MUSIC Generation Limerick finishes for the summer with a one day music festival featuring 40 acts playing over two stages – in all, five hours of great entertainment, free of charge, this Sunday June 28.
by Eric FitzGerald
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Music Generation is a nationwide music education programme co-funded by U2 and The Ireland Funds with The Department of Education. The Limerick branch of the programme has created a music mentoring programme for teenagers; a specially designed Music Generation Bus has provided an opportunity for the Music Generation to travel to schools and neighbourhoods and work with young people to encourage their creativity.
Limerick Post spoke to Music Generation’s co-ordinator Boris Hunka this week.
“The whole idea for this festival was formed by the Music Generation teenagers themselves. They came up with the poster. They came up with the name. They have been sorting out the list of bands and we have been helping out with the logistics,” he says.
Most of the acts for the festival, happening at Pery Square, adjacent to The People’s Park, this weekend come from Band Explosion, a band mentoring program running for the last two years. Limerick band Little Tents was formed during this project. Already the band have met and played for U2 guitarist The Edge, the performed at Milk Market. 69 O’Connell St. and The Spiegeltent this year. At the recent Irish Youth Music Awards, Laura Duff from the band won the best song writing award and ‘Little Tents’ came second in the group awards.
Little Tents will be joined by other Music Generation bands representing Music Generation in Laois, Cork and Ennis.
Boris says that the standard for this gig will be high.
“We wanted to get the bands we are working with and the bands from around the other Music Generation Programmes around the country and some local acts. Bring them all together in a celebration of a music scene that has a new vibrancy.”
The fledgling acts will be joined by Limerick’s more established acts, many of whom had tutored and acted as mentors for the Music Generation teenagers over the last few years.
Expect to see Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, Foxjaw, members of Protobaby and Windings. The concert will throw up some one-off collaborations between Steve from Windings/ Givamanakick with DJ/Beats Producer Naive Ted. Also spoken word, singer/songwriters and random surprises will keep it all very interesting.
And there won’t be any long delays between bands as Boris is utilising the two stages to facilitate a constant stream of performers onstage inspired by the groundbreaking BBC music show, ‘Later Live with Jools Holland’.
“At all our gigs we have the notion of constant music, where one act finishes and the next act starts on the second stage.”
This big end of year climax is the product of the good work of the Music Generation tutors combined with the enthusiasm and loyalty that the teenagers have shown to the projects.
“We have got incredibly high retention rates, we have over 90 per cent retention rates. Its completely against the grain for music programmes for this age group. It works because we are working with their music. We are basically helping them with their own expression.”
Live at the Pery is an alcohol-free gig, a free event open to all. There will be refreshments and pizza available and a lot of the festival is under canvas should it rain. For many teenagers this will be their first experience of a music festival, and what’s even better, they are running it themselves. Live at the Pery with 40 acts on two stages happens this Sunday June 28 from 1pm to 6pm at Pery Square by The People’s Park.
