10 years providing gigs for unsigned bands new music (and counting)...
Garageland, Youth Work Ireland, CDYSB, & Youth Action Northern Ireland are proud to announce a brand new Nationwide Strategy, to encourage young people from all over Ireland in their creative efforts.
This project, titled The Irish Youth Music awards (the IYMA's), is a fully inclusive all-Ireland project, designed by Garageland and Youth work Ireland to bring young creative people into contact with top industry personell.
Our panel of experts includes Jackie Hayden (Hot Press magazine), Willie Kavanagh (Head of EMI Records Ireland and Chairman of IRMA ), Aileen Galvin (PR expert with Entertainment Architects Ltd), William Ryan (C.O.O. with SAVI Entertainment, major new players on the Irish Music Scene), Keith Johnson (Marketing Manager with IMRO), and one or two other familiar faces.
The IYMA's presents opportunities quite simply never previously seen in Irish Contemporary Music. This is the first of what will become an annual event.
This is a brand new initiative, bringing some of Ireland's top music industry personnel directly into contact with members of Youth Work Ireland, CDYSB, Youth Action Northern Ireland, and their associated clubs.
This initiative has already been given a huge thumbs-up by Hot Press Magazine, IRMA, and IMRO, all of whom will be directly involved.
On April 4th 2009, in The Village in Dublin, a panel of Music Industry Specialists will make themselves available, for discussion and advice, to a number of applicants in the 12 - 19 age group.
There will also be a 'Demo dip' section of the day, hosted by Jackie Hayden of Hot Press Magazine, and Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA, and Managing Director of EMI Records Ireland. Attendees will be invited to bring along their CD, and 10 CDs will be picked from a 'hat' for review right there and then.
Following a Live Performance section of the Awards event, a winning act will be chosen to bring a pretty major prize back home to their Youth Club....
......The recording of a full album, featuring themselves AND all the other applicants from their Local Club!
This album will be fully reviewed in the 'Garageland' section of Hot Press Magazine!
The IYMA's works on a 7 Steps principle....
What ARE the 7 Steps?
1. Set Up:
Poster and information about upcoming project inviting applicants.
It is from this campaign that we will establish final structure of event framework (amount of applicants from each region etc).
2. Meet & Greet:
Garageland goes to each location for a logistical assessment of current amenities relating to musical equipment ,rehearsal spaces where necessary.
Outline guidelines of the of project, discuss workings of Project from location to location.
Q&A session.
(Notes): Already at this stage of the project, we feel that knowledge and experience being brought directly into the lives of the young people involved, will be of great encouragement, and will demonstrate directly to them, that their qualities can be acknowledged and appreciated at a very high level in areas which they may have found very difficult to attain, possibly even insurmountable.
3. Local Selection.
A 'Local LIve Selection Night' will be held in each location, to select one act, which will then represent that location at the Awards in Dublin on April 24th 2010.
The competition will be judged by the bands and artists themselves, with an audience vote to be used as a tie-breaker.
The winning act will then be referred to as the ‘Representing Act’. This act will then be prepared and sent to Dublin, by a team built from non-representing acts, to perform in Dublin on 8th March.
The Representing Act must include at least 1 song from non-representing acts in their Dublin performance. This song will also be selected by a vote.
(Notes): We have used similar methods in workshops to encourage team building. As everybody cannot go and represent their area on the Dublin Day, this method of cross responsibility brings a great sense of individuality within a team framework. The writers of the songs want the performing act to do well with them. This also opens up a wider support within the community, as it’s not just a band going off to find their fortune, as they now directly represent several other artists in their locality.
4. Team Selection and the ’30 jobs’
From the non-representing acts (i.e. the acts remaining at home), a team will be selected and built, to send the representing act off in style, at a ‘Prep Gig’ (ie a show before the Dublin show, to allow everybody a chance to review their work)
All of these positions, or ‘jobs’, will be issued at random, by drawing straws. If an individual does not wish to take on his or her selected ‘job’, they will need to find a volunteer to ‘job swap’
Descriptions of these jobs, along with hints etc , are available on www.garageland.ie (See Below).
(Notes):This is the centre piece of the project. It is within this section of the project that a real sense of value and belonging can be encouraged.
It’s easy to belong to something negative (ie gangs, drugs, alcohol), but this will be a unique opportunity for individuals to find themselves taking part in really positive life experiences, which they can build on later in their own lives.
The ’30 Jobs’ will be a fun experience, while actually also an extremely valuable asset.
They will bring young people into direct contact with creative challenges and outlets such as photography, songwriting, management, computer skills, team work, achievement though discipline, debating skills, and other positive, confidence building experiences.
They will witness and partake in a microcosm of the music business, interacting at times with real individuals from the top end of the Irish music world.
They will see how industry works, and how people need to work together to achieve common interests.
This is the area where we hope to instil a sense of pride of one’s self, and one’s community, while encouraging the individuals’ own desires for their future.
5. Prep Gig & Review.
The priority here is to foster individual strengths, irrespective of ability. This takes place after the local ‘Prep Gig’, and marks will be awarded for good teamwork in press and radio coverage, website, MySpace usage, technical professionalism, enthusiasm & Prep Gig success.
It's important at this stage, that the Prep Gig is seen as a means of creating financing towards expenses (buses etc), and to this end, we recommend a cover charge of 8.00 euro into this event.
On the night of the Prep Gig, some Team members will be selected to travel to Dublin with the performing members of the team. These individuals will be welcome to take part fully in all activities on the day, including Demo review, Question & Answer Sessions, although they will NOT be working on the gig.
6. Awards Day.... 24th April 2010.
Part 1.
Starting with a ‘Demo Dip’ session with Jackie Hayden, original founder member of Hot Press Magazine, as well as being the person who holds the distinction of being key in the discovery of U2...., and Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA and Head of EMI REcords Ireland. Any act or individual who wishes to have an appraisal of their Demo tape openly critiqued in this manner is welcome to bring along their Demo on the day. All demos will be placed in a hat, and 10 will be selected randomly for critique.
This is not the X-Factor, and there will be no cruel disembowelling of people’s efforts. This will be a positive, constructive exercise, in the company of one of ireland’s most respected music business personalities. Artists should not feel in any way intimidated by this great opportunity.
Break for refreshments.
Part 2
Next phase of the day will take the shape of an open workshop.
7 key industry figures will be available for one-on-one discussions and questions in their specialised areas. These areas will cover 1) Press, 2) Making a Demo and What To Do with It, 3)Getting a Record Deal, 4)How To Get Played On Radio. This workshop will be open and free moving, allowing participants to move from table to table, spending time at each one if they so choose.
Break for refreshments.
Part 3
Next phase of the day involves live performances, and judging by panellists.
Each act plays one song of their own, and one written by one of their peers, as selected on the Local Live Selection Night.
The 7 industry panelist judges will select 3 winning regions based on this performance. Marks will be awarded in 4 categories, Songs, Image, Performance, Professionalism.
1 region will be selected from these 3, based on the Team's performance with their '30 Jobs'.
That's the winning Region!
7. Record Album
Winning region will spend 3 days in Ashtown Recording Studios in Dublin, recording a full length album..
Every successful applicant from that region, appears on album in some way or another.
1,000 copies of Album to be manufactured, 20 x copies given to each act on the album. Balance to be sold through www.youthworkireland.ie
Album will be featured and reviewed by Jackie Hayden in Hot Press Magazine.
PARTNERS
The Garage Gigs have been running successfully for 9 years, and have built up working partner relationships with the following…..
Hot Press magazine
IMRO
Phantom105.2FM
Newstalk 106
Ashtown Recording Studio
Letcombe Photography
Local Radio Stations WLR, Corks RedFM, Galway Bay FM.
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