President Hosts the Music Generation Laois Trad Group at Community Garden Party at Áras an Uachtaráin
The Music Generation Laois Trad Group was hosted by President Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins at a Community Day Party in Áras an Uachtaráin yesterday, Thursday 6 July. The Party, MC’d by Maura Derrane, was the 7th event in the 2017 series of Garden Parties celebrating the work of people and organisations active on themes of citizenship and community. Led by their tutor, musician Siobhán Buckley, the Trad Group performed an electric set for the President, Sabina Higgins and more than 400 guests among a line-up of acclaimed musicians including Ryan Sheridan and Walking on Cars.
Music Generation Laois is part of Music Generation – Ireland’s national music education programme, initiated by Music Network, co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships. Locally, Music Generation Laois is managed by Laois Music Education Partnership and co-funded by Laois County Council, Laois-Offaly Education and Training Board and Laois Partnership Company.
At this prestigious event at Áras an Uachtaráin the Trad Group represented Music Generation as Young Ambassadors – sharing their work and ensemble performance with voluntary groups and active citizens from across the country, who are working to build a better, more inclusive Ireland. In addition to their performance, the young musicians enjoyed an opportunity to meet the President and Sabina Higgins and to capture this memorable moment on camera with an official photo.
The young musicians performing on the day were Ellen Scott, Peter Bennett, Neamh O’Connor, Conall Nevin, Fiadh Fitzpatrick, Tara Fahey, Molly Donnery, Isobel Donnery and Maeve Scott.
Just before their performance, Molly Donnery, age 18 from Camross, who plays harp and sings with the group, said: ‘It’s really exciting to be at Áras an Uachtaráin, to have the chance to perform for the President and Sabina Higgins and all of their guests, and especially to be able to play together with friends. It’s brilliant to have performance opportunities like these at a young age – thanks to Music Generation and to President and Sabina Higgins for inviting us to be here.’
The Music Generation Laois Trad Group is a newly formed group made up of members of the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra. The Group features musicians and singers from all parts of the county, featuring harp, bodhrán, uilleann pipes, fiddle, concertina, accordion, flute, mandolin and piano and they are directed by Siobhán Buckley. The group recently performed at the Music @ Mount Leinster festival of trad music in County Carlow in February 2017 to an unprecedented public response, and again at the Pramerica Spirit of the Community Awards in March 2017. In 2016, members of this group performed with Music Generation Laois at an event hosted by The American Ireland Funds in New York and at the Creative Connexions Festival in Spain.
The members of the Trad Group are among 3,000 children and young people who last year attended weekly lessons with Music Generation Laois.
Music Generation’s Young Ambassadors programme provides opportunities for young musicians throughout Ireland to perform at national and international events.
Music Generation
Music Generation Laois is a performance music education programme for children and young people in County Laois. It is part of Music Generation – Ireland’s National Music Education Programme, initiated by Music Network and co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships. Locally, Music Generation Laois is managed by Laois Music Education Partnership and co-funded by Laois County Council, Laois-Offaly Education and Training Board and Laois Partnership Company.
Music Generation believes in every child and young person’s musical potential and their innate artistry, that it is every child and young person’s right to have the choice of access and the chance to participate as a musical citizen and that music doesn’t just change lives, it transforms lives. The programme focuses on performance music education – that is vocal and instrumental tuition, encompassing all music genres and all types of instruments and vocal styles, delivered by skilled professional musicians interacting in an inspirational way with children and young people.
Music Generation was made possible by a €7m philanthropic donation from U2 and The Ireland Funds) which was gifted to progress the implementation of Music Network’s Feasibility Study for a National System of Local Music Education Services. This was the largest ever philanthropic donation to music education in Ireland in the history of the State.
Currently Music Generation local Music Education Partnerships (MEPs) are established in 12 areas of the country: Carlow, Clare, Cork City, Laois, Limerick City, Louth, Mayo, Offaly/Westmeath, Sligo, South Dublin and Wicklow. These programmes, formed during Phase 1 of Music Generation (2010 – 2015), are co-funded by Government through the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and matched on a 50/50 basis by funding generated by MEPs, ensuring a long-term and lasting outcome from U2 and The Ireland Funds’ philanthropic giving.
Phase 2 of Music Generation has been initiated through further philanthropic donations from U2 and The Ireland Funds which will enable expansion into new areas of the country over the next five years. The Department of Education and Skills has pledged its commitment to sustaining co-funding for Phase 2 together with local MEPs into the future.