Rolling out music opportunities for Tipp youngsters
Music Generation Tipperary has been busy developing programmes and events for children and young people across Tipperary this past year. These have included programmes in bass guitar, ukulele, uilleann pipes, Music Technology, and ‘Tipperary Sings!’ an Intergenerational Choir in association with Tipperary County Arts Office and the Bealtaine Festival. They have also hosted some really successful one-off events to support young people throughout the year, including hosting workshops with the likes of famous fiddle player Martin Hayes, a workshop with Grammy award-winner and star of the show Nashville, Rhiannon Giddens, and a day of workshops celebrating the rich tradition of brass and wind instruments within the county, called ‘Tipp’s Big Blow Out!’
But now, Music Generation Tipperary is looking to expand its programming, and is offering new places on these programmes, as well as offering brand new programmes starting in various locations across the county and online. As well as this, new opportunities and one-off events will also take place in the coming weeks where young people will get the chance to learn from some of Tipperary’s (and Ireland’s) top musicians.
Aidan O’Donnell, Music Development Officer for Music Generation Tipperary, said: “We are delighted to continue to offer opportunities for children and young people to access music across County Tipperary, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming new young musicians to our programmes this year. Last year, despite Covid-19, we had a lot of success in the rollout of some of our programmes. In particular, our ‘Learn the bass, ukulele, uilleann pipes, music technology and Tipperary sings’ programmes were hugely successful, where young people could learn these instruments and be involved with these programmes in an online capacity due to Covid, but they still really enjoyed the programme, and above all else, are now well on the way to becoming the next generation of Tipperary musicians.
I think those young people will really grow this year, and we are really looking forward to welcoming them into live settings to play together when it is safe to do so.”
In terms of the new programmes starting, these will include rock and pop programmes (where young people who are learning an instrument can come together with other young people to create their very own band!), junior and senior Traditional music ensembles, vocal programmes, and hopefully the establishment of a Music Generation Tipperary Youth Choir, uilleann pipes classes, music tech, and also lessons in some brass and wind instruments (especially in areas where there is not existing provision). Other instruments that may be catered for include guitar and drums, pending availability.
An important part of this relationship is also those one off events that we host periodically during the year. These are special workshops that again offer young people something extra, and sometimes something a little different to their usual classes. For example, we have on Saturday, September 11, an Uilleann pipe workshop with Louise Mulcahy, Claire Fennell and Alain Ó Cearúil, followed by a ‘Try the Pipes’ event, where young people will get the chance to try the pipes for themselves in a safe environment. We will also host ‘Try the Instrument’ events around the county for Culture Night, on September 17, especially focussing on bass guitar, ukulele and some other instruments.
BOOK YOUR PLACE
Each of these events will have a limited capacity due to Covid-19 so booking is essential by contacting musicgeneration@tipperaryetb.ie. We’d also ask people to follow and like our social media pages, as this is where most of our events are announced, and we will have programmes running at Hallowe’en and coming up to Christmas, e.g. working with the Spleodar Arts festival, etc.