Awards & Partnerships
Awards
Athenry Music School has won two national awards this year.
The Irish Association of Youth Orchestras awarded OURchestra residential camp their overall achievement award, 2010. The camp is directed by Coole Music’s Katharina Baker and our own Director, Katharine Mannion. The week-long camp incorporated orchestra, chamber music, traditional Irish music, juggling and choir. Activities were scheduled for 12 hours a day and the students even had to sing grace before any meal was served! The 2010 course runs from 9th-13th August and was booked out in April!!
Music Network, in association with the Arts Council of Ireland, had applications from fifty nine music schools this year. Athenry Music School, along with eleven others received capital funding awards. Athenry was awarded €8,795. The award winning proposal was to inititate cello programmes in partnership with Gairm Scoil Mhuire, Athenry and Crumlin N.S., Ballyglunin, Tuam. In total 25 cellos were purchased and the programme will start September 2010, with cellist Nicola Geddes heading a team of tutors.
Trinity College London, Composer in Residence for Athenry Music School
We are delighted to have a composer in residence from Trinity College London for 2010-2011. This composer will write music specifically for our orchestras, string quartets and will compose with our students to create a collaborative work. We hope to perform some of these works at the National Youth Orchestra Festival of Ireland 2012.
Partnership Athlone Institute of Technology
We are in discussions to finalise arrangements for recording facilities and engineers studing in A.I.T. to record orchestras from Athenry Music School. This project will also run in cooperation with the composer in residence partnership.
Athenry Music School was the subject of an A.I.T. masters student’s thesis 2010. Michele Coleman interviewed many staff, parents and board members and interviewed many music professionals and administrators from around the country. The object of her masters thesis was to look at the message the music school projects to our teachers, parents and the community in which we work.
Young Musicians’ Professional Development Initiative
Y.M.P.D.I (for short!) is a year-long practice and performance contract between the music student, parent and school. It has been developed to help our senior students who are considering continuing their music studies at third level. Its primary aim is to increase their performance skills by the creation of public performance opportunities for our students and also to provide live music for venues and businesses in Athenry town and the surrounding areas.
Patrons
Thank you to all of you for your generosity of time, energy and passion towards the young people of our community. Many people taken a hands on approach to helping our community school develop. Sincere thanks.
The following people have made donations of instruments and/or money to the school. Again, sincere thanks.
Afria Coffey
Ruth Dobbin O’Dea
John Flanagan
Glenman Corporation
Mark Kennedy
Wilma Moulden
Ruth Pokall
Stephen Rynne
Kate Thompson
