Reconnecting with composition: Emily O’Rourke reflects on her Navigator Residency at Garter Lane Arts Centre

From the moment I entered the arts centre and met the wonderful Sile and Derek from Garter Lane, I felt I was truly in a place where art of any discipline was fully supported and allowed to flourish. Being somewhere where the artistic process is tangible, even when you are simply walking through the building, is rare and something I am genuinely grateful for.

Since beginning a master’s in music therapy, I have undergone a significant change in how and why I use music. I have found myself challenging and questioning the hardcore jazz training of my undergraduate degree. It’s made me reconsider a lot of the reasons why we use music for artistic reasons and where improvisation sits within it all. When using improvisation and music in a therapeutic context, the art form itself is almost secondary; the focus is on how the person presents themselves and approaches the idea of making sound. This had sparked the question for myself of “how am I showing up for my own music?” and the truth is, I simply wasn’t. Music and composing were becoming tools to help me help others, which is something I am still deeply passionate about, but it was disconnecting me from the artistry of music as a whole.

When I saw the applications for this residency launch earlier this year, I took it as a sign that something was calling me to sit with my music for a bit. I applied for this residency with the intention of composing music for ReRoute, a vocal and guitar duo with Rufina Tishina.

Rufina and I have worked together for a long time. Many of our compositions reflect our own personal stories and processing of life experiences. Since recording our EP in 2023 and launching it in 2024, I hadn’t composed anything for this duo. I knew that writing for this project, one rooted in honesty and storytelling, would help me re-centre and reconnect with composition. One song Rufina and I have performed together a few times, but never recorded, is “Circles.” I composed this song almost four years ago. It follows a typical jazz standard form and is always a safe place for me when performing. I decided this song needed company; it needed sister songs. Following the same compositional process as I used in “Circles,” I wrote and recorded demos for “Triangles” and “Squares” in the first two and a half days in Garter Lane. I do think the speed of those two standards being composed is in direct response to the respect and understanding Garter Lane and its staff have for the arts. During the introduction with Sile and Derek, they were very clear that they understood artistic work isn’t about the end product, it's about the process of exploring and developing. Hearing that and feeling it completely freed my mind, and the music just kept flowing.

Another aim I had for this residency was to compose a song that reflected my own perception of identity, both artistically and professionally. This song was initially slow to take shape. Songs that have particular personal themes are always a little bit more hesitant to show themselves to me. When writing for ReRoute, I sometimes write sections where I have a general image in my head of how it will go, but I don’t necessarily want it to feel or sound the same way every single time we play it. This is where my trust in Rufina comes into play. There are large sections of this song where I wrote lyrics and themes, but I did not score it in any particular way for Rufina. I want to hear her interpretation, I want to hear her identity when we perform it. Rufina has the most beautiful way of hearing what I am saying creatively, but taking it to a place I alone could never go. I am so excited to play this song live with her and share it in the future.

I spent some time wandering the city during this residency, paying particular attention to the Waterford Walls Art and visiting the Waterford Gallery of Art. I was also very fortunate to meet local composer and artistic academic Elle Wadding. A constant theme I kept encountering was that of change, and how it evolves in communities and individuals.

I decided to spend my last few days in Waterford writing a long-form piece for guitar and voice reflecting the different journeys of change I was seeing around me. I wanted to depict a journey of something strong and solid being called away to make way for something new, but the new is unknown and unsure. The final section of this piece was the slowest part to come to me. However, one evening Garter Lane very kindly offered me a ticket to see the Waterford Youth Arts’ (WYA) performance celebrating its 40th Birthday. A brochure featuring stories from current and past members of the WYA was available. Reading this, I learned that the WYA was also undergoing a considerable time of change as their founder and chairperson was taking a step back, making way for someone new. This performance concluded with all the members on stage, singing “Happy Birthday” as the founder blew out the candles alongside two young members of the WYA. The joy, pride and excitement of this community were the final inspiration for this piece. I could finally see how the new takes shape from the old.

This residency has truly been a gift. I am so grateful for the dedicated space and time to compose and remember my love for music. I am excited to take this music back with me and put it into performances and recordings. I would hugely recommend any artist to apply for IMC’s Navigator Residency in Garter Lane. Thank you to Caitriona, Louis and Aoife from IMC for all their support leading up to this residency and for running such a fantastic programme, and to Sile, Derek and all at Garter Lane for the excellent atmosphere and community they hold for artists.