Hey everybody. It's your favorite Hip-Hop/Irish Music man you love to rip on. But I'm not here for that this time. I'm here asking for help as I make a transition. Myself anf my life-partner and our friend are going to take a shot at living in Ireland starting in June 2005. I myself have been there twice for the fleadh where I competed. But I know that was not nearly enough time to get a stable sense of Ireland. I am from Chicago and I know there is an ocean and world of difference between us.
I am moving to Dublin for now as that is a big city and I am used to that...I was thinking of trying to teach bodhran over there or even try and do some hip hop stuff(no matter what you guys think there are people who love hip hop all over the world). I don't want to get a regular job as me and my life partner are trying to do very ambitious things musically. We do want to fuse Irish and Hip hop music as well as other kinds and tour the country. We want to know about anyone interested in doing anything like that. We are visitors in Ireland and we are depending on you guys to help us(not every American is like Bush). We do really political hip hop and r&b..alot of screw Bush and lets get right with each other and the world type music. So we need anyone in Ireland or close to open up resourses like studios, time, ideas, etc....
My life partner is also into spoken word. She is very known here in Chicago. She has been on countless slam teams and has coached youth and adult slam teams. She was on this season of Def Poetry Jam. She was the thick girl running in place(if you had time to catch it). She is also into rape survivor advocacy. She works in the schools teaching youth about rape and how to both avoid it and also how not to inflict it. So she is looking for things like that to do in Ireland.
I don't know what my image is on this forum. But i'm very humble especailly when I am going to someone elses home(again we hate Bush). I know a lot of people do not see eye to eye with me, but I get that in Chicago...trust me. I am looking for help, not to fight or discuss politics about hip hop this time. So any help would much be appriciated. Thank You in advance.
Best of luck to you GRY, I hope you both find a niche for your talents, but I suspect your knowledge of Ireland is very sparse, so you should be prepared for some major culture changes before you come over.
Hip Hop isn't a big thing in Ireland, and in fact its fair to say that ITM is'nt a huge thing either. Many of the best musicians struggle to make a decent living, and there is'nt a big live music circuit here.
Dublin isn't a big city, in relation to Chigago anyway, and despite what you read in the popular press, we don't really hate Mr. Bush, we just like to pretend that we're perfect and have high standards!
Congrats on the move. I did the same myself and it was the best thing I ever did. But from reading your post, I don't get the impression that you have a visa/job/work permit.....? If you are leaving in June, you have some time to explore these things if you already haven't. But if you are an American going to stay in Ireland without any plans for getting a 'real' job, you may have to do some explaining to the immigration office.
As an American who lived in Dublin for about 2 years (and loved it), I would advise you not to spend a lot of time broadcasting your American-ness or apologizing for GW Bush, etc....Just be yourself, and get to know Dublin and Dubliners. And be careful too, cause there are some pretty rough areas in and around Dublin, but I suppose that's true about Chicago as well so keep your eyes peeled as city people tend to do anyway.
I disagree with you Backer, Irish music is huge here and that is not maybe. And I would think that most Irish people hate Bush, only the Irish government seems to like him.
Gry, forget about teaching the drum or is this a bit of a pxss take?
I'd say ITM is big in Ireland all right. I can't think of anywhere else I could go for 5 weeks and find great sessions everynight.
As for Gry moving to Dublin -- it's will be interesting to seelocal musicians there accept someone who promotes himself as "the best" and boasts about himself so freely. You very rarely will see Irish musicians doing this... well, I suppose there are a couple of exceptions, but they don't receive much respect for being that way.
BTW... I noticed that about the Irish government too John. (I listened to chat shows on the radio and followed the news while I was cooking) But I couldn't find one person I met while I was there that even began to like Bush.
a) It's fairly expensive to live in Ireland these days.
b) Income taxes are a bit higher than you'd find in the US.
For example:
Single Taxpayers
Personal tax credits of €1,520
Income Tax after subtracting deductions from total pay:
20% on the first € 28,000 (That's about $36,500 today)
42% on the balance
$36,000 may sound like a lot of cash, but after that first 20% tax bite, your at 22,000 euros and some change. And remember, cost of living is quite high there.
Well, OK, I guess I only assumed you'd be paying taxes. But if you don't, well, if you think the USA's IRS is tough, you won't want to meet "The Revenue" man over there.
Compaqjohn, with respect, I said Irish music isn't huge here. I believe that to be true in the context of making a living at it, and in the the amount of radio play it gets, and in the number of people who play it in relation to the number who play other music genres . I live in Kilkenny, and I believe this to be true of 20 or more of the 26 counties. Fair enough if you live in Clare or Galway or even parts of Roscommon or Mayo, there are magic places where ITM is king.
But I know too many talented people who have tried, and failed to make a living at it. And please remember, this is all in the context of two people going to up roots and head over here, full of enthusiasm, and naievity.
I think your last line says a lot about the real world of ITM. Face it or not John, the club we belong to is rather small and exclusive.
What I'm wondering is why this has sparked an immature debate versus actually generating resources and assistance?
It speaks to a certain level of self-centeredness and snobbery that any one of you who are coming at us with all of this negativity could even dream to speak for all of Ireland.
All I was asking for was insight...not insult.
And I dare any one of you to copy and paste a post from me that states that I think that I'm the best.
When I visited Ireland, both times, it was the people of Ireland who welcomed me, fed me, played with me and then proclaimed that I was the best. The impression that I got of Ireland, while limited, was so positive that I'm willing to go there and try my best. I feel more of a kinship there than I do in America.
Why is that being shouted down in favor of your own personal prejudices and fear?
Your attitudes on this website are completely contradictory to what I experienced in Ireland. I hope that when I get there, I continue to connect with those who made my journey so great last time and that I avoid the likes of you.
So, if anyone actually has any concrete information that could actually be of any assistance, I'll be much obliged. And for those of you who have given solid advice, I give you sincere thanks.
*sigh* "What I'm wondering is why this has sparked an immature debate versus actually generating resources and assistance?"
Possibly because you have chosen to specialize in fields that are controversial and tend to spark debate and strong feelings? (Whether it's immature or not, I suppose, is a judgement I'm not willing to make right now.)
Ah, gry... you're going to need thicker skin than that boyo.
But In answer to your question... getting wisdom out of us wise denizens of the yellowboard is a simple thing. Simple, but tricky.
You see, it's like the story of the two men seeking enlightenment from the super-enlightened monks who live on the top of the mystical mountain with the snow on the top, where the cherry blossoms are always in bloom...
One of the men was poor, the other rich. The rich man, needing enlightenment in a hurry because he had to get back to his yacht before din dins, hopped into his VTOL jet and zooted to the top of the mountain, sprang out and asked the nearby gardener to direct him forthwith to the enlightnment kiosk.
The gardener, upset that the fancy plane had messed up his neat shrubbery arrangement, threw a rock at him and called him an unmentionable, which made the rich man indignant, so he gave him a piece of his mind, saying that no gardener or other employee of HIS would dare be so insolent, and made a mental note to complain to the management once he found enlightenment. But nowhere on the mountain could he find anyone else to talk to. Must be a bank holiday in that country, he decided. So after writing a stern note and leaving it in the postbox, he hopped back into the plane and lifted off - annoyed, and none the wiser.
Sadly, the jet ran out of fuel somewhere over Nepal and crashed into a giant tub of yak butter, killing the rich man instantly.
The poor man, he had no jet.
So he had to walk up the mountain path on his own steam. It took him a while, and some bits were treacherous, but he persevered... and when he got to the top, he saw the gardener, who of course turned out to be a very holy guru-type who is maximally enlightened, this being that kind of story. The gardener welcomed him, whipped up some dinner and ran a hot bath for the man, for his toes were numb. And as it turns out, he couldn't think of any of the big enlightenment-type questions to ask, 'cause he'd worked out the answers to most of those on the way up. So instead they compared notes over a few drams, and then the gardener gave gave the poor man his cellphone number and email address, told him to call anytime - and also put him in touch with some mates of his on other mountains, and then showed the poor man the short cut down. The poor man said goodbye, and thanks for dinner, and went off to become a very successful supplier of the interesting designs they put on snowboards.
There are several morals to this story, but the most important one to remember is....
... if you're flying your jet to strange far-off mystical places, make sure you've got enough fuel for the trip back, otherwise you'll meet a greasy, smelly end.
Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Hey everybody. It's your favorite Hip-Hop/Irish Music man you love to rip on. But I'm not here for that this time. I'm here asking for help as I make a transition. Myself anf my life-partner and our friend are going to take a shot at living in Ireland starting in June 2005. I myself have been there twice for the fleadh where I competed. But I know that was not nearly enough time to get a stable sense of Ireland. I am from Chicago and I know there is an ocean and world of difference between us.
I am moving to Dublin for now as that is a big city and I am used to that...I was thinking of trying to teach bodhran over there or even try and do some hip hop stuff(no matter what you guys think there are people who love hip hop all over the world). I don't want to get a regular job as me and my life partner are trying to do very ambitious things musically. We do want to fuse Irish and Hip hop music as well as other kinds and tour the country. We want to know about anyone interested in doing anything like that. We are visitors in Ireland and we are depending on you guys to help us(not every American is like Bush). We do really political hip hop and r&b..alot of screw Bush and lets get right with each other and the world type music. So we need anyone in Ireland or close to open up resourses like studios, time, ideas, etc....
My life partner is also into spoken word. She is very known here in Chicago. She has been on countless slam teams and has coached youth and adult slam teams. She was on this season of Def Poetry Jam. She was the thick girl running in place(if you had time to catch it). She is also into rape survivor advocacy. She works in the schools teaching youth about rape and how to both avoid it and also how not to inflict it. So she is looking for things like that to do in Ireland.
I don't know what my image is on this forum. But i'm very humble especailly when I am going to someone elses home(again we hate Bush). I know a lot of people do not see eye to eye with me, but I get that in Chicago...trust me. I am looking for help, not to fight or discuss politics about hip hop this time. So any help would much be appriciated. Thank You in advance.
# Posted on January 7th 2005 by GRY
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
do your friends play with you in any way? instruments? vocal? there are a couple of places.
# Posted on January 7th 2005 by picking up that fiddle
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Best of luck to you GRY, I hope you both find a niche for your talents, but I suspect your knowledge of Ireland is very sparse, so you should be prepared for some major culture changes before you come over.
Hip Hop isn't a big thing in Ireland, and in fact its fair to say that ITM is'nt a huge thing either. Many of the best musicians struggle to make a decent living, and there is'nt a big live music circuit here.
Dublin isn't a big city, in relation to Chigago anyway, and despite what you read in the popular press, we don't really hate Mr. Bush, we just like to pretend that we're perfect and have high standards!
# Posted on January 7th 2005 by Backer
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Hey GRY
Congrats on the move. I did the same myself and it was the best thing I ever did. But from reading your post, I don't get the impression that you have a visa/job/work permit.....? If you are leaving in June, you have some time to explore these things if you already haven't. But if you are an American going to stay in Ireland without any plans for getting a 'real' job, you may have to do some explaining to the immigration office.
As an American who lived in Dublin for about 2 years (and loved it), I would advise you not to spend a lot of time broadcasting your American-ness or apologizing for GW Bush, etc....Just be yourself, and get to know Dublin and Dubliners. And be careful too, cause there are some pretty rough areas in and around Dublin, but I suppose that's true about Chicago as well so keep your eyes peeled as city people tend to do anyway.
Best of luck!
# Posted on January 7th 2005 by swearbox
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
I disagree with you Backer, Irish music is huge here and that is not maybe. And I would think that most Irish people hate Bush, only the Irish government seems to like him.
Gry, forget about teaching the drum or is this a bit of a pxss take?
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by compaqjohn
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
I'd say ITM is big in Ireland all right. I can't think of anywhere else I could go for 5 weeks and find great sessions everynight.
As for Gry moving to Dublin -- it's will be interesting to seelocal musicians there accept someone who promotes himself as "the best" and boasts about himself so freely. You very rarely will see Irish musicians doing this... well, I suppose there are a couple of exceptions, but they don't receive much respect for being that way.
BTW... I noticed that about the Irish government too John. (I listened to chat shows on the radio and followed the news while I was cooking) But I couldn't find one person I met while I was there that even began to like Bush.
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
a) It's fairly expensive to live in Ireland these days.
b) Income taxes are a bit higher than you'd find in the US.
For example:
Single Taxpayers
Personal tax credits of €1,520
Income Tax after subtracting deductions from total pay:
20% on the first € 28,000 (That's about $36,500 today)
42% on the balance
$36,000 may sound like a lot of cash, but after that first 20% tax bite, your at 22,000 euros and some change. And remember, cost of living is quite high there.
Well, OK, I guess I only assumed you'd be paying taxes. But if you don't, well, if you think the USA's IRS is tough, you won't want to meet "The Revenue" man over there.
Good luck!
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by brianc
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
By the way - what in the world does hating the American president have to do with finding some success in Ireland?
Is that something that shows up on the C.V.?
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by brianc
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Compaqjohn, with respect, I said Irish music isn't huge here. I believe that to be true in the context of making a living at it, and in the the amount of radio play it gets, and in the number of people who play it in relation to the number who play other music genres . I live in Kilkenny, and I believe this to be true of 20 or more of the 26 counties. Fair enough if you live in Clare or Galway or even parts of Roscommon or Mayo, there are magic places where ITM is king.
But I know too many talented people who have tried, and failed to make a living at it. And please remember, this is all in the context of two people going to up roots and head over here, full of enthusiasm, and naievity.
I think your last line says a lot about the real world of ITM. Face it or not John, the club we belong to is rather small and exclusive.
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by Backer
P.s.
Jack, there's a big difference between "finding sessions" and keeping a crust on the table!
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by Backer
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
What I'm wondering is why this has sparked an immature debate versus actually generating resources and assistance?
It speaks to a certain level of self-centeredness and snobbery that any one of you who are coming at us with all of this negativity could even dream to speak for all of Ireland.
All I was asking for was insight...not insult.
And I dare any one of you to copy and paste a post from me that states that I think that I'm the best.
When I visited Ireland, both times, it was the people of Ireland who welcomed me, fed me, played with me and then proclaimed that I was the best. The impression that I got of Ireland, while limited, was so positive that I'm willing to go there and try my best. I feel more of a kinship there than I do in America.
Why is that being shouted down in favor of your own personal prejudices and fear?
Your attitudes on this website are completely contradictory to what I experienced in Ireland. I hope that when I get there, I continue to connect with those who made my journey so great last time and that I avoid the likes of you.
So, if anyone actually has any concrete information that could actually be of any assistance, I'll be much obliged. And for those of you who have given solid advice, I give you sincere thanks.
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by GRY
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
*sigh* "What I'm wondering is why this has sparked an immature debate versus actually generating resources and assistance?"
Possibly because you have chosen to specialize in fields that are controversial and tend to spark debate and strong feelings? (Whether it's immature or not, I suppose, is a judgement I'm not willing to make right now.)
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Ah, gry... you're going to need thicker skin than that boyo.
But In answer to your question... getting wisdom out of us wise denizens of the yellowboard is a simple thing. Simple, but tricky.
You see, it's like the story of the two men seeking enlightenment from the super-enlightened monks who live on the top of the mystical mountain with the snow on the top, where the cherry blossoms are always in bloom...
One of the men was poor, the other rich. The rich man, needing enlightenment in a hurry because he had to get back to his yacht before din dins, hopped into his VTOL jet and zooted to the top of the mountain, sprang out and asked the nearby gardener to direct him forthwith to the enlightnment kiosk.
The gardener, upset that the fancy plane had messed up his neat shrubbery arrangement, threw a rock at him and called him an unmentionable, which made the rich man indignant, so he gave him a piece of his mind, saying that no gardener or other employee of HIS would dare be so insolent, and made a mental note to complain to the management once he found enlightenment. But nowhere on the mountain could he find anyone else to talk to. Must be a bank holiday in that country, he decided. So after writing a stern note and leaving it in the postbox, he hopped back into the plane and lifted off - annoyed, and none the wiser.
Sadly, the jet ran out of fuel somewhere over Nepal and crashed into a giant tub of yak butter, killing the rich man instantly.
The poor man, he had no jet.
So he had to walk up the mountain path on his own steam. It took him a while, and some bits were treacherous, but he persevered... and when he got to the top, he saw the gardener, who of course turned out to be a very holy guru-type who is maximally enlightened, this being that kind of story. The gardener welcomed him, whipped up some dinner and ran a hot bath for the man, for his toes were numb. And as it turns out, he couldn't think of any of the big enlightenment-type questions to ask, 'cause he'd worked out the answers to most of those on the way up. So instead they compared notes over a few drams, and then the gardener gave gave the poor man his cellphone number and email address, told him to call anytime - and also put him in touch with some mates of his on other mountains, and then showed the poor man the short cut down. The poor man said goodbye, and thanks for dinner, and went off to become a very successful supplier of the interesting designs they put on snowboards.
There are several morals to this story, but the most important one to remember is....
... if you're flying your jet to strange far-off mystical places, make sure you've got enough fuel for the trip back, otherwise you'll meet a greasy, smelly end.
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by Q
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Lol Matty, well told!
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Hahahaha -- brilliant Q!
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Very good, Q, very good!
Though I was sure that the moral would be, "Always be sure to have enough whiskey on hand, for you never know who might be stopping by."
Cheers!
:^)
# Posted on January 9th 2005 by brianc
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
"yak butter".... .ROFL....
# Posted on January 9th 2005 by brianc
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Nice, Matty, nice. ;)
# Posted on January 9th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
Q, that's awesome! Your story made my day!
Joyce
# Posted on January 9th 2005 by JMH
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
If anone out there knows where this mythical Ireland that GRY refers to is, let me know, I'm moving there myself!
# Posted on January 9th 2005 by Backer
Re: Moving to Ireland in June 2005
As Zina will no doubt have guessed, I read the Thief of Time, quite recently. Tell them about Rule Number One, Zina.
%7)
# Posted on January 9th 2005 by Q