▁Music ▁and ▁Mus icians ; ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁he ▁co - organ ised ▁( with ▁Patrick ▁Dev ine ) ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁international ▁music ological ▁conference ▁ever ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁in ▁Ireland , ▁at ▁May no oth . ▁ ▁The ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁Society ▁for ▁Music ology ▁in ▁Ireland ▁( S MI ) ▁is ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁vision ▁and ▁effort , ▁and ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁its ▁inaug ural ▁president ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁Like wise , ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁Encyc lo pa edia ▁of ▁Music ▁in ▁Ireland ▁( 2 ▁volumes , ▁ 2 0 1 3 ) ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁un th ink able ▁without ▁White , ▁who ▁has ▁argued ▁for ▁such ▁a ▁publication ▁repeatedly ▁from ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁He ▁became ▁its ▁joint ▁editor , ▁with ▁Bar ra ▁Bo yd ell . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁many ▁articles ▁on ▁Irish ▁music ▁and ▁in ▁three ▁mon ograph s ▁– ▁The ▁K ee per ' s ▁Rec ital ▁( 1 9 9 8 ), ▁The ▁Progress ▁of ▁Music ▁in ▁Ireland ▁( 2 0 0 5 ) ▁and ▁Music ▁and ▁the ▁Irish ▁Liter ary ▁Im ag ination ▁( 2 0 0 8 ) ▁– ▁he ▁has ▁shed ▁new ▁light ▁on ▁the ▁central ▁role ▁of ▁music ▁in ▁Irish ▁cultural ▁and ▁intellectual ▁life ; ▁for ▁the ▁last - named ▁book ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Michael ▁J . ▁Dur kan ▁Prize ▁from ▁the ▁American ▁Conference ▁for ▁Irish ▁Studies