Founded in 2012, the Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition is a non-profit initiative intended both to incentivise and to celebrate music making in Irish schools. Interest in the Competition – which provides a unique opportunity for teachers and students to work together in the development of a creative and original music project, with no restrictions as to genre or type of group – ha
s grown over the years, and to date schools from all 26 counties have participated. ELIGIBILITY
All primary and post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland are eligible to enter the Music for Schools Competition. We welcome all genres and mixed genres, and performing groups have included choirs, instrumental groups, combined instrumental and vocal ensembles, traditional groups, rock bands and mixtures of all of these. This offers teachers and schools the opportunity to think and work creatively with any combination of students to develop an original music project that has learning potential at every stage of the process. COLLABORATION
Meaningful collaboration – among students and between teachers and students – is encouraged and rewarded. Competition entry forms ask how the entry piece or song was developed, and those developed collaboratively, with significant input from students, have invariably been the most successful. INCLUSIVENESS
Groups that include participants of different ages and skill levels are also favoured, and past groups have included participants from Senior Infants to Sixth Class in the primary category and First to Sixth Year in the post-primary category. A Music for Schools project is not only an opportunity to develop a unique and exciting piece and to perform it in public, it should also be an opportunity for diverse group of young people to work together in a meaningful way, as well as an opportunity for older participants to mentor younger ones. THEME
Each year’s Competition has a theme, and while entries should address the theme, groups are encouraged to interpret the theme in any way they see fit. Previous years’ themes include ‘When Words Fail, Music Speaks’ (Hans Christian Andersen), ‘Music = ‘, and Music Has No Borders’. PRIZES
Each year, the Competition awards a total of €7,000 worth of vouchers for musical instruments and accessories from Waltons Music, to be divided among six winning primary and post-primary schools, including two First Prizes of €2,000 vouchers. BEYOND WINNERS AND PRIZES
Although only twelve of the many entries we receive each year are chosen as Finalists, we recognise, with Commended and Highly Commended certificates, those groups not selected that have nevertheless achieved something special. In any case, the project doesn’t need to end there; the song/piece can be performed for the school, and the entry video is a record of the group’s achievements as well. Likewise, while six of the twelve Finalist groups win prizes each year, all Finalist groups have achieved something extraordinary and all Finalist performers receive individual certificates. ADJUDICATORS
Each Finalists Concert is adjudicated by two renowned Irish musicians and/or music educators, as well as a representative of Waltons. Our previous adjudicators have included • David Brophy • Carl Corcoran • Ellen Cranitch • Julie Feeney • Deborah Kelleher • Dónal Lunny • Gwen Moore • Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin • Bill Whelan. PRESENTED BY
The Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition is produced by Waltons New School of Music and supported by RTÉ lyric fm and Waltons Music Ireland.
