Music Generation Laois are auditioning for their new Trad Orchestra. Auditions will take place on Wednesday 6 of January in Portlaoise. This opportunity is for advanced traditional music students with 4 years experience and upwards, and aged 18 and under.
Please note: Successful applicants must be available for initial rehearsals this weekend from 6-8:30pm on Friday 8 of January and from 10am-1pm on Sat 9 of January. Annual orchestra membership fee €100.
To apply for an audition send an email to musicgenerationlaois@laoiscoco.ie stating your name, age, instrument, and some information about your experience as a musician to-date (no more than 200 words) by Tuesday 5 of January by 5pm.
Please include parent/ guardian mobile telephone number. If selected for an audition, you will receive a text message with all relevant info.
The Laois School of Music Annual Christmas Concert, featuring all Ensemble Groups and including our new Oboe students and Chamber groups, will take place on Tuesday 15 December at 6pm in the Portlaoise Youth Education Centre, Railway Street.
The Orchestra will feature young musicians from the Music Generation Laois Brass and Orchestral Percussion Programmes and will have the groups playing a mix of classical, modern and christmas pieces to get everyone into the festive mood!
All are welcome to attend the concert. Free admission on the night but donations welcome.
In July 2015, Irish Singer-Songwriter Duke Special visited Portlaoise and spent 2 inspirational days with young musicians from the Music Generation Laois Summer School of Rock and Pop, developing songwriting skills. Young musicians spent 8 intensive days, writing and recording 3 new songs, enhanced by the input of 4 Music Generation Laois Tutors, Adela Meally, Ros O Meara, Dale Hennessy and Andreas Balke. This project was funded by the Arts Council/Music Generation Partnership.
Duke Special will return to Music Generation Laois on 6 December to Kavanaghs Live Music Venue, Main Street, Portlaoise to launch our School of Rock & Pop EP! Young musicians will perform 3 original songs that were written during the School of Rock & Pop Summer Camp and recorded in Golden Egg Studios, Portlaoise. On the night, Duke Special will also perform some of his original music.
Admission is by invitation only but the EP will be available to purchase through the Music Generation Laois Office on 057-8664176 or musicgenerationlaois@laoiscoco.ie.
The Music Generation Laois School of Rock and Pop had a brilliant day out in Dublin on Wednesday 11 November in the Irish Film Institute where they got to see the official videos for the songs that they created on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus when it rolled in to The Plaza at Laois County Council in August.
The Reveal Day celebrated the hard work and talent of all the young musicians who wrote and recorded original songs and filmed accompanying music videos. All the videos from the Irish Bus Tour were shown to the collection of students from nearly every Music Generation branch around the country. It was a great opportunity for the young participants from Music Generation Laois to meet and speak with their counterparts from across Ireland.
Irish composer and producer, Bill Whelan, was the special guest on the day and gave a very inspirational talk to the young, aspiring musicians in the room on his journey to success and offered wise words of advice. It was also announced that Bill Whelan was the philanthropic support that made the John Lennon Bus tour possible.
Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan was present on the day and praised the wonderful work created by the students.
John Lennon Educational Tour Bus engineer Hans Tanner flew over from the US for the occasion and was on hand to answer any questions the students had on life on the bus, music and production.
The Music Generation Laois group were delighted with the response to their two songs and with the chance to see their videos on the big screen of the Irish Film Institute.
The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit, state-of-the-art mobile audio, HD video recording and production facility and educational resource. During its second tour of Ireland, in July and August 2015, the Bus traveled to the north, south, east and west of Ireland, visiting 12 different areas of the country: South Dublin, Wicklow, Louth, Laois, Limerick City, Carlow, Cork City, Clare, Westmeath, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.
