Ann Marie joined the new radio station 8Radio.com when it began broadcasting 4 years ago. Currently she broadcasts on Sunday nights 6 to 9pm with some live instudio sessions. She also presents a specialist new music show on Thursdays 8pm/Sundays 12 pm called The Departure Lounge. She curates a select mix of emerging and interesting talent from all countries and genres – from alt roots to electro, indie and beyond, alongside music and gig news.
She is an alumnus of the Rock School in Ballyfermot Senior College where she studied music management and then music performance as a singer. While in college she worked in 2FM on the Dave Fanning show and on Cork Rock. In 2008, she worked again with 2FM on Oxegen Festival securing broadcast clearance rights for main stage artists including REM and Amy Winehouse.
From 1995 to 1997 Ann Marie served as a Committee member and Music Industry consultant for FORTE, the Music Industry Task Force – selected by Michael D. Higgins, Irish Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. This followed her role as chairperson and member of the Jobs In Music campaign.
She joined Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar as Music Officer where she worked for 5 years alongside Jody Ackland until the late 90’s. Together they staged concerts in the city centre venue from a host of emerging and established acts with a strong focus on nurturing new talent. While there, Ann Marie developed her skills in music PR, so that the gigs they were running would get coverage. That was the genesis of Novatone Music Media, the music and arts PR business Ann Marie continues to run.
Novatone Music Media delivers bespoke PR campaigns in Ireland for musicians and labels, for album & single releases, for tours and for events/festivals. For cultural events, she offers a specialist service for Radio PR, concentrating on getting maximum broadcast exposure and this has included the production of promotional cd’s for airplay. Ann Marie’s client list includes: Festival of World Cultures, Dublin Fringe Festival, St Patrick’s Festival, love:live music, Ane Brun, Southern Tenant Folk Union, Rebekka Karijord, Linnea Olsson, Dylan Tighe, The New 52, Paul McDonnell, The Walls, Kila, Niwel Tsumbu, Eoin Dillon, Sean Millar, Miriam Ingram, Sean Needham, Earagail Festival, Anna Livia Opera Festival, Hazel O’ Connor, Paul Tiernan, Luka Bloom, Blueflint, Stockton’s Wing and more.
Additionally, over 20 years Ann Marie has been involved in many other areas of the music industry including in the booking/production/stage & venue management of a wide range of cultural events – EXPO 2000 in Hanover, Festival of World Cultures, St Patrick’s Festival, Kilkenny Arts Week and at In the City alongside the late Tony Wilson in Dublin & Glasgow. She recently provided venue management skills for Easter events at Cruinniú na Cásca 2017 & Reflecting The Rising 2016 for RTE.
In 2010, Ann Marie realised a long-held dream of designing and running a live onsite internet radio station at a cultural event. With Ann Marie as the anchor presenter, ‘Radio Hemisphere’ broadcast at Festival of World Cultures 2010 and was the first of its kind in the country. She is developing this ‘pop-up’ outside broadcast radio station for forthcoming cultural events. Ann Marie has also scripted and voiced radio ads which ran on national and local radio.
She has lectured on Music Media, Event Production and Music Business for a variety of colleges and courses including Senior College Ballyfermot; Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design; Colaiste Dhulaigh, Coolock; Sound Training Centre, Temple Bar; Pulse Recording College, Dublin and Colaiste Ide, Finglas. She also formatted and presented a day-long ‘Careers in Music Industry’ seminar for courses including MIC Project, Dublin.
Cultural events, venues and festivals Ann Marie has worked on:
• Cruinniú na Cásca 2017 & Reflecting The Rising 2016 for RTE/Magnum Productions
• love:live music Ireland’s National Music Day 2012 and 2013
• Festival of World Cultures, Dun Laoghaire 2001 – 2010
• Oxegen Festival 2008
• Anna Livia Dublin International Opera Festival 2007
• St Patricks Festival 2003 – 2007
• Farmleigh Summer Festival 2006
• Earagail Festival 2006
• Dublin Fringe Festival 2005 and 2006
• Purty Kitchen Dublin 2003 – 2005
• Axis Arts Centre Dublin 2002 and 2003
• Experience Ireland at EXPO 2000 Culture & Trade Fair, Hanover, Germany – 2000
• Fusebox Music Media 1998 – 2004
• In the City – Glasgow 1997
• In the City – Dublin 1996
• Guinness Blues Festival 1994 – 1996
• Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar 1993 – 1998
• Cork Rocks – 1991
