Unleash Your Creative Spark with Music Generation on Cruinniú na nÓg
Unleash Your Creative Spark on Cruinniú na nÓg - 7th June 2025
We are excited to present the Music Generation Annual Report for 2024. In 2024, we proudly reached 10.9% of children and young people in Ireland. The launch of We are Music Generation marked a national celebration of the achievements of all partners involved in Music Generation.
Throughout 2024, Music Generation:
- reached 132,500 programme participants.
- taught over 40 varieties of music.
- supported 1,224 live performances by children and young people.
Music Generation National Events
We celebrated the incredible talent of our young musicians, the dedication of our Musician Educators, and the support of our stakeholders at three National events:
- We are Music Generation Day at the Convention Centre.
822 young musicians took part in this day-long festival filled with live performances and creative experiences.
- National Musician Educators Gathering in Galway.
The gathering was dedicated to celebrating the role of Musician Educators and the incredible impact of their work with children and young people across the country.
- National Music Generation Conference at Dublin Castle.
The Conference brought together national partners from music, arts, and education. It was an opportunity to reflect on Music Generation’s achievements and discuss the future of music access in Ireland.
Read more about our National Events in our 2024 Annual Report here.
"I love music and it’s great to play it. And it’s great to play it with people who love it too." Young Musician, Music Generation Waterford
Youth Voice throughout We are Music Generation
Young musicians played an important role in shaping many aspects of We are Music Generation. We held consultations with children and young people from Music Generation programmes to ensure their voices were included. Their input influenced key elements of the celebration such as title, brand identity, and programming.
At the national events young people took lead roles in panel discussions, interviewing, MC’ing and leading on videography.
Locally, Music Generation Mayo formed their first ever Festival Youth Council. The council designed a series of events for Féile Mhaigh Eo which took place throughout the county. They included a Busking Competition in Westport and a day-long outdoor youth festival in Castlebar.
Read more about Youth Voice throughout We are Music Generation in our Annual Report 2024 here.
Locally Led Events
Local Music Generation partnerships hosted over 30 We are Music Generation events/initiatives. The creativity, quality and variety across local events was incredibly inspiring to see. They included:
- Harmony in Diversity - Music Generation Longford
An 8-week collaboration between Music Generation Longford’s Rock and Pop, Roma and Africa music programmes to celebrate diverse musical cultures.
- Ceiliúradh Music Generation at Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2024
Over 300 young musicians performed at the Wexford Credit Union Dome across two concerts Ceiliúradh Music Generation Lá and Ceiliúradh Music Generation Oíche. The performing trad groups and ensembles were from Music Generation areas including Carlow, Cavan/Monaghan, Kilkenny, Laois, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow. View the full programme here.
- Sounds of Semple - Music Generation Tipperary
This project brought together 200 primary school children to form a ‘hurley orchestra,’ turning the hurley stick into a musical instrument. The children worked with Peter O'Toole of The Hot House Flowers to create an anthem they called the 'Tipperary Hurling Haka'. Watch their music video here.
See the complete list of local We are Music Generation events and more highlights from 2024 in our Annual Report. View it here.
We are grateful for the support of all our partners in making We are Music Generation 2024 possible. We look forward to continue working together towards our shared vision of transforming young lives through music.
