Minister, Simon Harris with Luan Parle and Teachers and students of Coláiste Chill Mhantáinat at the official lauch the single 'Your Love Still Guides My Way' by the students which reached number 1 in iTunes on the day with proceeds in aid of The Irish Heart Foundation and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. The song was written during an IMRO songwriting workshop with Luan Parle. (Pic Michael Kelly)

In addition to performing, I am passionate about bringing creativity to peoples' lives and, for the past 13 years, I have been successfully delivering songwriting and performance workshops & songwriting masterclasses to people of all ages, in particular in primary schools, secondary schools and colleges around Ireland.

Through my workshops, I have worked and continue to work alongside a number of organisations, including IMRO, Music Generation, Walton's New School of Music, Creative Schools, TAP & Sing Ireland and was a director of the Irish Association of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (IASCA) for 10 years.

After years of teaching songwriting and witnessing an abundance of creativity in young people, I brought a proposal to IMRO to introduce songwriting and creativity to the secondary school music curriculum in Ireland. After years of hard work alongside IMRO and the Department of Education, my proposal came to fruition. In 2019, the pilot scheme, Me and my Music, was launched in Irish secondary schools and was a phenomenal success. This was the first time songwriting became an integral part of the junior cert curriculum. Students are now afforded the ability to create and express themselves through music alongside their rote learning activities. With that project, I personally taught songwriting to 20 secondary schools all around the country, where I saw first-hand the enthusiasm for songwriting within all students.

In 2019, I presented ‘Ireland’s Favourite Folk Song’, an RTÉ TV series and national campaign in association with IMRO, the Irish Music Rights Organisation to identify and celebrate the songs that define us as a people. As part of RTE's search for Ireland's Favourite Folk Song, I visited secondary schools to deliver songwriting workshops and interview some of Ireland’s much loved folk musicians, including Mundy & Luka Bloom.

My songwriting workshop with the transition year students at Presentation Secondary School Clonmel led to their song titled ‘My Hero’ being released for charity & topping the iTunes charts. It also reached No. 7 in the Official Irish Charts. Paddy Power was even taking bets on it for a Christmas No. 1. Another songwriting workshop I hosted at Coláiste Chill Mhantáin also resulted in their song ‘Your Love Still Guides My Way’ going straight into the No. 1 position on the iTunes chart in Ireland. The single performed by the students was launched by the then Minister for Health, Simon Harris, with all proceeds being donated to the Irish Heart Foundation and The Alzheimer's Society of Ireland. Both of these workshops had a total of a 3 hour duration.

Most recently, 3 schools that I held songwriting workshops in; the Central Remedial Clinic School in Clontarf, St Paul’s in Raheny, and Tallaght Community School had the opportunity to perform their original compositions at Leinster House for the then Minister for Education, Joe McHugh. An incredible achievement.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION 

The duration of the workshop can be tailored to suit your class, school and needs. This could be a 3 hour workshop in which participants will learn about the entire songwriting process and have a fully composed song by the end of the workshop or it could be over a longer period. This can be decided between the teacher and myself.

WHAT'S COVERED

  • Choosing a song's theme and approach
  • Structuring a song
  • Putting together lyrics, melody and rhythm
  • Collaboration
  • Transforming ideas into a fully composed song
  • Performance and arrangement of the song

You can watch RTÉ 1's coverage below on 'Nationwide' of one of my songwriting workshops.

If you would like me to visit your school and facilitate a songwriting workshop,or help students write a school anthem, you can contact me at: [email protected]

Luan Parle Nationwide

Luan Parle - Taking Songwriting to the Classroom

Luan Parle - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel

Luan Parle - Colaiste Chill Mhantain

Ireland's Favourite Folk Song