Dear Friends,

What a summer it’s been (Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ comes to mind!).

Rain or shine, local Music Generation areas hosted some incredible events, summer camps and festivals. An adventure to Japan, jamming with the US Navy Band and performances galore are just some of this summer's highlights.  

Let’s dive in!  

It was all hands on deck for 37 young musicians from Music Generation programmes in Mayo, Waterford, Kerry and Galway County who took part in a Brass-tastic masterclass with the US Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band. An exhilarating (and extremely loud!) final jam session was the icing on the cake/mission complete moment of the day. 

Read more about their experience here.

"I’ve been playing music for nearly 10 years, and I’ve never had something like this happen before. It was amazing. It’s hard to put into words, you’ve got to feel it to believe it!"

Staying on the Brass buzz, 57 young musicians at SoundCrowd 23, (formerly Brass Off), blew the roof off the Theatre Royal in Waterford. The world-renowned musician Issie Barrett worked with the young musicians during the 4-day residential musical experience.

The young musicians had a blast, thanks to the wonderful hosts, Music Generation Carlow and Music Generation Waterford. They were joined by young musicians hailing from Music Generation Kerry, Laois, Louth, Offaly, Westmeath, and Wexford. Check out more here. 

The reviews are in! The Music Generation Wexford cast of 'Seedlings' received a standing ovation at the National Opera House for the premiere performance of their climate change youth opera. You can watch the highlights of this stunning performance right here and read the reviews here. 

Stories

Young Harpers perform in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka for Japan Tour 2023.

Five young harp players from Music Generation Laois had a trip of lifetime this summer. The young musicians travelled across the globe to perform and share traditional Irish harp music with Japanese musicians.   

Young harpers Dasha, Lily, Niamh, Kiêu and Emily experienced a taste of life as a professional touring musician as they travelled from Tokyo to Nagoya and Osaka. During the tour they performed at The Embassy for Ireland in Tokyo and with a fifty-five piece Japanese school-based harp ensemble in Nagoya.

They enjoyed plenty of sightseeing along the way. Highlights included a visit to Mount Fuji via the high-speed Shinkansen (bullet) train and a night in a traditional Japanese house. Oh yes, and let's not forget sampling heaps of different KitKat flavors. Yum! 

The group were accompanied by composer/harper Michael Rooney, flutist June McCormack and Musician Educator/harper Siobhan Buckley. 

Find out more about this round-the-world adventure here.   

Cork Learners Find Their Voice at Windmill Lane. 

We want to send a huge Congratulations to the young people of Hollyhill Skills4Life programme. Their track 'Find Your People' was recently announced as the winner of the #ETBAnthem competition. Well done to the talented group! 

The ten learners from Cork ETB’s National Learning Network followed in the footsteps of U2, The Cranberries, Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones by recording their own song – Find Your People - at the iconic Windmill Lane studios.  

We are very excited to hear the group perform live at the ETB Annual Conference in Cork City Hall later this month. The track will be available to stream very soon!  

Congratulations also to the competition runners-up Tullamore Community Training Centre, part of Laois & Offaly ETB and Music Generation Offaly. We can't wait to see you receive your Award at Cork City Hall.

News

Events

Get involved in Music Generation this Autumn. 

Want to get involved in Music Generation this Autumn? We have put together a selection of workshops and opportunities from local areas. 
 

• Music Generation Carlow - Rockschool @ the Valut is back. Guitar, Bass, Drum lessons for ages 8 - 18 years. Sign up now.  

• Music Generation Galway City - Sign Up for Spreagaigí small group music lessons at at the new GCC Music Centre. Find out more here. 

• Music Generation Offaly - Sign up for Uileann Pipes with Music Generation alumni Joe Byrne.See more here. 

• Music Generation Kerry - Children age 6 - 12 years can sign up for Play Together music class in Portmagee Music Hub. Find out more here.  

• Music Generation Limerick City - Play and learn music at the Creative Centre on Cecil St. Find out more here.  

• Music Generation Louth - Group singing and instrumental classes in Dundalk and Drogheda. Sign up now.  

• Music Generation Mayo - Trad Collab is a chance for young trad and rock musicians to get together and make some music. 30th September 11am - 3:30pm at The Linen Hall, Castlebar. Sign Up now. 

• Music Generation Tipperary - Learn an instrument in the Clonmel, Newport, Killenaule or Templemore Hubs. Find more here.    

• Music Generation Wicklow – Music Under the Mountain for ages 7+ takes place on Sept 23rd in Hollywood. Find ou more here. 

This is a tiny snapshot of Music Generation activity. Check out your local Music Generation area's social media pages for updates and more opportunities.

Save the Date: Culture Night 22nd September 2023

Culture Night is a night for free cultural events and experiences for all ages across Ireland. This year, Culture Night takes place on Friday 22nd September 2023 and all events are free.

Full list of Music Generation's Culture Night events coming soon! 

Thanks for tuning in and we'll catch you with more updates from the world of Music Generation soon! 

 
In the meantime, follow us on your favourite social media platform and be sure to give our young musicians a big thumbs up if you spot them on your feed.