BellTIME
GOOD NEWS
for aspiring young musicians
across the country!
Music
Generation
is Ireland’s National Music Education
Programme, helping children and young people
access high quality music tuition in their local
area.
Since it was founded in 2010, the programme
has achieved unprecedented growth,
extraordinary achievement, rapid expansion and
phenomenal success. Music Generation has
reached over 26,000 children and young people
in 12 areas of the country (Carlow, Clare, Cork
City, Laois, Louth, Limerick City, Mayo, Sligo,
South Dublin, Offaly/Westmeath and Wicklow), in
addition to creating some 330 employment
opportunities, mainly for musicians to deliver
tuition.
Further good news for the programme was
announced earlier this autumn, when one of the
world’s biggest rock bands, U2, gifted €2m to
Music Generation, which will be raised from their
iNNOCENCE & eXPERIENCE Irish concerts
taking place in November this year. This donation
will allow Music Generation to develop and
extend its work into new areas of the country and
reach thousands more young musicians.
Welcoming the announcement, Rosaleen Molloy,
National Director of Music Generation said,
“Music Generation would not exist without U2’s
vision. It was the band’s very own personal
experience of music education as children and
teenagers that has driven their commitment to
kick-start this ground breaking project.”
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“We are extremely grateful to the band for their continued
support of children and young people’s access to music
education in Ireland and we welcome this announcement
with enthusiasm and excitement. Music Generation is
immensely proud to be associated with U2’s iNNOCENCE
& eXPERIENCE concerts. U2’s ongoing generosity and
support will ensure a brighter musical future for many more
of Ireland’s children and young people along with
continuing to create employment opportunities for
musicians.”
“The impact of the original €7m philanthropic donation
from U2 and The Ireland Funds has been extraordinary.
Every day, the lives of thousands of children and young
people are being transformed through access to a variety
of music tuition opportunities – everything from songwriting initiatives to brass bands, orchestras, choirs, rock
groups, rap projects, grupaí cheoil and composers clubs.
The original donation has seed-funded development and
generated ongoing sustained 50/50 investment from the
Department of Education and Skills and Local Music
Education Partnerships”, continued Rosaleen.
“U2’s ultimate vision for music education in Ireland is for
universal access for every child and young person across
the whole country. Music Generation shares in this vision
and we look forward to the prospect of the programme
expanding from 2016, with thanks to U2’s continued
support for music education in Ireland.”
“The reason why Music Generation has been such a
success story is because of the partnership base that
underpins how we work”, said Rosaleen. “U2, The Ireland
Funds, with the support of Bank of America, Music
Network, the Department of Education and Skills and
Local Music Education Partnerships, together with the Arts
Council, are our key partners. Without their input and
support Music Generation would not have been possible.”
Music Generation:
making music education happen
Since 2010, Music Generation’s achievements have been
exceptional. Key accomplishments include:
> Establishment of the programme in 12 areas of the country,
18 months ahead of schedule
> Access and participation now reaching some 26,000
children and young people annually who would otherwise
not have had the choice of access or the chance to
participate
> Creation of over 330 employment opportunities (300
musicians; 30 management and administration roles)
> Delivery of 80 different programmes in over 360 tuition
centres
> Accessible tuition offered in over 50 different types of
instruments across all genres of music
> Establishment of 12 Instrument Banks, 5 Music Libraries, 5
Recording Studios including 1 mobile recording
studio and pop up performance Music Bus
> Mounting of over 100 public performances annually
attended by 30,000 audience members
> Producing 10 national seminars and presenting at 4
national and 4 international conferences
> Delivery of over 150 professional development courses for
musicians
> Initiation of Young Ambassadors Performance Programme
featuring 200 musicians performing at 25 national and
international events
> Working with over 55 local and national partners from the
education, arts, community, voluntary, public, private and
philanthropic sectors
> 20 new commissions by professional musicians and
composers for pieces specially written for children and
young people
> Securing of ongoing annual sustainable partnership
funding from Government (€2.5m) and local Music
Education Partnerships (€2.2m) estimated at €4.7m
annually from 2016 onwards
> Investment of €450,000 from the Arts Council for a new
partnership programme, 2013 – 2015
> Initiation of a National Research Partnership with St.
Patrick’s College, Drumcondra to inform and influence
future national policy
> Initiation of International Partnerships including
collaboration with the Sage Gateshead UK, CME Institute
USA, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Europe,
Nimbus School of Recording & Media, Vancouver
> Awarding of Link Provider Status to Music Generation by
DIT Conservatory of Music to deliver University
accredited professional development training in music
education for professional musicians
Music Generation is Irela