Summary: Composer and pianist Neil Cowley revisits his year as Derry's official musician in residence for its year as UK City of Culture. He arrived in a city he knew little about, full of trepidation thanks to years of headlines about terrorism and violence. What he found among the city's young musicians challenged and changed not only his long-held preconceptions about Northern Ireland, and Derry in particular, but also reinforced his view of music as a powerful tool to bring about change.
