U2’s guitarist, The Edge, expressed immense pride over the progress made by the Music Generation educational programme, of which the band was a significant contributor. The Edge, along with Adam Clayton, communicated with the Music Generation’s annual conference via a video call from Las Vegas, concluding their stint at the Sphere there.
In the depths of the recession in 2009, when the government declared it could not fund a nationwide music education scheme, U2 was a key player in the inception of Music Generation. The band made an initial contribution of €5 million, followed by an additional €2 million donation in 2015. The programme was initially established in three counties in 2011 and has since spread to 29 local authority regions.
Since then, the government has backed the project, allocating €7 million to Music Generation. Data from 2022 indicates that 85,000 children, equivalent to 7% of the student body, utilised the Music Generation tuition services. The same figure is projected for this year. Currently, Music Generation employs 505 individuals in full-time or part-time roles.
Music Generation has “transformed countless lives in slightly more than a decade,” according to The Edge, bringing immeasurable pride to the band. Clayton further echoed these sentiments, emphasising the life-changing potential of music education.
While acknowledging the strides made, Clayton and his bandmates recognise that achieving universal access still requires work. Still, as they look forward to the programme’s future, they are brimming with enthusiasm and optimism for its evolution.
The conference included Norma Foley, Minister for Education, who pledged continued government support to ensure children in Ireland receive “a superior performance music education.” Rosaleen Molloy, Music Generation’s national director, outlined plans to expand the program on a nationwide scale, praising the cooperative efforts of the government, philanthropy and local authorities that have made a national structure of local music education services possible.
We should not belittle the accomplishment of this – the extent it has reached and the dedication of all parties involved. It’s sincerely extraordinary.
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