihan Social Media
Website: https://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/
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The 2024 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 30th November 2024 in Inverness Leisure Centre! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here). Watch it live in the UK at 9pm (GMT) on BBC ALBA and and around the world here. Bands performing on Saturday 30th November include Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish, Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr, Highland Young Musicians and Arc Fiddlers, An Dannsa Dub, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award winner 2024 Calum McIlroy and more!
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here.
