Skip to main content
Find Your Local Music Generation

RTÉ Radio 1 Oliver Callan Show - Empowering Young People Through Music

Whats App Image 2024 08 28 at 14 15 59

Music Generation is Ireland’s national music education programme, which transforms the lives of children and young people by providing access to performance music education in their local area.

Our mission is to empower children and young people to realise their full potential through access to, and participation in, high quality performance music education.

In 2023, Music Generation proudly reached close to 116,000 children and young people accross the country through music.

National Director Rosaleen Molloy joined Shay Byrne on the Oliver Callan Show to discuss Music Generation's origin and story to its current reach today - one in twelve children and young people in Ireland. Rosaleen also talks about the partnerships that make our mission possible and the importance of making music accessible to every child and young person, no matter what their background.

Listen back to the full interview here
"Every child and young person deserves the choice and chance to access music in their lives. It shouldn't be about where you come from, whether you can afford it, having access to a particular set of expertise. Access to music is a children's rights issue." Rosaleen Molloy, Music Generation National Director

Meet the Music Generation Alumni

Jay Lee, PJ Mongan, and Rachel Walsh joined the conversation to share how access to Music Generation programmes has transformed their lives and has shaped their futures in music.

Jay Lee

3

Jay, 19, is a multi-instrumentalist from Tallaght, Dublin who started his musical journey with Music Generation in secondary school. A self-taught keyboard player, Jay participated in the Music Generation South Dublin partnership programme SubSounds.

Through SubSounds, Jay gained valuable experience in instrumental tuition, collaboration, arrangement, recording, and production. He has since released an EP and two albums with his fellow participants. Jay has also returned to the program as a mentor, leading workshops in local schools in partnership with South Dublin Arts Council.

Jay now works as a session musician and composer. He will soon start a BA (Hons) in Commercial Modern Music at BIMM Institute Dublin. Jay is also performing with "Sadhbh Keane and Friends" and has recently played at the Kaleidoscope Festival, SubSounds Youth Music Festival, and Áras Chrónáin.

"Music Generation was always around in school. They were doing workshops; they were doing lessons. They had these hubs in Kingswood and Citywest, all over Tallaght. From there is where I discovered SubSounds" Jay Lee

Rachel Walsh

Mayo singer RACHEL has had four number one singles in the Irish charts. RACHEL is known for her upbeat, refreshingly-unique Pop songs, displaying catchy melodies and distinctive vocal range.

Rachel participated in songwriting programme at Music Generation Mayo throughout her teenage years. She believes that the experiences and musicians she encountered during this time have significantly shaped her career today.

RACHEL has been accredited by Hot Press, Goldenplec,Chordblossom RTÉ 2FM (Track of the Week) , BBC Introducing and SPIN 1038 Plan B's 'One to Watch', Galway Bay FM, RosFM, Midwest Radio and IRadio (Track of the Week) as one of the next big up and coming Irish female artists. RACHEL recently performed at Workman’s Club ‘Next Big Thing’ Festival and has been chosen as an Irish Music Month finalist by Galway Bay FM in 2022 and Midwest Radio in 2023. RACHEL has accumulated over 40k organic streams to date on Spotify.

Mayo singer-songwriter RACHEL, who has been releasing music since 2019 has performed her originals in venues such as Whelan’s, The Workman’s Club, The SoundHouse, The Crowbar, The Royal Theatre Castlebar, and supported Paddy Casey in Garbo’s venue Castlebar. RACHEL sold out her first headline show in WHELANS in May 2022 and performed two more headline shows in 2023 and 2024. One in The Soundhouse and another in Whelan's this year. Now with a large online following, and recent support & praise shown by some of Ireland’s biggest radio stations, RACHEL is moving to Chicago this July for a year or two to pursue her career in music.

Listen to RACHEL's new single 'We didn't call it love'.

"It wasn’t until I got involved with Music Generation that I realised how many other teenagers had that same passion, that was kind of hidden in school. When I was able to come home from school and go to songwriting camps and really connect with other musicians and cowrite with other musicians, it really foreshadowed my career in music today and led me to where I am." Rachel Walsh

PJ Mongan

Musician PJ Mongan is now working as a Musician Educator after progressing as a young musician with Music Generation Galway City. PJ began working as a Musician Educator in September 2023 and recently won the 2024 Traveller Pride Awards for his work as a musician in the community.

With Music Generation Galway City PJ works with progrmmes in partnership Galway Traveller Movement, Misleór Festival of Nomadic Culture and Pavee Point creating access to musical opportunities for those in hard- to-reach areas throughout Galway.

Watch PJ and young musician Francis Ward perform at the Traveller Pride Awards at the Light House Cinema.

"Music is a universal language, and it shouldn’t be locked to a certain standard. Everyone should have the right to music." PJ Mongan
Listen back to the full interview here
Whats App Image 2024 08 28 at 14 15 59 2

Music Generation is Ireland’s National Music Education Programme with a mission to empower children and young people to realise their full potential through access, to and participation in, high quality performance music education. Initiated by Music Network, Music Generation is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Local Music Education Partnerships (LMEPs) in which Education and Training Board and Local Authorities play a lead role.

Latest news