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DkIT Welcomes Esteemed Norwegian Music Academic

29 April 2024

DkIT recently welcomed Frode Hammersland, an Associate Professor at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in Stord onto campus recently. Frode spent a week in April working with students on the BA (Hons) Music in order to explore approaches to arranging and recording music.



In addition to being a music teacher, Frode is a bass player and music producer. He graduated with a Masters in Musicianship from University of South Norway in 2006 and has played with several artists since he started playing professionally in year 2000. He performs a diversity of styles and incorporated Irish traditional music into his experience at DkIT.

Over the course of a few days, the group created new arrangements of compositions by DkIT lecturer Dr Daithí Kearney. They experimented with improvisation and the integration of musical ideas from different genres and cultures. Frode has been impressed by the talent and dedication of the students at DkIT and how they engaged with the process.

Frode is no stranger to Dundalk, first visiting DkIT in 2012 as part of an Erasmus Strategic Partnership. Last year he was part of the Echoes of Erasmus project, which brought musician educators from Ireland, Norway and Portugal together in celebration of Ireland’s membership of the European Union which was funded by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs as part of the Communicating Europe initiative.

Speaking about the weeks’ experience with Frode, final year DkIT student Rhíona McPhelim commented:

“It's been a brilliant, challenging week, full of learning and creativity. Frode's teaching and insights have really pushed our skills as a group, particularly our approach to rhythm, arranging and our strength as performers”.

Rhíona has already established a music promotion company Cobra Productions and is delighted to develop her international connections through her studies.

International student Chen Jia Ng from Malaysia said “Frode is very professional and brought great energy to the sessions”. Her classmate Gavin Gribben, who has already established himself as a Country Music star on the Irish scene commented “I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience with Frode as it allowed me to develop my musical knowledge of arranging for the banjo in a live situation with other session musicians”.

Jesssica Muldrew, who recently starred in the production Brigid, Lady of Light in An Táin Arts Centre said

“This experience with Frode has given me the opportunity to develop my double bass musicianship in a studio setting. It has been an intense but fulfilling week.”

 

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