Music Generation
Following a 10-year campaign for equal access to music education in Ireland, in 2011 we established Music Generation, Ireland’s Music Education Programme.
We believe that it is every child and young person’s right to have access to music tuition and the chance to participate in music.
Our campaign began in 2001 when we began to investigate how a national system of publicly supported local ‘schools of music’ might be provided in Ireland. This resulted in the publication of A National System of Local Music Education Services, Report of a Feasibility Study in 2003, the findings of which we presented to Government. Following the report counties Dublin and Donegal piloted our model with funding from the Department of Education and Science.
In 2009 an independent evaluation of our pilot projects concludes that the model provides a workable and replicable framework for the development of music education services across Ireland, the same year U2 and The Ireland Funds commit €7 million to enable the implementation of the report’s recommendations over the next five years.
In 2011 Music Generation is established by Music Network, marking a hugely significant moment for music education in Ireland. For the first time in history, it laid the foundations to build a system that would support equal access for all children and young people to learn to play, sing, create and perform music.
Today, Music Generation, now a subsidiary company of Music Network, continues to open up the world of music for children and young people across Ireland. Operating in 29 areas across the country, providing over 490,000 hours of music education tuition, delivering 200 different programmes across all styles of music and creating over 100,000 opportunities for children and young people every year.
