Why not create your own musical masterpiece with some online help from The WhistleBlast Quartet, who launched the 2021 Music Composition Program entitled Let's Laugh with the help of Tommy Tiernan.
It's time to let your imagination lose and let the ideas flow and see where the tunes and notes take you.
The WhistleBlast Quartet is continuing to work with 200 nationwide students, both face to face and online, and this year they are expanding their programme by offering FREE virtual masterclasses to EVERY mainstream and special needs school in Ireland and beyond.
The quartet is made up of Conor Linehan (piano), Ken Edge (saxes and clarinets), Oonagh Keogh (violin) and Mary Curran (French Horn) and want to guide students on their musical journey!
The programme is open to ANY style including percussion, instruments, and vocals. You don't have to be able to write music notation. Just create your own music through: audio/video/songs/instruments/rap.
Write anything down that comes to mind relating to the topic 'Lets Laugh' and then gradually develop sentences to create your lyric.
Here is an example of one school’s verse from a previous project of a song based on the title The Greatest Challenge:
Be whatever you want to be
Like a unicorn in a field full of horses.
Don’t think about blending in,
Dreams don’t work unless you do.
Listen to Mary from the group as she introduces us to the programme...
In Week One they look at MIND MAPS
LYRICS/ EMOTIONS/ MUSICAL IDEAS/ HISTORY
Try and work in small groups to bounce ideas off each other and have some fun! Here are some ideas in short videos to help you CREATE:
Introduction to the French Horn - Mary tells us about the French horn
Emotions in music - Ken talks about emotions in music
Strings and riffs - Oonagh talks about strings
After you go through all the tutorials and classes you will be ready to work with your classmates to produce your own piece of music.
Check out the website over the coming weeks for more virtual classes - www.whistleblastquartet.com
Check out this video from the WhistleBlast Composition Programme 2020 where 46 talented young students from Dominican College, Galway and Ceol na Mara Youth Orchestra, Limerick performed THEIR OWN COMPOSITION Then We'll Meet Again.
Production, Sound and Musical Arrangements: Mary Curran (Horn) Kenneth Edge (Sax) Conor Linehan (Piano) Oonagh Keogh (Violin).
Irish Sign Interpreter: Raphael Greene. Video Editor: Phil Shanahan.
WhistleBlast is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and other sponsors.
