The Music Generation Laois/Laois Partnership Glee Clubs have all recommenced in Portlaoise, Mountmellick and Abbeyleix, under Glee Club Leader Anne-Marie Lawlor, and Choreographer/Movement Tutor Paula Byrne. The Clubs are working towards Christmas performances and a concert in the Dunamaise Theatre, Portlaoise, in June 2014!
The Glee Clubs are €2 weekly. There are limited spaces available in the Portlaoise Glee Club, contact the office on 057 8664078/musicgenerationlaois@laoiscoco.ie to Sign Up!
[sociallinkz]Young musicians from the Music Generation Laois School of Rock and Pop performed at the Society for Music Education in Ireland’s Conference in St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, on Friday the 1st of November. The group of talented young people played in a large band, made up of keyboard (Claire Faherty), acoustic, electric and bass guitar (Eoghan Murphy, Luke Byrne, Pavel Malik), drums (Diarmuid Faherty), the Cajon (Sean Faherty), fiddle (Shona Nevin, Ciara Faherty), flute (Shona Nevin and Sean Faherty) with Ian Delaney on vocals.
This was the group’s first performance since joining the Music Generation Laois School of Rock and Pop in September of this year. They performed songs by Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers and Elbow. These musicians receive tuition in guitar, drums and keyboard at the School of Rock and Pop, and attend weekly band time. The School of Rock and Pop is based in the Portlaoise Youth Café, and an excellent team of Tutors (Ros O Meara, Dale Hennessy, Adela Meally) provide tuition to the young people involved.
The group will also perform at the forthcoming Music Generation Laois Christmas Concert on the 8 of December in the Dunamaise Theatre.
We are still on a high here in MG Laois since Tuesday’s workshop with the genial, inspirational, Columbian Harpist – Edmar Castenada. Over 50 young musicians gathered in St Joesph’s Girls NS Mountmellick, to meet the Harpist who began his musical career as a dancer in Columbia. Edmar moved to the US in his teens, along with his family who immigrated there, and studied Trumpet by day and Harp by night.
On Tuesday in Mountmellick, Edmar asked the group of young musicians, ‘How many of you play the harp?’ and was astounded when the entire group of 50 children gathered raised their hands. Edmar explained that ordinarily when he poses that question, the standard response is 2-3 hands being raised!
Edmar’s workshop included lots of different styles from Bossa nova to Jazz, and as well as playing his blue custom-made Camac Harp, he gave a tremendous performance using Maracas, which was jaw-dropping!
Edmar also performed a duet with our own Claire O Donnell, the wonderful Harpist responsible for the great work being done in Rath NS Ballybrittas, St Joseph’s Girls NS Mountmellick and our latest recruits Gaelscoil an tSlí Dala in Ballaghmore, as well as our evening students in Portlaoise College.
The Music Generation Laois School of Rock and Pop was officially launched by the internationally renowned Singer and Musician, Jack L, on Tuesday 24 September in the Portlaoise Youth Café. The new School of Rock and Pop offers affordable group lessons in guitar (bass, electric and acoustic), keyboard and drums, and caters for beginner, intermediate and advanced students. The School of Rock and Pop offers young people in Laois the opportunity to develop their musical talents, by providing music lessons, mentoring, performance opportunities as well as a range of once-off workshops in Song-writing and Music Technology.
The School of Rock and Pop is based in the Portlaoise Youth Café, and Music Generation Laois are delivering this initiative in association with Youth Work Ireland Laois. Speaking at the launch, Joe Thompson Director of Youth Work Ireland Laois said ‘Youth Work Ireland laois see its collaboration with Music Generation Laois as a major initiative to make popular music more accessible to all young people in laois. The endorsement of acclaimed international Singer-Songwriter Jack Lukeman speaks volumes to the stand and quality of the programme. Jack is a gentleman, giving freely of his time vast knowledge and experience of music performance and the music industry to the young people at the Portlaoise Youth Cafe. It is thumbs up from all involved!’
Rosa Flannery, Co-ordinator of Music Generation Laois, added ‘It is fantastic to see the Music Generation Laois School of Rock and Pop now launched in the Portlaoise Youth Cafe, and we already have a great group of Young people involved, some of them keen beginners who show so much potential, and other young musicians who have been performing for quite some time and now wish to further develop their talent under the guidance of our fantastic team of Tutors. I am delighted to see the plans for Music Generation in the County coming to fruition, and it is wonderful to have a Singer and Musician of the calibre of Jack L launch this initiative.’
For further on the Music Generation Laois School of Rock and Pop, and to sign up for lessons, contact Music Generation Laois on 057 8664078
Harp Students from Music Generation Laois will attend a workshop with the wonderful Colombian Harpist Edmar Castenada. We are bringing this opportunity to our harp students in association with Music Network
