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CORDA CONNECTIONS STRIKES A CHORD WITH YOUNG MUSICIANS!
Last week, forty lucky young string players from across Louth took part in Music Generation Louth’s amazing new Corda Connections summer camp. The initiative was funded under the Music Generation/Arts Council Partnership and hosted by the Department of Creative Arts Media and Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Under the artistic direction of composer Elaine Agnew, musicians from Music Generation Louth and the internationally renowned Irish Chamber Orchestra joined together to create a very unique kind of musical learning experience.
Each day was packed with all sorts of exciting musical activity including composition, improvisation, arranging, chamber music playing and multi media activities provided by Zipped Eye Productions. All types of musical styles were embraced and explored from avant-garde through to folk, bluegrass, traditional, pop, baroque and classical. The excitement and enjoyment each day in the music making was palpable and contagious!
Speaking about the course, Coordinator for Music Generation Louth Gemma Murray said “We set out to design a course that would really connect young people with music that they are interested in playing. That was our starting point; from there we weaved many layers of connections, with organisations and individuals, to make that happen.
The musicians did an amazing job, bringing together a wealth of experience, skills, ideas and enthusiasm. The impact on the children and young people involved has been incredible.”
Dr Eibhlis Farrell, Director of Ionad Taighde Ceoil / Centre for Research in Music at DKIT and a member of the Louth Music Education Partnership said ” May I congratulate Music Generation Louth on the great success of the Corda Connections Summer School. We in DkIT are delighted to work with Music Generation Louth and look forward to continuing our association and to developing further our shared vision of fostering and promoting music education in County Louth for the benefit of all.”
The course concluded on Friday afternoon with various multi media displays and an hour-long musical showcase for families, friends who were blown away by the quality of the music and the level of engagement. Peter Kierans, CEO of Louth and Meath Education and Training Board also attended the event. He spoke afterwards to congratulate the children and young people on their brilliant performance. He acknowledged the exceptional skills demonstrated by the Corda Connections course tutors, thanking Gemma Murray, Coordinator and all her team.
It felt like the end of a wonderful party with audience members joining the children and young people on stage for the dancing. Here’s hoping for more!
