Social Affairs

Music project linked to U2 now teaching one in 12 children in the State

Music Generation gave music lessons to 115,000 children last year and is now operating throughout State

Zach Barry with his teacher Jim O’Connell with musicians and students from Scoil Íosagáin and Scoil Aiséirí Chríost. Photograph: Clare Keogh

Ronan McGreevy
Wed Jul 3 2024 - 09:06

The number of children receiving tuition through Music Generation has now surpassed more than 100,000.

The project, which began with a €5 million donation from U2 in 2011, now provides tuition to one in 12 children in the State under the age of 18.

Some 115,936 children received tuition in 2023, an eight per cent increase on 2022 when the figure was 101,960. Two-thirds of participants are between the ages of seven and 12. Music Generation activities employ 513 music teachers to deliver the programme.

Music students now learn 45 different types of genres, the most popular being pop music (43.1 per cent), rock music (24.14 per cent) and traditional 21.54 per cent).

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Music Generation’s annual report show that it is now in every local authority area in the country except Cork county which will be added to the list later this year.

[ U2 rank music education scheme as one of their proudest achievements ]

U2 were one of the original funders of Music Generation when it was first mooted back in 2009 during the recession when the Government said it could not afford to roll out a pilot music education project nationwide.

They stepped in with an initial donation of €5 million and then provided a further €2 million in 2015. Other philanthropic funding came from the Ireland Funds. Music Generation started in three counties in February 2011.

Since the economy has improved the State has now stepped into the fold. Music Generation how generates 97 per cent of its income from State funding of which €7.35 million has come from local music education partnerships (LMEPs) through local authorities, €6.9 million through the Department of Education, €100,000 from the Arts Council and just over €400,000 from philanthropic sources which are U2 and the Ireland Funds.

Siobhan Buckley from Music Generation Laois with some of her pupils at the Laois Music Centre.

Music Generation national director Rosaleen Molloy said the success of the initiative is now reflected in the number of children who are participating in it on an annual basis.

“In 13 years we have scaled nationally,” she said. Though U2 are not as involved financially, they remain “thought leaders” in the project and often contribute advice.

“The philanthropic funding was strategic. It was using philanthropy as seed capital to take a risk and to leverage long-term sustained investment,” she said.

“The intention always was that the philanthropic donations would attract long-term sustainable investment from our partners and we have absolutely achieved that.”

The goal will be to widen access to children “who need it most”, she said. This includes children with special needs and those from marginal or disadvantaged communities.

“We have built the scaffolding for a better national infrastructure that is almost a foundation stone. It is providing opportunities for progression for children and young people.”

Music Generation is in almost a quarter of all primary schools, one in five secondary schools and one in six special schools, the report states.

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times

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