Lecturer in Academic Studies
Dublin-born Roddy O'Keeffe began his musical studies on the trombone at the College of Music. He became a full-time student at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and successfully completed an honours degree in music performance in 1999, winning both the Senior Trombone and Guinness Brass Bursary competitions at that year’s Feis Ceoil. Roddy completed a first-class honours MA in Music Performance at the CIT Cork School of Music in 2006, and shortly after that began lecturing at CIT CSM.
As a lecturer, Roddy delivers modules across all four degree programmes at the Munster Technological University’s Cork School of Music. He is heavily involved in the Creativity, Innovation & Teamwork module, where he introduces all incoming first year students to some essential aspects of academic college life. On the BMus course Roddy delivers the lecture component of the Repertory Engagement modules, which offer students an opportunity to engage with key works from all the major historical eras, with a particular focus on Roddy’s specialist area of contemporary music. He also delivers an introductory module on orchestration.
As a professional trombonist, Roddy has played with numerous ensembles throughout Ireland and abroad, including the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Irish Film Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Cecilia. He has also performed with Opera Theatre Company, Lyric Opera and the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra. Roddy has enjoyed a long career playing in musicals, and has travelled the length and breadth of the land taking part in productions such as Les Misérables, West Side Story, Hairspray and The Wizard of Oz to name but a few.
An interest in contemporary music fostered during his undergraduate studies resulted in Roddy taking part in Crash Ensemble’s inaugural concert back in 1997, and he has been a proud member of Ireland’s leading new music ensemble ever since. With Crash, Roddy has toured extensively throughout the world, working with renowned international artists such as Terry Riley, Dawn Upshaw and Gavin Bryars. Roddy has also recorded numerous award-winning albums with Crash and has featured as a concerto soloist with the ensemble on several occasions. Furthering his interest in the area of cutting-edge new music, Roddy also performs with the renowned Quiet Music Ensemble, with whom he has also toured and recorded extensively.
Roddy has a long association with the concert band world, having been a member of the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble and the Dublin Concert Band. He has taught trombone in numerous band schemes and schools in Dublin, Wexford and Cork, most recently with the Ballincollig Concert Band and the Blarney Brass and Reed Band. Roddy has also tutored for many ensembles including the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble and CSM’s own Transition Year Orchestra Project. Having participated in several conducting courses, most notably with Robert Houlihan, Roddy has conducted many ensembles, including Ballincollig Concert Band, the Tuxedo Junction Jazz Big Band and the Cork Concert Orchestra.
Roddy’s interest in continuing professional development had led to participation in workshops with notable academic educators such as Phil Race and Sally Brown. Particular areas of ongoing research include Teaching & Learning and Assessment & Feedback, as well as a general interest in the area of technology enhanced learning. Roddy has participated in the organisation and delivery of numerous events at CSM, including the Society for Music Education in Ireland 2014 Conference and the Irish Sound, Science & Technology Association 2019 Conference.