Arts Bill People 

Every Irish person can regard Irish traditional music as "their own", but this is true in only a limited sense. It is part of their natural birthright and in that sense it belongs to all Irish people. But it is also part of the world's heritage and belongs in a similar sense to every human being.

As to the more concrete sense of ownership meaning having the right to make dispositions regarding the music, or to modify it - we would suggest that this should be thought of as being vested collectively in the community of players, those sufficiently interested in the music to learn and perform it, or even to regularly seek it out to listen to it. This idea is suggested only as a valid way of codifying or describing the situation which actually obtains, so that it may be more easily understood and discussed. It is in no way intended as exclusionary. Access to, and consequently proprietorial rights over Irish traditional music, is entirely commensurate with the effort any individual expends in seeking it out. The relationship we have suggested is an imaginary construct, but, if granted as valid, it will inform all thinking on the subject and guide activists and legislators alike towards sound measures in support of the music.

Measures taken in support of initiatives or activities conducted by traditional musicians themselves are likely to prove helpful and successful. Measures taken in support of outside interests are likely to serve only those interests. Among outside interests we would include the tourist industry, the media, the entertainment business and even traditional music organisations themselves if they are being used to pursue agendas not connected with music.

Such agendas have always been present. There have been attempts by nationalist individuals and organisations to co-opt traditional music and musicians for hundreds of years. The United Irishmen's enthusiastic support for the Belfast Harp Festival was an early example. They believed that a sense of cultural distinctiveness would assist their programme of achieving political independence.

There are always politically motivated people who see traditional music as an extension of their own interests, rather than as having interests of its own. Their actions will always be designed to forward political objectives first and, possibly, but not necessarily, the good of the music as well. Often the music is harmed by the pursuit of political objectives.

Traditional music is currently in the hands of tens of thousands of musicians, singers, dancers and listeners, throughout Ireland, the Irish diaspora and among the non-Irish in all parts of the world who have taken it up.

By simply playing it they are performing the most basic task of care for the music, and are maintaining it as a modern music. Traditional musicians do not seek to "re-enact" something that happened fifty or a hundred years ago. Each rendition is a new creation that instantly modernises the piece being performed.

There are however needs that go beyond the simple performance of the music and which are beyond the resources of individuals. These have been identified from time to time and groups have been organised by musicians to address them.