Irish Youth Music Awards Reveal Educational Hub Details for Musicians Aged 12-19 Aviva Stadium Workshop Timetables Announced Saturday 16 April 2016

The Irish Youth Music Awards, Ireland’s only all island youth focused music awards and festival, have announced details of their workshops set to take place at their National Day in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 16 April. Organised by Youth Work Ireland, the national event will see young musicians aged 12 – 19 from across the country representing their community and gaining business experience in the music industry. This is the ninth year of the programme which brings some of Ireland’s top music industry personnel directly into contact with young musicians.

Those attending the Aviva Stadium on the day will have the opportunity to attend an Educational Hub featuring music industry panels and workshops. Open for all attending to participate in will be an industry panel with BIMM tutors Alan Cullivan, Founding Chairman of MMF Ireland (Music Managers Forum Ireland), James Byrne, founder of the label Any Other City, Gav Fox, member of Turn and Idlewild, and Dan Finnegan, founder of Paper Trail Records.

Workshops for individual musical disciplines are also set to take place on the day. These include song writing with multi-instrumentalist Tully Gunawardhana, who has co-composed with The Coronas as well as The Voice Ireland 2012 winner Pat Byrne’s top 10 album and drums with Johnny Boyle, who has toured with The Frames, Marianne Faithful and Damien Rice. Paul Moore, who has recorded with Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison as well as taking the reigns as musical director with Riverdance for two years will be offering bass workshops. Vocal workshops are curtesy of Shelley Bukspan who has collaborated with and arranged backing vocals for artists such as Mary Black, Bronagh Gallagher and many indie and contemporary young Irish acts.

Regional finalists will be awarded points throughout the day by a separate panel featuring Keith Johnson (IMRO), Grainne Biddle (Sony Music Ireland), Kate Rogers (Irish Youth Music Awards 2015 Recipient region songwriter) and Phil Udell (State Magazine/Word Up Collective).

The Irish Youth Music Awards is an educational programme for young bands and musicians aged 12-19 and is an official “Challenge Partner” of Gaisce. Aimed at creating teamwork and friendship at local level, the project also provides first hand work experience in all areas associated with the music business such as PR, stage management, graphic design, photography and more. The programme honours the most effective music projects run by groups of young people based on the entire project from the band, to the crew, to the promotion and approach to the competition.

The overall winning region will be announced at the National Day in the Aviva Stadium on 16 April. Performers on the day have been chosen to represent their region at local live selection nights and will be supported by a team comprising of all the other participant’s from their region taking on individual music industry roles. The recipient region will receive five days recording time in a studio and a full backline provided by Music Maker Dublin. They will also produce an album of their own released on physical CD with a professional design. The album will be digitally distributed worldwide through iTunes, Spotify and many more outlets. Last year’s IYMAs recipient act Jake Mc Ardle, also went on to perform for President Michael D Higgins. Tickets for the Irish Youth Music Awards National Day are available here from Eventbrite priced €20 including booking fee. The event is an all ages, alcohol free event. Group tickets are also here for youth clubs or projects priced €120 (including booking fee) allowing admission for six young people, two youth leaders and include a set lunch on the day. Group tickets must be booked by Monday 11 April.

For More Information: www.iymas.ie www.facebook.com/irishyouthmusicawards

Timetable

Educational Hub sponsored by BIMM - Stage 1 Educational Hub sponsored by BIMM - Stage 2 10.00am Educational Hub Sign Up 10.00am Educational Hub Sign Up Opens Opens 11.45am – 1.45pm Music Industry 11.45am - 1.45pm Tully Gunawardhana Professionals Panel (Songwriting Workshop) Discussion. Alan Cullivan, James Byrne, Dan Finnegan, Gavin Fox 2pm – 3.30pm Shelley Buckspan (Vocal 2.15pm – 3.45pm Paul Moore (Bass Workshop) Workshop) 4.00pm – 5.30pm Johnny Boyle (Drumming Workshop)

Industry Professionals Bios

Alan Cullivan

Alan began his career as the bass player with Dublin Punk/Pop band Puppy Love Bomb who were signed to Rough Trade. After leaving the band Alan worked at Lakota Records, the Sony imprint label on the very successful campaign for JJ72. He then discovered and began to manage The Thrills.

Alan negotiated the band’s deal with EMI’s Virgin Records and also with BMG Publishing and oversaw all aspects of band’s campaigns throughout the world. He then discovered Dublin band Humanzi and signed them to Universal’s Fiction Records and BMG Publishing. Alan currently has a busy management company working with new artists such as And So I Watch You From Afar and The Danger Is.

He is also Founding Chairman of MMF Ireland (Music Managers Forum Ireland) which has been set up to establish educational events for management at all levels in the music business and to act as a lobbying group on behalf of artists management.

Shelley Bukspan

An American/Israeli singer, songwriter and performer, Shelley has been part of the Irish music scene since 1986.

As a front woman and solo artist, she’s performed at many events and festivals, including CMJ New York and the Montreux Jazz Festival, among others. She’s also appeared on TV and radio shows both in Ireland and abroad, such as sessions for the BBC, with the RTE Orchestra and many more.

She’s recorded, collaborated with and arranged backing vocals for artists such as Mary Black, Bronagh Gallagher, Mary Coughlan, Horslips and other many indie and contemporary young Irish artists.

Shelley runs music workshops, as well as leading a choir and her own Gospel quartet, The BC Singers. Her recent projects includes an album of original Northern Soul and Ska with The Supertonic Sound Club, plus work on her solo album. Paul Moore

Paul has been playing electric bass since the age of 14 and upright bass from 16. He’s recorded with Mary Coughlan, Declan O’Rourke, Juliet Turner, Katie Melua, The Chieftains, Colm Wilkinson, Donal Lunny, Ronnie Drew, Mark Knopfler and Van Morrison, and worked exclusively with Riverdance for four years between 1998 and 2001, holding the role of Musical Director for two of those years.

Paul has also performed live with Andrew Strong, Frances Black, Jimmy MacCarthy, Paul Brady, Alex Chilton, Rita Coolidge, Moving Hearts, Solomon Burke and Van Morrison. He’s recorded movie soundtracks with Mike Batt, Frank Patterson, Conor McPherson and the Irish Film Orchestra, and has performed in numerous musicals including West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Miserables.

Paul has broad teaching experience, having taught Bass and Musicianship with The Making Music Workshop based in the North of Ireland, and performed Bass Masterclasses on many occasions.

Johnny Boyle

Johnny has been playing drums since the age of 12 and joined his first band when he was just 14.

Since then, he’s played, recorded and toured with many notable artists, including Andy White, The Frames, Marianne Faithful, Pugwash, LiR, The Duckworth Lewis Method, Mundy, Damien Rice, Neil Hannon, Finbar Furey and Don Baker.

Over the course of his career, Johnny has made television appearances with Elton John, Ronan Keating, Westlife, Atomic Kitten, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Shayne Ward.

He’s also played on many movie soundtracks, including those for ‘I Went Down’ and ‘Once’.

James Byrne

Born and raised in Dublin, James joined his first band at 15 and spent his formative musical years as an active presence within the city’s fertile underground DIY music scene. He studied music management at college, and upon leaving began working for Dublin’s leading pirate radio station, Phantom FM, hosting a show for the next ten years while promoting various events around the city, including the legendary Doo-wop clubnight, ‘Three Steps to Heaven’.

James has spent the last six years touring the world drumming in Mercury-nominated and Choice-prize- winning band, Villagers, sharing stages with the likes of Elbow, Neil Young, Grizzly Bear and The National. He also owns and runs the Any Other City label, releasing records by some of Ireland’s leading young artists, such as James Vincent McMorrow, Villagers, Girl Band and Jet Setter. His wealth of experience within the independent music scene gives him a unique perspective on the skills and knowledge required to survive within the modern music industry.

Tully Gunawardhana

Tully is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and producer. He began studying cello, piano and music theory at the age of six. In 2002, he formed and managed The Chapters, opening for acts such as Chuck Berry, Neil Young, Damien Rice, The Frames, OK Go, Kelly Rowland, The Coronas and Cathy Davey.

In 2010 he became a featured member of James Vincent McMorrow’s live band, touring the US, Canada and Europe, opening for acts such as Arcade Fire and performing on TV shows such as ‘Later… with Jools Holland’. Tully has also performed, toured and recorded with Paul Brady, Josh Groban, Oliver Cole, Declan De Barra and Brian McFadden, and has composed and produced music for TV and viral campaigns for brands including Sony Playstation, Pepsi, MTV and Strongbow. More recently, he’s turned his full attention to songwriting; co- penning The Coronas’ hit single ‘All The Others’, which reached No.3 in the Irish Singles Charts, as well as The Voice Ireland 2012 winner Pat Byrne’s debut album, which peaked at No.10 in the Irish Album Charts.

Gav Fox Gavin started his career with Irish band Turn. He signed his first deal at the age of 18 and over the next seven years they recorded three albums, toured relentlessly and earned a reputation as one of the top live bands of the time.

In 2002, Gavin was asked to join Scottish punk rockers, Idlewild. For the next three years the band toured worldwide and opened for acts such as U2, Pearl Jam, REM, The Pixies and The Rolling Stones, later spending three months in L.A. at the legendary Sunset Sound studio recording an album with producer Tony Hoffer.

After Idlewild, Gavin spent a year touring America and Canada with Vega 4, before going on to form Concerto For Constantine with long-time friends Mark Greaney (JJ72) and Binzer Brennan (The Frames). More recently, Gavin’s been producing soundtrack music and writing with other singer-songwriters.

Dan Finnegan

After studying music at Trinity College in Dublin, Dan went to work as a Manager for Los Angeles-based management company, Sargent House.

Following this, he took on the role of Sargent House’s European Head of Press, tailoring successful campaigns for artists such as Deafheaven and Chelsea Wolfe. More recently, Dan has founded Paper Trail Records, a Dublin-based management company and record label, working with both international and domestic acts.