Our 6th annual non-competitive Music Festival with Laois School of Music will take place on Sunday 3 of March in Laois Music Centre. This is a great opportunity for students and ensembles of Music Generation Laois and Laois School of Music to perform and get feedback from an external Music Advisor.
Applications are available from Tutors and by clicking on the link below:
Music Generation Laois will close from Saturday 22 December 2018 and re-open on Monday 7 of January 2019.
We wish all our students and their families a very happy Christmas, and a musical New Year!
Applications are now open for high-standard, dedicated trad musicians to join the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra .
The positions open for audition are:
Standard: This opportunity is for advanced traditional musicians with 4 years experience and upwards
Age: Open to all ages
Weekly rehearsal: Successful applicants must be available for weekly rehearsal on Saturdays from 10am-11:30am. Attendance is strictly monitored, if members miss more than 3 rehearsals throughout the academic year, their membership will be relinquished.
Fee: Annual orchestra membership fee €100.
How to apply: Spaces are allocated on an audition basis – send an email to musicgenerationlaois@laoiscoco.ie with your name, date of birth, instrument(s), standard (how many years you have been playing, any significant performances or achievements in this time), Parent/Guardian contact telephone number (for those under 18) and home address. Note, as this is an advanced ensemble, expression of interest emails are to come from applicants, applications made by parents/guardians on behalf of musicians will not be accepted.
Deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm, Monday 19 November
Auditions: Successful applicants will audition on Tuesday 27 November
The Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra was established in January 2016 under the directorship of Paul Finn and Siobhan Buckley. In May 2016, the orchestra collaborated with Donegal Accordionist Martin Tourish to create a new 30 minute suite of music ‘1916 Visions and Voices’ funded by the Laois 2016 Community Fund, Per Cent for Art through Laois County Council and the Music Generation Arts Council Partnership. The music was premiered on the 22 of May 2016, as part of the Music Generation Laois New Works Series, to unprecedented public response! The work has since been performed in Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Ennis 2016, for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin Castle and in Powerscourt for the Ireland Funds Worldwide Conference attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prince Albert of Monaco and has also been recorded an launched as a CD. In 2018, the Trad Orchestra premiered a new work ‘Loinnir Laoise,’ commissioned by Music Generation Laois and composed by Ryan Molloy as part of Music at the Malt House 2018. This suite of music was performed for a second time on the gig rig at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2018 in Drogheda.
Please note: This is a highly professional ensemble, repeated absenteeism is not acceptable nor is poor timekeeping. Frequently additional rehearsals and performances are added and these are mandatory. Musicians must come prepared to rehearsals. Poor conduct and irresponsible behaviour is not permitted.
We are currently auditioning for our Junior Trad Group.
The Junior Trad Group rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 6pm-7:30pm in Laois Music Centre (formerly Scoil Mhuire), on Church Avenue, Portlaoise.
€100 annual membership fee.
Entry is by audition only. Please email musicgenerationlaois@laoiscoco.ie with your expression of interest by 5pm, Monday 19 November. Auditions will be held on Wednesday 21 November. You will receive an email if you have been selected for an audition.
In your email, we will need the young musician’s
We are looking for young trad musicians who have been playing at least 2 years, can pick up basic tunes and learn to play them by ear with ease.
In the audition, young musicians will need to play two contrasting tunes and participate in a short interview (5-10 minutes).
There is no age limit – the selection process is based on playing standard.