Laois Music Centre to host annual open evening
Musician educator Kim Melia with young musicians and some of the Kindermusic instruments at last year's Music Generation Laois/Laois School of Music open evening at Laois Music Centre. Photo: Af Harvey
MUSIC Generation Laois and Laois School of Music will host their annual open evening on Tuesday 17 June from 6-8pm.
The event will be held in Laois Music Centre, Portlaoise and it’s a great way to meet the music tutors and try out lots of different instruments.
Tutors from both Music Generation Laois and Laois School of Music will be on hand to guide families on the huge variety of music lessons on offer, with lots of musical instruments on-site for everyone to try out.
Laois Music Centre is a unique facility for music education in the midlands, located on Church Avenue in Portlaoise with access to top-of-the-range facilities for music students. Laois Music Centre houses both Music Generation Laois and Laois School of Music.
Laois School of Music provides lessons in voice/singing, piano, violin, cello, flute, recorder, guitar, drums, kindermusic (an introduction to music for younger children aged 4-6) and pre-instrumental music for children aged 7-8 years.
There is also a range of ensembles for young musicians to participate in, including the Laois School of Music Junior and Senior Orchestra, and an adult string ensemble, Dunamaise Strings.
Laois School of Music provides classes for students who wish to take leaving cert music outside of school, with adult students very welcome, as many adult students attend classes.
Music Generation Laois provides group lessons in brass, bodhrán, harp, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, concertina, traditional flute, keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, singing, ukulele, drum kit, double bass and The Music Box – a performance music education programme for children and young people with special needs.
Performance opportunities are available by joining Music Generation Laois’s harp ensembles, trad orchestra, junior and intermediate trad groups, community choir, BOP Orchestra and rock and pop bands. And a large array of instruments are available for hire to both Laois School of Music and Music Generation Laois students.
Music Generation Laois, in partnership with LOETB Portlaoise Further Education and Training Centre, offers full-time and part-time study options in music studies with popular music, traditional music and sound production, QQI levels 5 and 6.
Speaking ahead of the event, Rosa Flannery, music development officer with Laois Music Centre said: “Our annual open evening is always a huge hit with families and the wider community. It's a great chance for people to find out what's available in our centre and to meet our team and try out a wide range of instruments. For those who already play music, our bands or ensembles might be of interest, or our accredited further ed music programmes.” To find out more about prices and age requirements for instruments, click on the ‘Sign Up Now’ button on musicgenerationlaois.ie Music Generation Laois is part of Music Generation, Ireland's national music education programme, co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds and the Department of Education. Music Generation Laois is part of Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board and supported by Laois County Council.
Laois School of Music is part of Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board and supported by Laois County Council's Arts Office.
