Music school Welcome to the music department at the Waterford Academy of Music & Arts. We offer musical instrument instruction primarily to children, but have also made the majority of our programmes available to adults as well. Children’s Courses – Our music programmes for children are strongly goal oriented, and encourage the students to work towards concert performances and where appropriate, towards examinations. The lessons themselves are structured and follow a progression from absolute beginner through to advanced. Our students are taught in a gentle and fun way where a great deal of effort has been made to make the lessons enjoyable and nurturing. Lessons are offered in both one-to-one and group formats. In the group setting, students are grouped by age and skill level. Most of our music courses start from age 8 years and up, with the exception of ukulele and piano which are available from age 5 upwards. Adult Courses - We aim to give those students, who perhaps feel they have waited too long to begin learning a musical instrument, the chance to learn from scratch in a fun and non-judgmental way. Also, for those who wish to take their playing to a professional level, our pledge is to provide on-going tuition by qualified full-time professional musicians. INSTRUMENTS TAUGHT Ukulele | Acoustic Guitar | Electric Guitar | Classical Guitar | Bass | Piano | Drum Kit | Percussion | Voice Training | Choir | Music Club | Violin / Fiddle | Cello | Mandolin | Banjo | Flute | Bodhrán PERFORMANCE GROUPS Students who study musical instruments in WAMA have great performance opportunities through these optional outlets: Rock Band This is one of our most popular attractions and provides a social environment for students of many different disciplines to play together as a band. Singers, bass players, guitar players, drummers, and keyboard players, all join forces to learn their favorite rock songs. Bands go head-to-head in The Battle Of The Bands, and everyone has loads of fun, including the teachers! Students learn a lot from this programme as it provides the experience of playing with other musicians, and in front of an audience. It brings together everything they are learning in their regular lessons and serves as a huge motivator to get better on their instrument. Drumming Band This is open to any student with a good knowledge of rhythm. Students in drumming band create rhythms and drumming compositions as a group. Students are encouraged to be expressive, creative and most of all to have fun on a variety of percussive instruments. All instruments are provided free of charge. The popular 'Big Bang' were born out of this class and now enjoy regular public performances to hundreds at festivals such as Winterval and Spraoi. Percussion with COWB in partnership with City of Waterford Brass (COWB). At WAMA, theory and practical instruction will be offered in percussion that will include prep for the COWB repertoire. At COWB this prep will be put into action through attendance at their rehearsals & at live performances. Limited spaces. Ukulele Orchestra If you find playing ukulele as fun and addictive as we do, then we want you on board! The WAMA Ukulele Orchestra is a musical ensemble featuring ukuleles in different registers, bass ukulele, and lots of singing! We meet once per week on Tusdays and are looking for new recruits. Some experience required. Guitar Ensemble WAMA offers a free performance based guitar orchestra for its students. The orchestra meets once per week for an hour and a half. The entry requirement is grade 3 or higher, or an equivalent playing standard. If you would like to join this orchestra, please contact Trevor on 051-821014. Disney Choir Students learn and perform Disney classics and perform throughout the year. Suitable for age 7+ CONCERTS Each year, we give all of our students the opportunity to play in a concert. These concerts contain an eclectic array of music, ranging from pop and rock, to classical and folk. Preparing for such an event is an integral part of the student's growth, both as a musician, but also as a person. It gives the student a definite goal to work towards, bringing focus and purpose to their studies, as well as building their confidence and giving them a real sense of achievement when completed. They also learn key life skills, such as how to work together as a team, and about how discipline and good work ethic are the keys to success. GRADES As part of the programme, students have the option of taking graded examinations. While grades are not compulsory in WAMA we do urge students to strongly consider taking them. Here’s why: Grades are very good at motivating students to practice, giving them a definite goal to work towards. There's nothing like a deadline to focus the mind as they say. Taking an exam with an impartial stranger can make a student push his/herself further than he/she might do so otherwise. Grades are structured. They are designed to enable you to realise your full potential on the instrument and have the opportunity of gaining an internationally recognised qualification. Should the student opt to get through all 8 grades, a high musical level would be achieved. Grades are necessary if you are thinking of taking further education in music post Leaving Cert. Some Institutes and Universities require a minimum of Grade 5 to gain entry to their course. Some require all 8 grades. All of our students who took part in the exams to date have been highly successful with the vast majority achieving the highest award of distinction, and a zero failure rate. BENEFITS OF LEARNING MUSIC Playing a Musical Instrument Makes You Smarter: Recent research suggests early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. Exposure to music also benefits a child's reading age, IQ, and spacial intelligence. Adults can benefit from learning to play an instrument too because it helps the mind to be alert and remain active eventually helping to sharpen the memory. Music Students Do Better In School: Many studies have been conducted on the effects of music to the brain which have clearly indicated that children who are exposed to music, or those who play an instrument, do better in school than those who don't. It Teaches Discipline: Learning to play an instrument is like learning to speak another language and it can be challenging at times. One of the qualities musicians possess is discipline. You have to be disciplined in order to master playing your instrument. You have to set time each day to practice, practice and practice some more. Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work. Craftsmanship: Students of music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. These standards, when applied to a student's own work, demand a new level of excellence and require students to stretch their inner resources. Teamwork: Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline. In order for a group of musicians to sound good, all players must work together harmoniously towards a single goal, the performance, and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing. Self-Confidence: Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks. A little anxiety is a good thing, and something that will occur often in life. Dealing with it early and often makes it less of a problem later. Risk-taking is essential if a child is to fully develop his or her potential. Self-Expression: Music provides children with a means of self-expression. Everyone needs to be in touch at some time in his life with his core, with what she is and what she feels. Self-esteem is a by-product of this self-expression. Reduces Stress: In order to play and practice a musical instrumental you have to learn to focus your mind, and concentrate completely on what you are doing. When you do this all your other worries are left behind you for the duration. Regular practice therefore results in regular shots of stress relief. Creative Thinking: When learning a new instrument there is a great development of creative thinking as music entails not only logical thinking, but the use of intuition and spontaneity helping develop decision-making skills and enhanced abilities to problem solving. Fun: There’s great satisfaction to be gained from playing a musical instrument, not only in the music itself, but also from the social pleasure of sharing music with other musicians and an audience.

051-821014                     Passage Cross, Dunmore Road, Waterford City

051-821014                     Passage Cross, Dunmore Road, Waterford City