Peneleapaí is an singer songwriter, therapist, and educator.
She is based in East Clare since 2002, and lived in west Cork since 1993.
Her main disciplines are that of vocal arts, music/sound, dance/movement, theatre/drama, spoken word, writing, and poetry. This bio pertains to her musical activities. It is further broken down to 3 categories of musical genres: original works, traditional, classical/choral.
As a singer songwriter and curator of original compositions/expositions:
Her work is primarily concerned with connection, home, belonging; of
being invisible, of square pegs in round holes, thriving, intergenerational trauma, the generation gap, youth, envisioning future, clairvoyant escapades, and the hero’s journey.
She curated “A Forest Dreams” on Earth Day 2015, in Woodpark Forest park and Mountshannon N.S., Co. Clare; which involved creating art in nature, a blindfolded dance meditation, and an earth concert.
Peneleapaí curated the live installation and spoken word/movement installation “Roots and Wings” during Mountshannon Arts Festival 2019.
She opened for Damian Dempsey for Scariff Harbour Festival 2013, with her own band, Good Medicine.
She opened for Ryan Sheridan for Scariff Harbour Festival 2013, in the band, Torq.
She opened for John Spillane for Island Music Club 2011.
She has had solo performances at Electric Picnic festival (Mind/Body area) 2022; given workshops at Medicine Festival UK (Family Area) of Embodied Voice & Movement 2023; she held a solo mic (comedy?) and music set on the Hill of Tara for Summer Solstice with Conscious Concert / Integrity Ireland Leinster Support Network Media Campaign 2021.
She had unveiled original works dedicated to festival themes: Roots & Wings / Community / Fusion (2024)
She has invited and hosted Buddy Mondlock (songwriter for Art Garfunkel, Guy Clark, Peter Paul & Mary, et al.) and Mike Lindauer (Nashville, TN) for performances and songwriting workshops in East Clare;
invited and hosted Melissa Greener (Nashville, TN) for performance in East Clare.
She has sang in bands: Torq, Kieran agus Peneleapaí (duo), Good Medicine.
She managed and organised touring schedule for The Moon & Sun Tour (2021-22) and Kieran agus Peneleapaí (2011-2014)
Her work has been featured for 3-7 years running at both Mountshannon Arts Festival and Killaloe Festival of Light mainstages.
She was a headlining artist at the Spirit of Voice festival (Galway) 2012.
Her band, the Moon & Sun Tour opened the first “Lovestock” festival 2021 at the Dún na Sí heritage amenity site. She sang on the hill of Uisneach at the memorial of Earth Wisdom Foundation’s director Kevin Hayes (RIP), after being guest speaker at the funeral. She sang Kiirtan with Jyoshna for the 24hour Kiirtan as War Protest at Electric Picnic 2022, and was principal dancer for Jyoshna during the Sunrise Farm 1st annual Mela kiirtan festival 2023.
She leads medicine song circles under the tutelage of Ayla Nereo’s Sovereign Kin series, and offers weekly voice workshops/classes as a cultivation of self-healing and nervous system regulation.
Among Peneleapaí ‘s songwriting teachers are John Spillane (Cork), Brett Perkins (DK/US), and Emma Back (USA); she was granted entry to a songwriting masterclass with Beth Nielsen-Chapman (Nashville, TN), courtesy of IMRO.
Her vocal teachers were Martina Flaherty (Galway) and Wendy Parr (US).
Peneleapaí is an alumni from Listening Rooms International Songwriting Retreat, 2011 (dir. B. Perkins, DK/US) and is also an alumni of Soul Sound Academy, 2022 (dir. E. Back, USA)
In traditional music,
Peneleapaí placed 3rd and 4th place Snr Women’s Traditional Singing as Bearla category 2010 and 2011; Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, by Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann (adjudicators P. Enright 2010 agus MJ Sheamuis 2011).
She has hosted a monthly session for raconteurs/seanchaí/musicians (vocalists and instrumentalists) of all ages (family-friendly) over the years 2004-2012 in Whitegate, Mountshannon, Scariff, Feakle – SINGERs & Storyteller’s CLUB Loch Deirge. It sought to revive and preserve traditional oral arts for all generations to participate, encourage, and learn from.
Peneleapaí had ben in demand as special guest singer at traditional singer festivals, seminars, and sessions in Ireland (Clarecastle, Ceili at the Crossroads, South Roscommon Singers Festival, Ennis Singers Club, Ennis Trad Nua festival, Robbie’s First Friday, etc.)
She was introduced to Christy Moore at the Teachers Club (Dublin), as a special delegate from the west’s awake singing tradition.
She was awarded a bursary for recording in 2008 at Malbay Studios, and brought in the company of SINGERs CLUB Loch Deirge to record an album, including Robbie McMahon.
Pen has been interviewed on Rónán BEO live in the studio Raidió na Gaeltachta, Co. Donegal 2009; she has been interviewed on Limerick Community Radio Station, Co. Limerick 2016; Shannon community radio station 2008; Scarriff Bay Community Radio 2018-2023.
Peneleapaí hosts the podcast “Streamlining Diamonds”,
and has been interviewed on the podcast “Kiirtan Academy” (host: J. La Trobe) 2020; on the podcast “Turned On” (host: P. van Der Sluys) 2023;
She was director of the ALFA Project Adolescent Choir (secondary school project),
as well as director of polyphony multicultural Choir classes / workshops 2002-2004. She held Embodied Voice & Movement workshops and classes (adults and kids) 2020-2023.
She was on the adjudication panel for SPARKS Youth Talent Competition, Co. Limerick.
She was one of two lead singers at “One Morning in June” in a sold out event of Mountshannon Arts Festival programme 2023, Under the Oak café (macaronic singing in the Irish tradition), curated by Bernadette Watson.
She is a member of Conradh na Gaeilge/craobh Oirthear an Chláir, East Clare Musical Society, and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Tulla).
She is recipient of an award to record music, for which she invited the SINGERs CLUB to make use of.
Peneleapaí ‘s singing teachers in the traditional style are
Robbie McMahon (RIP), Deirdre Scanlan, Edel Vaughan, Helen Hayes, Iarladh Ó Lionaird, Máire Ní Choilm, Doimnic Mac Giolla Bríde, Gearóidín Breathnach, Lasairfhíona ní Chonaola, Paula Carroll.
In the classical/choral music genre:
Peneleapaí succeeded in winning a place on Kodály International Summer School 2019 by crowdfunding Kodály Society of Ireland, DCU.
She was in the KSI international summer school in 2004 as well.
She trained with Teatr Piesń Kozła (Song of the Goat theatre) in physicaltheatre and body polyphony in Poland 2004.
She sang with the Christian Community pop-up chamber choir for the Epiphany bootcamp concerts 2018, 2019, 2020. She organised and managed preparatory rehearsals as well as the actual performance tour for Frolieb Stollwerck (soprano with Vienna Folk Opera), Sabine Kogler (alto), Dr. Yoni Kosovske (harpsichord), local choir, and string quartet from Austria during Lent 2019 of “Stabat Mater”, Pergolesi – Killaloe St. Flannan cathedral, Kilkenny St. Canice cathedral, and Dunshane’s Bridge Community Hall.
She also sang with East Clare Community Choir (dir. J O’Brien) at Knock Basilica 2018, 2019; also during the Limerick Sings! festival Trinity Abbey Church, Adare, Co Limerick 2019.
Peneleapaí sang with Resound global choir (dir. C Jeffreys); with the Cathedral Choir (SS Peter & Paul cathedral); Omna choir (Galway); The Lough Derg Singers (dir. F Powell) from 2003-2018.
Peneleapaí was a pupil of Máire Keary-Scanlan (UL) and of Frolieb Tomsitts Stollwerck (Austria). She had also studied with Chloe Goodchild (The Naked Voice) and Frankie Armstrong.