Young Artist Development Awards Visits Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh

Young Artist Development Awards Visits Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh

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By I Love Limerick Correspondent Laura Goggins

Pictured: Part Byrne (2012 Voice Of Ireland Winner), Sinéad Toomey (Transition Year Participant), Ava Barrett (Transition Year Participant) & Joseph Kavanagh (Programme Director).

Last week the Young Artist Development Award showcase was held in Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh, hosted by the Transition Year Event students and in collaboration with the Programme Director Joseph Kavanagh, the showcase gave a fantastic opportunity for the young people of the school to perform their original songs and be in with a chance of being selected for one of the workshops offered by the programme. Joseph tells me, “The YADA programme gives young people the chance to express themselves musically through an industry-safe platform without the fear of being subjected to negative exploitation.”

In its second year, the programme has developed dramatically from just seven participants in the first year to twenty-one this year. Joseph goes on to talk about the format of the programme: “It encourages partnership between students, for example not all songwriters are singers. There is an opportunity for collaboration. The YADA is a development programme and not a talent competition.”

Taking part in the programme assists young people from the very start of their musical careers. They have the chance to receive top-tier individual critiques from high-profile people such as Robbie Malone, who has worked with singer David Gray and Ray Traynor, an engineer/producer who has worked with One Republic and The Script. Speaking to The Voice of Ireland Winner, Pat Byrne, who performed on the day, he tells me about how he himself can relate to the programme. “When I won The Voice, I was so unprepared. I had no idea how the industry worked. I found out things as they happened and that shouldn’t be the way.”

Two Transition Year students, Sinéad Toomey and Ava Barrett showcased their fantastic original songs on the day. Both girls spoke about how they felt that the YADA showcase was invaluable for them in expressing themselves through their music. To find out more about the Young Artist Development Award, visit yadas.eu.