Ruth Gallagher
Owner – Creative Sound
How have you come to live in Ireland South East?
Originally from Donegal, I transferred from University of Ulster, Derry, in 2008 to Waterford Institute of Technology (now SETU Waterford) where I went on to do a Masters in music performance and music composition. I met my (now) husband in Waterford during my postgraduate studies and we later moved back to his home in Wexford! Although I’d love to be closer to my home county, I have always felt that there are more music work opportunities here in the South East.
Can you explain what your company Creative Sound does?
With Creative Sound, I provide in-house corporate Team Building Workshops through Music for personal and team development and wellbeing. These are fun, creative and interactive workshops to get teams energised and motivated through movement, body percussion, group singing and group glockenspiel playing! This helps to improve communication, productivity, social engagement, and provides a relaxing and creative environment to strengthen connections.
I’ve always been amazed at the power of music and how this can instantly lift our spirits, motivate and bring people together. Over the years I’ve had students ranging from 4 years up to 90 years of age and they all have the same reaction to listening to and performing music – they are smiling and having fun.
“Having fun and laughing together creates instant connections and helps us to relax and lower any barriers we may have built up.”
What value do you think creative tools such as music can add when used in a business environment?
The benefits of incorporating creative tools like music into a business environment are, in my opinion, endless! We all see the value and benefits that children get from learning through song and music, yet we forget that learning does not stop when we leave school and start working.
We all learn best through repetition and when our mind is clear. We learned to walk by falling down and getting back up repeatedly, we learned to write the alphabet through continuous practice. Whichever career path we take, it requires lots of practice to master the skills involved. Music makes repetition fun and allows us to relax and loosen up so that we are better able to learn and develop new and existing skills.
Music allows us to move together to one beat – to work together creatively on a common goal which gives us a huge sense of achievement and can increase our confidence. The connections we make through music teaches us to be more compassionate, empathetic and respectful of those we are working with. It also sheds a light on what our strengths and weaknesses are so that we can then work on these.
What are the benefits of living in Ireland South East?
I must say that although I do miss the beautiful rugged scenery of Donegal, one of the genuine benefits of living in the South East is that it is much warmer!
Along with this, there is a thriving arts and cultural sector here that is wonderful to be a part of. The quality of life and being close to many beaches also makes it feel like a home away from home for me.
Find out more about Creative Sound here
Our People
“If I could sum up the South East in one word, ‘opportunities’ is the most ideal.”
Daniel Martins
“The South East is a great place to build a business from.”
Jim Hughes, Innovate
“A taste of city life with the benefits of rural living.”
Joy Redmond, Sonru