Author: Daniel Corcoran

RootStrings Co-Op Student Feature: Daniel Corcoran

Published on by Daniel Corcoran

My Name is Daniel Corcoran, I am a 20 year old musician from Laois that has been singing and playing music for the last 10 years. I first endeavoured to enter the music scene through Comhaltas and I am continuing this passion into my solo career. I am now currently in my 3rd year of study in Performing Arts in UL. My hobbies range from going on walks and wandering through the fields around my house with my brothers and dog. 

I want to continue to further my career within the music industry, as there are many areas of the industry other than performing that I haven’t encountered yet but have had the opportunity to find out more  through my work at Rootstrings, and gaining more interest in them like stage management and talent scouting. My passion for music comes from one of my first stage performances: the atmosphere combined with the crowd, the blinding lights and the audiences’ reaction to every note and word sung all collided to give me a powerful rush of adrenaline and joy that has stayed with me throughout all of my study. This was the moment when I wanted to pursue music as a professional career choice. 

In 2018, my brothers and I starred on TG4 Talent Show called Realta agus na Goalta and although we didn’t qualify past our initial first appearance, we got to visit the RTE headquarters in Dublin and see how pre-recorded TV shows are filmed and what the backstage areas of RTE’s set looks like, along with how audience interaction is co-ordinated by the stage crew before and during the recording. There can be a lot of retakes just for one line of dialogue! We also had the unique opportunity of being a part of one of the first youth choirs to play in Knock Cathedral as well as getting to play for President Michael D Higgins on four separate occasions. 

For furthering my career I have begun to focus more on songwriting and singing more in general through the use of my music page (@DanCorcMusic). I would like to be part of this industry through other practical means as well through stage management or sound engineer and currently I have had a great opportunity to experience more of these aspects through my Co-op at Rootstrings. Many parts of the music industry like research, record labels, copyright law and even general business practices for the sake of artists aren’t being taught to the artists that need them the most. I’ve learned so much more about the music industry through being a part of it at Rootstrings. 

RootStrings Adds Cast in Bronze to Artist List

Published on by Daniel Corcoran

Rootsrings is proud to add Cast in Bronze to its client list. Cast in Bronze is the world’s one and only music act featuring a travelling Carillon–a unique, instrument comprised of 4 tons of bronze bells through ropes and wires connecting to a keyboard and controlled masterfully by the ‘Spirit of the Bells,’ Frank DellaPenna. Rootstrings will be assisting Cast in Bronze and its sister organisation The Cast in Bronze Society with digital marketing and more. Visit Cast in Bronze’s website for more history and a to hear the bells.

Frank DellaPenna, the musician and creator behind Cast in Bronze, has been a part of the music industry for nearly 30 years since launching Cast in Bronze in 1991. Since then he has been invited to perform at historic events such as a performance for Pope John Paul II, as well as appearing on America’s Got Talent, and performing to thousands at Walt Disney World’s Orlando’s Epcot from 1998-2003. Frank’s story about the introduction of the Carillon into his life is a funny one, when an accidental find has lead to a wonderful life of performing and creating on the Carillon. Frank originally found out about the Carillon purely by accident when searching for a piano teacher, a man who also happened to play the Carillon as well. This is where Frank’s fascination for the Carillon began, from here Frank chose to study both piano and Carillon eventually becoming so invested in the Carillon that he enrolled in one of the European Carillon schools and since then he has continued to hone his skills and has performed at more than 10,000 festivals and events across America leading to a large following and fanbase.

In 2019, he created the Cast in Bronze Society. This sister organisation is tasked with preserving and promoting the Carillon in North America by funding the scholarships to attend the North American Carillon Schools (NACS). The Society has well over 100 members so far, and is preparing to present the very first scholarship for North American carillon studies.

RootStrings, whose founder is a long-time Cast in Bronze fan, is thrilled to be working with this iconic musical act. We look forward to helping Cast in Bronze expand their online fanbase and engage with the wonderful Cast in Bronze community to help promote the sound of the Carillon in North America and abroad.