08/18/2026
âThis is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and itâs really cool that we get to go with all of our friends.â -Blythe Klayner, Marching Tar Heels, class of 2027
Next week, five Carolina bluegrass students, 105 Marching Tar Heels, and approximately 25 music faculty and staff members will travel to Dublin, Ireland. While the headline event of the trip is the UNC Football game against the TCU Horned Frogs, their experience will be about so much more than a football game. For these students and faculty, itâs a chance for cultural exchange and an opportunity to share their music with new audiences. Both groups will have performances and exchanges throughout Dublin, stay at the dorms of Trinity College Dublin, attend pep rallies for the game, and watch Carolina Football take on the TCU Horned Frogs. âOne of the best parts of teaching is watching students grow through experiences they canât have in a classroom. Traveling to Ireland gives them the opportunity to represent UNC, perform at a high level, and immerse themselves in musical traditions that helped shape bluegrass,â Carolina Bluegrass Band Director Russell Johnson said. Similarly, Director of University Bands Jeffrey Fuchs said, âI hope they walk away with a sense of accomplishment and pride based on what we did there. Itâll be cool for them to walk away with the feeling that âyeah, these last 12 years of my life in band have paid off.â Itâs an investment they made in sixth grade.â
Read the full story about this exciting experience thatâs finally coming to fruition after a year and a half of planning in âMaking Music in Irelandâ: https://music.unc.edu/2026/08/18/making-music-in-ireland/.
UNC College of Arts and Sciences
