The new three-part RTÉ documentary series Face The Music follows exceptionally gifted students and their teachers at the Royal Irish Academy of Music during a pivotal year in its 175-year history.
We join RIAM director, Deborah Kelleher at the start of the new academic year as she deals with significant delays to the academy's €25 million building project due to the pandemic and the rising costs of building materials. But the show must go on!
When practice really does make perfect 😮👏
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) June 19, 2023
Meet the students and teachers of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in a new 3-part observational documentary series following the academy during a pivotal year in its 175 year history.#FaceTheMusic starts this Thursday at 10.15pm pic.twitter.com/zwsIEFmaqY
If classical music seemed elitist in the past, Deborah is doing her utmost to break down barriers and make it accessible to everybody. This is still a world that strives for perfection, however and the demands on students are significant...
Below, Deborah Kelleher shares the inspiration behind Face The Music...
Love at first meet: Since its establishment in 1848, the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) has played a pivotal role in shaping Ireland's musical landscape. On my first day of work at RIAM, I immediately fell in love with its incredible staff and students. Every day, I have enjoyed the privilege of witnessing the extraordinary dedication and passion for music that resonates within these walls.
A symphony of talent and commitment: If our walls could speak, they would sing out with the stories of the many, many thousands of young people who gave it their musical all. Whether their aspirations lie in conquering international stages or achieving personal milestones as amateur enthusiasts, their journeys are the real story of the RIAM. I am proud of the young musicians featured in this documentary series, as they reflect the highs and lows you can experience, and the sacrifices you make, when you dedicate yourself to musical study.
Front Row (L to R) Daire and Rossa
Newton's apple, Kelleher’s plaster: The one aspect of RIAM I didn't love when I started was our building on Westland Row. Though it possessed buckets of Georgian charm, it was inadequate for our needs and didn't match our ambitions. I vividly remember sitting with a visiting professor in 2015 when a chunk of plaster fell off the wall at my feet! Not quite a Eureka moment, but I knew we had to think big, take a breath, and transform our campus. We had to make real progress for our students and staff, for RIAM to match the best conservatoires internationally. Enter the biggest challenge in the RIAM's history: a building project to more than double our footprint, make our campus accessible to all, and include a recital hall to rival any recital venue worldwide.
Timing is everything in music: We began the build in May 2020, just when we all started to realise that COVID wasn't a three-week 'flu. The pandemic added to the challenges of the build, from delays to rising costs and problems getting supplies from around the world.
Front (L to R) Oscar, Andrew, Rossa, Daire, Maitiu, Riona and Clara
Resilience and triumph in harmony: While I grappled to meet these challenges, I had a lovely TV crew marking the building's progress - or, at times, the lack of it! I became all too familiar with standing in front of the camera and explaining why we hadn't YET opened the building! At the end of the day, I am delighted that this journey, with its many challenges, was documented alongside the journey of our young musicians, with both experiencing ups and downs throughout the year. Life has its challenges, and resilience is an important skill we learn through music. If we can support each other, not be too hard on ourselves, and enjoy the moments of triumph (whether it be music, sport or any field of creativity), then great things can happen.
You are cordially invited: The RIAM is an institution not just for our students, but for Ireland. We have concerts, workshops, classes and more musical experiences across the year, which I hope will appeal to lots of people. I invite you to come to RIAM and experience an institution alive with musical energy!
Face the Music will air on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from Thursday 22nd June at 10.15pm - catch up afterwards via RTÉ Player.
