Music Generation Cork City programme partner in the running for coveted award

Music Generation Cork City is delighted to announce that one of the participants on their music programmes, James Fogarty of Cork Institute of Technology has been selected as the only Irish finalist in the 2015 London Healthcare Technologies finals. The award ceremony will take place in London on the 25th February.

James’s final year Biomedical Engineering project on “Design and Development of an Assistive Technology Music System for Sufferers of Cerebral Palsy - Music-ability” was supervised by Lecturer Sally Bryan and carried out in conjunction with the enablement SoundOUT organisation, a music education initiative providing inclusive music-making opportunities for people both with and without disabilities.

James' project was also highly commended in the Engineering and Mechanical Sciences category of The Undergraduate Awards 2014, and was ranked in the top 10% of submissions to the 2014 programme, which received 4,792 submissions from undergraduate students around the world.

Irish engineers and designers are at the forefront of developing new assistive music making technologies, such as the Magic Flute and specially adapted harps. These technologies, which are being constantly developed and clearly embraced by the next generation of budding engineers, not only enables these musicians to compose and perform independently, but also in an inclusive environment with other musicians.

Cork Institute of Technology is a major supporter and one of six local funders of Music Generation Cork City, which is part of Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education programme. Recently two of CIT’s engineering students, designed and developed new assistive music technologies to help facilitate music making for the SoundOUT programme. Students James Fogarty and Nicola O’ Mahony worked closely with the SoundOUT team and the young musicians involved, to develop specific types of technology which would best suit the musicians’ needs.

SoundOUT is a Cork based initiative which runs ongoing music education programmes in schools and community settings in partnership with Music Generation Cork City. Building on the work of Cork Music Works (directed by Dr. Evelyn Grant), SoundOUT was established by Gráinne McHale in 2011. SoundOUT’s vision is that adults, children and young people with and without disabilities have access to inclusive and progressive music-making and learning opportunities. Assistive music technology is used within all SoundOUT activities to ensure access for all abilities to meaningful music making.

In partnership with Music Generation Cork City, SoundOUT currently runs inclusive music education programmes in Sundays Well Boys’ N.S., School of the Divine Child, Lavanagh Centre, Terence MacSwiney Community College and Togher Music Project. An informal approach to music making and learning, which prioritises creative expression, is adopted within all classes and ensembles.

For further information on this and other Music Generation Cork City programmes, contact:

Mags O'Sullivan, Co-ordinator, Music Generation Cork City
Cork Education and Training Board, 21 Lavitt's Quay, Cork City

T: 021 4273377
E: Margaret.OSullivan@corketb.ie
www.musicgenerationcorkcity.com