Sir, - John O'Conor in "An Irishman's Diary" (Sue Leonard, March 10th) refers yet again to what he describes as the "dry, academic, depressing music degree" course that he followed in UCD. Far from being depressing, the illuminating lecturing skills of Professor Anthony Hughes are still remembered by his undergraduates and by the extra mural students who crammed the old Physics Theatre in Earlsfort Terrace, to hear him explore the Beethoven quartets and concertos.
The director of Anuna, Michael McGlynn, another B.Mus. graduate, was recently interviewed for the UCD student College Tribune (January 23rd). In a balanced assessment that naturally included some personal reservations, he, maintained that his career as a composer was greatly enriched by the academic background and by the invaluable "appreciation of structure and form" he obtained from the degree course designed by Professor Hughes.
I read for the B.Mus. degree as a classmate of John O'Conor. Its excellence as a foundation course was borne out to me when I went on to read for master's and doctoral degrees in musicology at the Sorbonne.
On the other hand, like many others, I often found the endless scales and technical exercises demanded for the piano diploma course at the RIAM just as "dry" and "depressing" as the fugue and canon exercises required for the degree course at UCD. However, is not the acquisition of basic technical skills a necessary prerequisite in any artistic profession? - Yours, etc.,
Merton Drive, Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.