Mayo Music Education Partnership
Mayo Local Music Education Services Partnership was set up in 2006. The
partnership consists of the following organizations:
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Mayo County Development Board
Mayo County Council Arts Office
Mayo VEC (Lead partner)
Mayo Education Centre
Mayo Community Forum
Stakeholders include:
 Mayo School of Music
 Mayo Concert Orchestra
 Mayo Youth Orchestra
 Crimlin Community Music Collective
 Comhaltas Ceolteorí Eireann
 Choral Groups (17)
 Mayo Arts Venues – The Linenhall, Áras Inis Gluaire, Ballina Arts Centre
 Whistleblast Quartet
 Local Music Teachers
 Local schools (non-curriculum delivery)
These stakeholders have all been consulted through Mayo County Council Arts Office’s
work in developing a music strategy (2006). Their input will be further sought for the
application to Music Generation.
Vision Statement:
Mayo MEP is a non-profit, non-political partnership which exists to co-ordinate
music services within the county, to ensure equity of access and to develop music
education opportunities for all.
Guiding Principles:
 Respect and value for all music and all music genres
 Recognition of the intrinsic value of music for all young people
 Adding value to existing services to avoid duplication or replication
 Strong social inclusion ethos
 Quality and excellence
The aims of the MEP shall be;
 To develop a system of sustainable supports, across a wide spectrum of
music genres county-wide
 To establish a strategic approach which ensures more equitable access to
music for young people
 To augment and add value to music within the county
 To provide a strategic mechanism for joined-up developments in music.
The objectives of the MEP shall be the provision of:
 Strategic supports for primary and post-primary schools in developing
access to music in schools.
 Opportunities to engage with exceptional musicians (through
masterclasses etc).
 Supports for exceptional music students
 A youth music initiative in a RAPID designated area
 Linkages to national specialist music agencies
Background:
The Mayo MEP was initiated in response to the Mayo Music Development Strategy,
which was carried out by the Arts Office 2005 (with Arts Consultant Orla Moloney). All
stakeholders in the county were consulted and priorities were identified. One of the
greatest barriers to progression has been limited resources, which has become more acute
in the past two years.
In line with Music Network’s Feasibility Study – ‘A National System of Local Music
Education Services, 2003’, the main focus of the Mayo MEP is the development of
sustainable supports, across a wide spectrum of music genres, to address the following
areas:
1. Strategic supports for children at primary and post-primary level in developing
access to music in schools. This could be vocal/ choral or instrumental tuition.
2. Music tuition service.
3. Exceptional music students:
Since its initiation the following work has been completed by the Mayo MEP;
1. Complete audit of music services within the county, including schools of music,
teachers, recording studios, shops and music providers, instrument makers and
repairers.
2. Audit of all primary and secondary schools to ascertain current provision.
3. Questionnaires to all Parent Council’s and School’s Boards of Management to
ascertain attitudes towards music education.
4. Audit of all after schools services provision throughout the county.
5. Several partnership pilots including the Community Music Programme (Mayo
VEC & MCC arts office), The Whistleblast Quartet Programme for primary
teachers (Mayo Education Centre and MCC Arts Office).
6. Consultation with the music sector to ascertain gaps and needs.
7. Percussion Instrument Loan Scheme for Primary and Post-primary Schools
(Mayo Education Centre and MCC Arts Office)
8. Consultation specifically with the youth sector through VEC student councils,
Neighbourhood Youth Projects, Comhairle na nÓg and young musicians in the
county.
Therefore the Mayo MEP already has:
 Direct links to the education sector
 Excellent local knowledge
 Existing effective partnerships
 First-class linkages with communities
 Access to qualified and experienced music teachers
 In depth knowledge of curriculum
 Information on relevant issues and existing gaps
 A network of suitable, available venues
 The MEP has access to a wide variety of spaces in which to
programme.
The proposed programme focuses on the following areas:
Development Strands;
1. Strategic supports for primary and post-primary schools in developing
access to music in schools.
Actions At Primary level:
a. Augment percussion and other instrument banks available to schools.
b. Develop short residencies which provide access to different music genres, live
music in the classroom and provide opportunities for performance. ( These
could be focused on traditional music, choral music, composition and more
contemporary forms such as rap/ percussion).
c. Scheme to teach the reading of music (thus enabling students to consider doing
music at second level). This could be enhanced by Music Reading and Writing
software.
d. Development of a number of school orchestras and choirs in targeted areas.
Actions at Post Primary level:
e. Access to music residencies especially orchestral and choral.
f. Ensuring that schools are in the loop for Careers in Music information sessions,
workshops and masterclasses.
g. Provision of instruments.
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Ensuring that post-primary students are aware of information sessions on careers
in music, relevant training/ workshops/ masterclasses etc
2. Music tuition service & Community music.
h. The development of a bank of instruments available for groups within the
County on hire or loan basis. These will be identified through wide spread
consultation and acquired on a needs and fair distribution basis.
i. Targeted provision of accessible (locally based / peripatetic), affordable music
classes for youth, where such provision does not exist or in instruments/ genres
not provided for, on a phased basis. This will include tuition at a higher level
where required.
j. Providing access to instrumental and vocal tuition for younger children through
After School Projects (in areas where there is no such provision). This is
intended to increase opportunities for participation.
k. Provision of regular workshops and masterclasses for existing music groups
within the county by a bank of experts – these will also be available to schools
of music and to Comhaltas groups.
l. Developing and augmenting library resources for teachers and students
(Castlebar Library has already developed a considerable music resource in
consultation with local expertise). Also, Ballina library has a sizeable traditional
music resource library. These resources are available through inter-library loans
to a further 16 libraries in the county.
m. In partnership with Ballina Arts Centre and the RAPID programme area
implementation team, initiate a programme of supports for local youth bands.
This will be co-funded with RAPID and other bodies (Western Region Drugs
Task Force, Neighbourhood Youth Projects, National Youth Council of
Ireland). This youth music programme will involve the following elements:
 Techno, DJ, mixing, sampling and digital music packages.
 Intrumental tuition in guitar (electric and acoustic), Bass guitar, Drums
and keyboards. Specialist workshops in all instruments including loop
pedals and slide guitar etc.
 Vocal tuition
 Maximum 10 students per group, ideally 7. Two age groups: 13 – 15 and
16 – 18.
 Singer songwriter weekends – working with original music
 Well-organised Showcase evenings for bands and singers in the Ballina
region. The only platform currently is in pubs which limits creativity and
the playing of original music.
 Mayo MEP will also work with other venues in the county to incentivize
show-casing of live music performance.
 Mayo MEP will also liaise with music festivals/ initiatives already in
the county to maximize the resources available for workshops and masterclasses
(ie Scoil Ácla, Feile Chois Cuain, Jazz Motion, Castlebar Blues Festival,
Westport Bluegrass Festival, Feile Iorras, Ceol na Locha, and the children’s
festivals: Sonas, Roola Boola and Soogroo).
3. Exceptional music students:
n. Provision of tuition for exceptional students within the county across all genres
through bank of experts.
o. Scholarship scheme (including travel costs).
p. Support for the purchase of instruments.
4. Training for musicians to become music educators:
q. With support of the local Leader companies, set up training programmes for
musicians who wish to become better teachers and performance music
educators. All existing music providers can apply.