I'll let this one speak for itself...

It means so much that you're here and enjoying my music.  It's been quite the journey I have to say...

I'd love to share a little about why it's so special you are part of this journey:

My journey out of creative isolation has been a slow and clumsy one.  It’s taken me years to get to a point where I’m willing to reach out to people and share more of my work.  It feels really nice I must say.

In my final year of school I experienced an unexpected desire to go to ‘Rock School’ in Ballyfermot, Dublin.  This came as a surprise to both myself and my parents because as yet I had displayed very little musical ability.  I knew a few basic covers on guitar and I didn’t really like to sing.  I just loved music.  To this day I have no idea how I passed the audition.  I think they must have been low on applicants that year and I was merely padding.   

I had a terrible time at school so I was thrilled to finally find my oddball tribe.  I joined a few bands, bought a coat like Pennie Lane from Almost Famous and bluffed my way through the two years.  Given that it was a music course we only really had to perform at the end of each year, which suited me down to the ground.  I loved the camaraderie of being in a band and hanging out practicing, but I would have been happy to keep doing that forever and never play any actual gigs.

After college I decided to try writing more of my own material with a view to doing a few open mics.  At this point my stage fright was unbearable so I sought the services of a hypnotherapist who would record our sessions on cassette, and I would listen in between sessions.  I managed one open mic which was well received.  I was cured!  I optimistically agreed to return a few weeks later, however this time I flopped.  With my ego badly bruised I vowed never to perform again, and so began my self inflicted exile which would last for over a decade.  

My saving grace was learning music technology basics in Ballyfermot.  A friend gave me some recording software and I acquired a simple pre-amp and mic set up.  To this day I’m still using the same computer programme.  I made the decision to carry on making music and harness social media to try and reach people.  I turned to music videos and art as mediums to present my work in a way that felt safe in its indirectness.  Eventually I pieced together my first album which took me an eon to finish as I was totally skint.  Due to my unrelenting awkwardness I had a very low key launch as part of a group art show. I invited no one and only performed one song twice!  

There's a little more to the story (which I'll share with you a few days from now); but I want to say if you've had similar struggles, or there's a voice in your head holding you back, there is a way through!  Though the way may be long, keep going.

Thank you for for being here,

Slán,

Mary