Kitchens raided for Punkit!

Pots, pans, boxes, bamboo sticks, bodhráns, boom whackers, chime bars all combined to create a fun filled musical lunchtime in the Hawks Well Theatre on Tuesday 19th April when Punkit came to town thanks to Music Generation Sligo.

Funded under the Music Generation/Arts Council Partnership, together with Cranmore Regeneration, PUNKIT aimed to broaden musical horizons, inspire musical curiosity and provide a model of adventurous music making.
According to Rhona McGrath, Music Generation Sligo Co:ordinator “it achieved that and more in Sligo, as sixty young faces of pure concentration followed the every  move of composer and conductor Stephen Deazley to create an amazing show from percussion instruments of all shapes, sizes and colours.” The children performed  with internationally renowned percussionist Joby Burgess and a 5 piece professional band made up of saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass guitar and digital piano (our own Kieran Quinn)

Stephen and Joby (of Love Music Productions Ltd, Scotland), together with national  and local percussionists Maeve O’Hara and Stephanie Pawula, worked with the  children from 4th to 6th classes at St John’s Primary School and Our Lady of Mercy  Primary School since January this year.

On Tuesday 19th, the children rose to the occasion and arrived for their morning  rehearsal with punk spirit, pink and blue hair, ripped jeans and leather jackets and 100% confident of their Punkit grooves.  They took their bows on stage later with  smiling faces to standing ovations and cheers from a proud and impressed audience in the Hawks Well Theatre.  Stephen Deazley commented ‘What a brilliant job Sligo, you were pretty blinking awesome today!’

Music Generation Sligo will present (Tues 19th April @1.30 in Hawk’s Well) a large, fun, explosive performance by 60 Sligo school children with internationally renowned percussionist Joby Burgess and the Punkit band.

The performance is the culmination of a 10-week learning and participation music project for school children age 10-13. Composer Stephen Deazley & percussionist Joby Burgess (of Love Music Productions Ltd, Scotland) together with percussionists Maeve O Hara & Stephanie Pawula are working with 4th/5th/6th classes at St John’s NS & Our Lady of Mercy NS in Sligo town and teachers Ms McCafferty, Mr Bree & Ms Sherry.

Warning – audience participation needed!

Funded under the Music Generation/Arts Council Partnership.Delivered on behalf of Music Generation Sligo and Music Generation Mayo by Music Network together with Love Music Productions Ltd (Scotland). Part of the Cranmore Regeneration through Music Programme delivered by Music Generation Sligo.

To Book Tickets – Click Here

In excess of 1100 voices from 31 choirs and 18 counties around Ireland, will join the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and conductor David Brophy in performance. Paul Muldoon will also narrate One Hundred Years a Nation. The performance, lasting one hour approximately, is free to the general public.  For more info click here

Tickets are limited and will be allocated by means of an online lottery. Full details on how to apply can be found at www.artscouncil.ie

4th-6th class students from two schools in Sligo (Drimina National School and Culfadda National School), who take part in our Discovering&Performing Music Programme with tutors/choir directors Heidi Wilson & Roisin Egan are a specially formed Music Generation Sligo choir for this special event.   The first rehearsal took place on Sat 23rd January in The Helix.

Free Public Tours Tuesday 11 August 10am – 5pm

Music production will become mobile in Sligo when the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus in partnership with Fleadh Cheoil Sligo rolls into the grounds of Stephen Street Car Park in Sligo town on Tuesday 11th & Wednesday 12th August. The bus, which contains a fully equipped state-of-the-art music studio, is offering free public tours on Tuesday 11th from 10am to 5pm.

On Wednesday 12th, in response to a call for participants, a group of 8 young traditional musicians from Sligo aged between 13 and 18 will have an amazing opportunity to work with a world class crew of engineers to record and produce original music and complete a broadcast quality music video.

The Sligo visit is part of a 24-day Irish national tour which will take in 11 counties and reach over 100 young musicians throughout Ireland. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit state-of-the-art mobile audio and HD video recording and production facility. The Bus, which was made possible by Yoko Ono Lennon, is dedicated to providing young people with tours of the studios and participation in free songwriting and multimedia production workshops.

Rhona Mc Grath, Coordinator of Music Generation Sligo said “We are delighted to have this fantastic opportunity to work with the John Lennon Bus team and bring a real sense of excitement to music education in Sligo this summer. Music Generation Sligo is very much look forwarding to partnering with the Fleadh to provide futher opportunities for young people to engage with music education across all genres in Sligo.”

Brian Rothschild, Executive Director of The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus stated “It is fantastic for us to have the opportunity to tour Ireland and meet so many talented and vibrant young people. There is such a terrific energy and national momentum for music education here and it is wonderful to be working with Music Generation and the local Music Education Partnerships who, like the Lennon Bus are empowered to opening up access to music for the new generation. Our aim is to build on this great sense of enthusiasm, and inspire musicians of the future through our mission and the wonderful, state of the art production facilities on board the bus.”

The Irish tour schedule and interactive map can be found at www.lennonbus.org where visitors can also see all of the content created on board.

Music Generation Sligo and the Centre for Special Education Needs Inclusion & Diversity (CSENID) at St Angela’s College have announced an innovative Research, Training & Programming Partnership with regard to the delivery of music programmes to children and young people with Special Education Needs. Following a period of development, the partnership commenced this month with a training programme for Music Generation Sligo tutors focusing at first on the needs of children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. The training programme will also include a review and follow-up planning in order to adapt the current Music Generation Sligo programmes for a Con Tutti Discovering Music Programme at Autism Units from September 2015 – The Plaza at Our Lady of Mercy NS and The Glen at Ransboro NS. In 2016 the programme will focus on wider special educational needs at pre-school, primary school and post-primary school level.

Rhona McGrath, Co-ordinator of Music Generation Sligo, together with Rosaleen Molloy, Director of the National Music Generation Programme explained that this is a strategic response to local demand in an important area of music education which requires investment and resourcing. “We are delighted to be able to access the expertise of the CSENID at St Angela’s College, whose mission is to respond proactively and positively to existing and emerging needs of the educational community regionally and nationally.”

Ailbhe O Halloran & Fiona Jennings, Project Lecturers/Researchers, together with Eugene Toolan, Head of the Education Department at St Angela’s College, were delighted to respond to the approach from Music Generation as an opportunity to explore music in the area of special educational needs. “Academic staff within CSENID are dedicated to conducting and highlighting research which contributes to a greater understanding of some of the key educational challenges that face professionals, parents, young people, children and educational policy-makers particularly in the area of SEN.

The partnership between Music Generation Sligo & the Centre at St Angela’s College 2015-2017 will encompass training, research, programming and resource development in order to effectively develop long-term music education programmes for children and young people with Special Education Needs (SEN) in Sligo.

Pictured at the launch of this partnership are Music Generation Sligo staff and tutors together with the team from the Centre for Special Educational Needs Inclusion & Diversity at St Angela’s College Sligo.

CSENID, St Angela’s:

Eugene Toolan, Head of Education

Mary McDonagh, Director

Fiona Jennings, Lecturer/Trainer

Ailbhe O Halloran, Lecturer/Trainer

Music Generation Sligo:

Rhona McGrath, Co-ordinator

Team of 21 Tutors

The Centre for Special Educational Needs, Inclusion and Diversity (CSENID) at St. Angela’s College was created in 2011. It builds upon the foundation of the Education Department in St Angela’s College that has served the Irish education community through the provision of quality in-service teacher education and continuing professional development programmes in the area of SEN for teachers and other professionals in a variety of educational settings since 1995.
In keeping with St Angela’s College’s mission, the Department’s dedicated and innovative staff is continually initiating, developing and modifying programmes to respond proactively and positively to existing and emerging needs of the educational community regionally and nationally
The work of CSENID includes Curriculum planning; Programme delivery; Research; Resource Development.

 http://www.stangelas.nuigalway.ie

Music Generation Sligo has a variety of summer camps in store to suit all musical tastes and abilities. There are several opportunities for young people aged 6-18 years of age to further their musical knowledge while making friends and having lots of fun in the process. To view all camps please click here

Young bands (under 18’s) looking for somewhere to rehearse can avail of the new Rumble Rehearsal Studios on Connolly Street Sligo.

Music Generation Sligo in partnership with Rumble Rehearsals aims to support young musical groups by offering a suitable venue at a subsidised rate to encourage regular practice sessions. Young bands can also avail of mentoring by a professional musician, who can offer tips and advice where needed.

From March 2015, every Wednesday and Friday at 4.30-6.30, young bands can rehearse in a dedicated space, filled with musical equipment in a central location in Sligo town. A subsidised rate of €10 per group for a two hour session is offered.

To book a rehearsal time and for more info contact Charlie on 086 104 0637

Music Generation Sligo has announced a new funding scheme worth €40,000 for schools and youth/music organisations to expand or create new musical instrument banks. The scheme is set to benefit thousands of young people under the age of 18 in Sligo.

The second annual Music Generation Sligo Instrument Bank 50/50 Scheme, supported by Music Generation national and local partners, is now seeking applications from schools, youth, community and music organisations in Sligo

The scheme will grant-aid 50% of the cost of each local instrument bank and purchase high quality instruments such as digital pianos, guitars, drums, trumpets, violins, harps, concertinas, percussion packs and much more.

Whether beginners or experienced, young musicians need instruments to learn and perform. The cost of these instruments can often be out of reach for many. This scheme will help groups and organisations working with young people to purchase quality instruments in any genre… generating more music and a new generation of musicians.

Music Generation is a national music education programme for children and young people, initiated by Music Network, co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, The Department of Education & Skills and Sligo Music Education Partnership.

Music Generation Sligo is part of the network of local music education partnerships established under this programme, managed and 50% funded locally by Sligo Music Education Partnership: Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB, Sligo County Council, Sligo Education Centre, Sligo County Childcare Committee, Cranmore Regeneration and the local music sector.

The aim of Music Generation Sligo is, through partnership, to develop the local music education system and provision to ensure that every child and young adult in Sligo has access to a high quality, active performance music education service. Music Generation Sligo currently reaches 2,000 children and young people annually through an exciting range of programmes including Discovering & Performing Music access programmes in early year, primary, post primary schools and youth settings; Instrumental & Vocal Tuition in Regional Tuition Centres in Easkey, Gurteen, Ballymote, Grange & Sligo town; a Performance Programme offering opportunities for ambitious live performance; Summer Camps & Masterclasses; and access to Instrument Banks throughout the county.

The Music Generation Sligo Instrument Bank 50/50 Scheme is now open for applications. The closing date is Tuesday 4 November 2014. Download the application form here or contact us: [email protected] or 071 913 8306.

OVER 200 CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MUSIC GENERATION SLIGO TO PERFORM FOR PRESIDENT HIGGINS AT THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL

October 1, 2014: Over 200 young musical ambassadors from Music Generation Sligo will perform for President Michael D. Higgins on Monday 13th October. The performance forms part of the Music Generation National Conference and Gala Concert taking place in the National Concert Hall on the 13th and 14th of October.

Set to become an annual showcase event, this inaugural Gala Concert celebrates the achievements of Music Generation Louth, Mayo and Sligo – the first three counties who joined the programme in 2011. Having now reached their third birthday, all three counties recently transitioned into a new phase and the Gala Concert will mark a celebration of their superb musical achievements in style!Performing to a 1,000 strong national audience, Music Generation Sligo will present a performance of Big Bang, new music by Brian Irvine and 5 young Sligo composers – Ferdia Durkin, Niamh Feeney, Ciara Murphy, Alice Purcell and Matthew Rooney, inspired by the mystery and wonder of space and our place within it. Big Bang will be performed by the Music Generation Sligo Choir and Sligo Academy of Music Sinfonietta with visual projections by Sinéad Dolan and Loch Bó Films.

Speaking in advance of the event, Music Generation Sligo Co-ordinator Rhona McGrath said “We are delighted that our young musicians from Sligo will have the opportunity to proudly represent their county on the national stage and perform for our President. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the terrific achievements of Music Generation Sligo and celebrate all that we have and will continue to achieve for music education in county Sligo. Rehearsals are in full swing and the young people are busy preparing to give an outstanding performance.”

The Music Generation Gala Concert takes place at the National Concert Hall Dublin at 7.30pm. Tickets cost €5 and are available at www.nch.ie / 01 417 0000