Tunes Translated Story

(Photograph: Tunes Translated wearing traditional costumes for an event celebration Vietnamese culture)

Tunes Translated is a music integration project based at Conway Mill in West Belfast. It brings together locals, migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers through the shared language of music. More than 100 people from over 20 nationalities have taken part since it began, and there are currently 60 regular members, ranging in age from 17 to 71, representing 16 nationalities, the latest new addition being Tanzania. 
 
If you have never played an instrument before, that is absolutely fine.
 

How it started

Catherine Crean is an ESOL teacher and musician who has spent years working with both local and international communities in Belfast. She developed Tunes Translated as part of her MA in Music Psychology at the University of Sheffield, graduating in 2023, driven by a belief that Irish traditional music could be a powerful way of bringing people together. The project has been running ever since, supported by Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour Commission, CFNI Circle of Change, and Arts Council, and has been featured on BBC News, BBC Radio Ulster, and in the Guardian.
 

What happens at a session

Every week the group meets at Conway Mill for two hours. There is always time for a cup of tea and a catch-up first, and then the group splits into four: bodhrán, fiddle, DADGAD guitar, and tin whistle. Beginners and improvers are both welcome, and new members can join at any time. 
 
The tunes are a mix of Irish traditional music and music that participants bring from their home countries. On any given evening you might move from a reel to a Persian melody to a Ukrainian folk song. Basic vocabulary from different languages gets shared along the way too.
 

Music education

Tunes Translated is built around the idea that music education should be open to everyone, regardless of background or experience. For many participants, it is their first real opportunity to learn an instrument as an adult, and that is something people do not take for granted. 
 
“I never thought I would really play an instrument,” says one participant. “I started with the bodhrán and then I was brave enough, now I’m playing fiddle.” Another, who came along in her 50s, puts it simply: “I thought I couldn’t do anything musical. But coming here, the enthusiasm rubs off on you.” 
 
Nobody is made to feel out of their depth. The tutors are encouraging, the atmosphere is relaxed, and there is always someone at a similar level to play alongside. “It’s the most comfortable place for adult learners,” says one member. “I don’t think there’s anywhere else in Belfast that does that.”
 

Integration

For many participants, particularly those who are new to Belfast, Tunes Translated quickly becomes about more than learning tunes. The project creates a space where locals and newcomers can meet, play together, and learn about each other’s cultures in a way that feels natural rather than forced. 

Sona, 31, from Syria, joined after a friend told her about it. “I was looking for something in the evening to reward myself and forget about the stress,” she says. “I truly love the atmosphere there.” Shayan, 21, from Iran, had played several instruments back home but hadn’t had any musical outlet since arriving in Belfast. “The people in the project feel like my friends and my family,” he says. 

For local participants, the exchange runs in both directions. “I always thought traditional music was just Irish,” says one member. “Now I go ‘no!’, traditional music can be Somalian or Kenyan or Eritrean. It’s just changed how I view it.” 

The group has performed at events across Belfast, at the MAC, Raidió Fáilte, the Accidental Theatre, and the NICVA summit, amongst others. One participant recalls playing at a mental health awareness day, where the group performed a tune from another culture’s tradition. 

“There were tears in their eyes because we were playing their music,” they say. “When you realise you’re having an effect on people like that, making them feel welcome in a new country, that’s what Tunes Translated does.”

Wellbeing

Music does something for the mind that is hard to replicate elsewhere. Participants regularly speak about the difference a weekly session makes, not just to their musical ability, but to their confidence, their sense of belonging, and their mental health. 

“One of the reasons I started coming was because I had a stroke a few years ago,” says one member. “Through my rehab I was told to do something I had always wanted to do. It’s helped me find my feet in both ways.” Another puts it more simply: “You come out of work in the dark and sometimes you have to pull yourself to come. But you go and you’re so happy for it. You’re in a different headspace, able to detach from work and focus on the music. In the winter months especially, it’s really needed.” 

For Shayan, who joined after a difficult period since arriving in Belfast, the effect has been tangible. “The project is good for my mental health,” he says. “When I come here I am doing something positive and it distracts me. The community in the project helps me too.”

A first birthday of Monday sessions

This month marks the first birthday of a regular session Tunes Translated run every Monday evening at Madden’s Bar in Belfast, informal, open, and free to walk into. Whether you play an instrument, want to try one for the first time, or just want to come and listen, you are welcome.

Interested in getting involved?

The project is free and open to all. You can follow Tunes Translated on Instagram at @tunestranslated or get in touch by filling up the online registration form. 

Conway Education Centre is proud to support Tunes Translated by providing space to practise. If you are thinking about trying something new, we are a friendly, inclusive place to start. Find out what is on at ‘Upcoming Courses’.