Music Generation Cork City presents MAY-HUM 2016: a festival of music-making and music education

26 April 2016 – Music Generation Cork City proudly presents a brand new music festival, MAY-HUM 2016, which will take place throughout Cork City during the entire month of May. Promoting an ethos of inclusion, education, participation and innovation, MAY-HUM will appeal to the wider community, promising something for everyone with almost all events being free and open to the general public.

Presented in partnership with community-based music education organisations, schools and in conjunction with local venues and businesses, MAY-HUM 2016 will feature a wide range of events from choral flash-mobs to street performances, a Rap & Beats parade, youth trad sessions and local community concerts.

MAY-HUM 2016 is delighted to partner with Cork City Libraries to present a city-wide exhibition of art, poetry and stories centred on the theme of ‘What Music Means to Me’. Created by children and teenagers involved in Music Generation Cork City programmes, displays will be featured in Cork City Library (Grand Parade) and in the local Hollyhill, Mayfield, Blackpool and Ballyphehane libraries during the month of May.

This year’s festival also introduces the Cork Community Gamelan. Commissioned by Music Generation Cork City in partnership with UCC Department of Music, the new Cork Community Gamelan is a tuned percussion ensemble consisting of gongs and metallophones from Java, Indonesia. As part of MAY-HUM 2016, the Cork Community Gamelan will be hosted by four unique venues over the course of the month, spending a week in each – Cork City Hall, Cork City Library, Knocknaheeny Youth Centre and St. Peter’s Church on North Main Street. Introductory workshops will be open to the public and will provide participants with the experience of playing traditional Javanese music as part of an ensemble.

The inaugural Colloquium for Inclusive Music Education will take place on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 of May, exploring inclusive practice and research in performance music education. It will feature presentations and performances from MGCC’s SoundOUT and Cork Community Project programmes, with particular focus on inclusive choirs and the use of digital technology to support access to music-making for children and young people with disabilities. Guest international speakers will include Dr Tim Anderson (formerly of DRAKE Music UK) and Elin Skodgal from the University of Trömso, Norway. The event will be led by Dr Grainne McHale, Director of SoundOUT, and hosted by the School of the Divine Child and UCC.

As part of MAY-HUM 2016, Youth Work Ireland Cork will showcase their work weekly through social media. Over the month of May, videos will be released showcasing the talented young rappers, singers and instrumentalists who attend the weekly Tuesday night music sessions in The Hut, Gurranabraher. Keep an eye on Facebook for more.

Taking place all day on May 27, Feelgood Friday is a new initiative set up through the Cork Business Association and Cork City Council. Creating musical ‘may-hum’ throughout the city, this exciting collaborative programme of events will range from street performances, pop-up music sessions, acoustic sets in cafes and shops, a Rap & Beats parade and a traditional Irish song-song on the 202 bus route, as well as other musical surprises along the way.

Most MAY-HUM events are free and open to the general public. Selected workshops may require advance booking. Visit www.musicgencc.eventbrite.com for details

For more information and updates, members of the public can join #MAYHUM online:

Facebook

Twitter / Snapchat / Instagram @musicgencc

www.vimeo.com / www.soundcloud.com @musicgenerationcc

MEDIA QUERIES
For press enquires contact Linda Plover
linda@bluemonkeypr.com / t. +353 (0)21 4570357 / m. +353 (0)86 1971953

NOTES TO EDITORS
Music Generation Cork City (MGCC) is a music education programme that works in partnership with community-based musicians and music organisations to bring music education to children and young people across Cork City. Using the Community Education process, socially-inclusive performance music education programmes are made available in the places where children live, play, and go to school, bringing opportunities for music-making into the heart of Cork’s communities. There are currently over 2000 children and teenagers accessing Music Generation Cork City partner programmes.

A major project of Cork Music Education Partnership, MGCC is part of Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education programme, initiated by Music Network, co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds and The Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships. Government investment in Music Generation Cork City is matched by funding from Cork City Council, Cork ETB, The HSE, CIT, UCC and Cork City Partnership.

Music Generation Cork City MAY-HUM 2016 is presented in partnership with the following community-based music education organisations, schools and local venues and businesses:

Cork Academy of Music
SoundOUT
Barrack Street Band
GMC Beats
Youth Work Ireland Cork
Cork Community Project
Music in Community (MiC)
Creative Tradition
Ballyphehane Youth Music Initiative
St. Mary’s on the Hill N.S.
Scoil na Croise Naofa
UCC School of Music & Theatre
Cork City Council
Cork Business Association (Feel Good Friday)
Cork City Libraries
Knocknaheeny Youth Project
St. Peter’s Church (Leisureworld)
Music Generation National Development Office (Colloquium)
Local businesses and traders across Cork City

For further details, dates and information about MAY-HUM 2016, contact Music Generation Cork City:

E: musicgencorkcity@corketb.ie
T: +353 21 4907186

Or drop into your local library or contact the Cork City Children’s Library:
T: +353 21 4924903
www.corkcitylibraries.ie

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