Joe saw Adam’s potential from the start

Joe Connaire is delighted for Adam Kelly, one of his outstanding pupils. “It’s a huge opportunity for Adam,” said Joe. “The Fureys are renowned all over the world for what they do, and this will elevate him to the next level.”

Joe has the highest praise for Adam, and during his chat with the Westmeath Examiner, he also mentioned Aoife Dunleavy from Sonna and Fiona Kelleghan from Bunbrosna as particularly talented banjo players.

Discussing his time with Adam, Joe said it began around 2015, when he was teaching at Ballynacargy Comhaltas and Adam and his family were looking for tuition around Athlone or in the Moate area.

“But there was no banjo teacher at that time teaching there, and he would have asked a local family of musicians who they would recommend, so they recommended me.

“So he came to the Ballynacargy branch and started, and he had no clue at all about the banjo.

“He was a total beginner, so I took him under my wing, like I do with every player – I treat them all the same. Whether it’s a six-year-old or an 80-year-old, I do the same tuition with every student I take on, and I’ve had some very good, talented musicians gone through the ranks with me – but Adam took a great liking to it.

“There has to be a relationship between the student and the teacher. A lot of people, young or old, who take on a musical instrument, will do it for a year or two and then give it up, but we created a good bond together and everything I asked him to do, he did, and he did that bit extra as well.

“He picked it up before he went to school in the morning, the minute he came in from school in the evening, he picked it up, and he really latched on to how good the experience of learning an instrument is.

“From an early stage I saw great potential in him. He was picking up, not beginner tunes, but intermediate type tunes very quickly and he became a very natural banjo player quickly.

“He would also have looked up to a banjo player I taught, who won an all-Ireland, Ben Keary, who is a couple of years older than Adam, but he saw what he was doing and that helped him as well.

“I encouraged him to play in front of every person who came in to the house, I said to pick up the banjo and play them a few tunes, if he was out, and there was a music seisiun, I said pick up the banjo and play a few tunes – show what you’re capable of.

“So that gave him confidence, and if you have confidence and you’re not afraid to do things, you won’t be afraid to sit up in front of 500 people, let alone five people.

“He got this very quick, but as he said himself, I taught him everything I know, and everything he knows, we had a great bond – he worked for me and I worked for him, and that was the way.

“I have a girl called Aoife Dunleavy (from Sonna) at the minute who is just turned eight years, and she’s going to follow in his footsteps, I have no doubt about it, she’s a serious little banjo player and I can see she has the same kind of tack as Adam, very quick to learn tunes, and not just with notes in front of her, but learn them by ear as well.

“Those two, and Fiona Kelleghan have a special talent, they have a good ear for music and they could pick up a tune on the banjo very early.

“A lot of musicians, even some in the game for 20 years, are using tuners to tune their instruments, but Adam and Aoife, and Fiona and Ben, can all tune their instruments by ear.

“Adam’s father Tony and his grandfather recommended he learn the banjo, and Adam has gone on to learn the guitar as well, and he’s a fine guitar player as well.

“It’s great to see a young musician get the recognition. He’s put in the work and that’s what’s it’s all about.”