Since the Leaving Certificate music course was revamped, three times as many of you have signed up. Go on, admit it, it's the thought of delivering a three-minute guitar solo to an appreciative examiner that attracted you - or was it the little matter of fame and fortune ? Brian Boydon how school can kickstart your rock career
Since 1996, when the Leaving Certificate music syllabus was completely revised and updated, there has been a threefold increase in the number of students doing the course - with just under 5,000 students taking the exam in 2007. This large increase is testament to the fact that the music course is now a lot more relevant to students' lives (and listening habits).
The syllabus has thrown off its old "classical music only" mantle and now allows students to chose from classical, traditional Irish, ethnic, folk, rock, jazz or stage musical components.
To this end, in the performance part of the exam, a student can submit and perform a three-minute rock-guitar solo. Now it is a more accessible course, participation levels are growing all the time. There is a myth about doing music for the Leaving in that the subject has been seen as the preserve of feepaying schools or schools with privileged catchment areas. But according to the Department of Education, whether or not music is on offer as a Leaving Cert subject is more down to "the needs of students and taking account of school size, level of demand and student interest".
While traditionally most of today's most popular bands (Coldplay, Radiohead etc) all got together while at third level, there is a rich history of bands forming through the bonds made at secondary school (The Beatles and U2 being prime examples). Most music education talks and seminars are still aimed at third-level students—and there is no end of third-level "Battle Of The Bands" competitions to unearth tomorrow's stars - but this year's Music Ireland '07, an extensive array of live music, exhibitions, workshops and seminars which is being held at Dublin's RDS from Friday, October 5th to Sunday, October 7th, is holding a special schools' day this Friday.
Aimed directly at second-level students, "Schools' Day" promises to be an educational and entertaining school tour with a difference. Remember, the music business is made up of two components and a lot of aspiring musicians forget the business side of the equation. It is not enough in today's highly competitive marketplace just to
have the songs in place, you also need expert advice on how the media works (and how to get the machine working for your band), what PR companies can actually do for you and how record companies really work. Many a young band who have shown a lot of promise during their secondary school days have been left feeling a bit used and abused after coming into contact with the music business.
It's a business that is set up like no other and a visit to Schools' Day might well help you get a bit of an understanding of what happens behind the scenes of the music business and how the decisions made there can mean the difference between you being flown to Los Angeles with ¤100,000 to record your debut album with Bruce Springsteen's producer - or why, despite all your friends telling you how brilliant you are, you are dodging the gardaí as you attempt to busk on Grafton Street.
Schools' Day begins at 11am (an early start by music industry tradition) with a talk by record company experts which will explain where the money you spend on a CD actually goes - how much goes to the musician, how much to the record company, how much to the shop that sells it etc.
As the day progresses, there'll be plenty of live performances from acts such as Sons Of Jacobian, Leanne Harte and Dirty Epics .
The talks in between the live shows vary from DJ workshops to panel talks on how best to go about getting a job as a radio or TV personality - or even that most overrated of professions, the music journalist.
It's important to stress that Schools' Day is not just for those who want to form their own bands. Anyone who would like to set up their own record label, manage a band, work as a tour manager or even design websites for bands will find something useful on the day.
There is, though, plenty that can't be taught. No one can really teach you how to write a song, how to deliver a vocal or how to play a riff - that's all up to you. What you will learn, though, is how to handle the music you've made and find out the ways to get it heard on radio and TV. While a little knowledge can go a long way, a little knowledge about the complex and ever-changing music industry can go a very long way indeed.
. Schools' Day at Music Ireland '07 takes place on Friday October 5th at the RDS from 11am to 4pm.
The Irish Times is offering readers a two for one offer on weekend passes. Just bring this article with you on Saturday, October 6th and when you purchase a weekend pass for •115, you receive another' weekend pass for free.
For further information go to www.musicireland.ie
School noticeboards have their uses
On September 25th, 1976, a young second-level student called Larry Mullen put a hand-written message on the school noticeboard of Mount Temple Comprehensive in Dublin's Clontarf. The message read: "Wanted - Musicians For A New Band". He got seven replies, among them ones from Adam Clayton, Dave Evans (The Edge) and Paul Hewson (Bono). The Larry Mullen band (as they used to be called) soon became U2 and the rest is Irish music history.
With so many social networking sites out there at the moment, it is worth remembering the old-fashioned route of the school noticeboard.
The great thing about forming a band while you are still at secondary school is that there is no pressure on you at all to succeed, you all get to know each other very well from an early age, and any problems can be ironed out well away from the public gaze.
A lot of "manufactured" bands simply don't stay together because they have nothing in common with each other besides the fact some manager type thought they sounded (and looked) well together. Rehearsing and messing around musically with your school mates can really help you find yourself as a musician - you may even decide that you'd prefer to be a solo artist. The early days are important - U2 still say that their most important musical decisions were taken while they were rehearsing after classes at Mount Temple.
Since 1996, when the Leaving Certificate music syllabus was completely revised and updated, there has been a threefold increase in the number of students doing the course - with just under 5,000 students taking the exam in 2007. This large increase is testament to the fact that the music course is now a lot more relevant to students' lives (and listening habits).
The syllabus has thrown off its old "classical music only" mantle and now allows students to chose from classical, traditional Irish, ethnic, folk, rock, jazz or stage musical components. To this end, in the performance part of the exam, a student can submit and perform a three-minute rock-guitar solo.
Now it is a more accessible course, participation levels are growing all the time. There is a myth about doing music for the Leaving in that the subject has been seen as the preserve of fee-paying schools or schools with privileged catchment areas. But according to the Department of Education, whether or not music is on offer as a Leaving Cert subject is more down to "the needs of students and taking account of school size, level of demand and student interest".
While traditionally most of today's most popular bands (Coldplay, Radiohead etc) all got together while at third level, there is a rich history of bands forming through the bonds made at secondary school (The Beatles and U2 being prime examples).
Most music education talks and seminars are still aimed at third-level students - and there is no end of third-level "Battle Of The Bands" competitions to unearth tomorrow's stars - but this year's Music Ireland '07, an extensive array of live music, exhibitions, workshops and seminars which is being held at Dublin's RDS from Friday, October 5th to Sunday, October 7th, is holding a special schools' day this Friday.
Aimed directly at second-level students, "Schools' Day" promises to be an educational and entertaining school tour with a difference. Remember, the music business is made up of two components and a lot of aspiring musicians forget the business side of the equation. It is not enough in today's highly-competitive marketplace just to have the songs in place, you also need expert advice on how the media works (and how to get the machine working for your band), what PR companies can actually do for you and how record companies really work.
Many a young band who have shown a lot of promise during their secondary school days have been left feeling a bit used and abused after coming into contact with the music business.
It's a business that is set up like no other and a visit to Schools' Day might well help you get a bit of an understanding of what happens behind the scenes of the music business and how the decisions made there can mean the difference between you being flown to Los Angeles with €100,000 to record your debut album with Bruce Springsteen's producer - or why, despite all your friends telling you how brilliant you are, you are dodging the gardaí as you attempt to busk on Grafton Street.
Schools' Day begins at 11am (an early start by music industry tradition) with a talk by record company experts which will explain where the money you spend on a CD actually goes - how much goes to the musician, how much to the record company, how much to the shop that sells it etc.
As the day progresses, there'll be plenty of live performances from acts such as Sons Of Jacobian, Leanne Harte and Dirty Epics. The talks in between the live shows vary from DJ workshops to panel talks on how best to go about getting a job as a radio or TV personality - or even that most overrated of professions, the music journalist.
It's important to stress that Schools' Day is not just for those who want to form their own bands. Anyone who would like to set up their own record label, manage a band, work as a tour manager or even design websites for bands will find something useful on the day.
There is, though, plenty that can't be taught. No one can really teach you how to write a song, how to deliver a vocal or how to play a riff - that's all up to you. What you will learn, though, is how to handle the music you've made and find out the ways to get it heard on radio and TV. While a little knowledge can go a long way, a little knowledge about the complex and ever-changing music industry can go a very long way indeed.
Schools' Day at Music Ireland '07 takes place on Friday October 5th at the RDS from 11am to 4pm.
The Irish Times is offering readers a two for one offer on weekend passes. Just bring this article with you on Saturday, October 6th and when you purchase a weekend pass for €€15, you receive another' weekend pass for free.
For further information go to www.musicireland.ie
Why exams are the new rock'n'roll
The multi-million selling Irish rock band Ash had released a few singles and actually signed a recording contract before they finished studying for their A-Levels in a Downpatrick school. The band were hugely promising - even as 15-year-olds - and there was huge pressure on the band to skip their exams so they could tour America etc. Wisely, though, the band fitted in their recording and touring commitments around school holidays and all left school with exam certificates.
The point about Ash is that both a commitment to a musical career and a commitment to your second-level education can go hand in hand. But Ash (and lead singer Tim Wheeler, right) are very much an exceptional talent and since their rise to fame, no other band (Irish or otherwise) have released singles and signed a recording contract while still at second level.
No matter how famous a band becomes, their schooldays are still important and sometimes act as inspiration for lyrics. The Corr sisters still speak very fondly of their time at Dun Lughaidh Secondary School in Dundalk, Co Louth, three members of Westlife enjoyed their time at Summerhill College, Sligo, while Sinéad O'Connor is still talked about as Sion Hill's (in Blackrock, Co Dublin) most famous past pupil.
If it weren't for meeting at secondary school, it is very doubtful that we would have bands such as The Thrills - the core of the band met at Gonzaga College in Ranelagh, Dublin.
Not everyone finishes their education though: Glen Hansard from The Frames left school at 13 to become a city-centre busker.
Even speaking to those who dropped out of school, the message is always clear: stay and finish your exams. Remember that only the very best of bands get to sign a record company deal. And only one of those lucky 10 bands will make a profit and remain signed. It's a perilous industry. Don't rely on it.
