Global Citizens Together is a collection of five new pieces of music and song created by the students of Scoil San Phroinsias N.S, Tirellan in Galway city, presented in five music videos. Each piece explores global citizenship from the perspective of the Scoil San Phroinsias community.
This ambitious project was funded by the Department of Education and Skills’ Per Cent for Art Scheme, and delivered by Wall2Wall Music in association with Music Generation Galway City and the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland, with support from Galway City Council Arts Office. This was a year-long project involving the entire school, which started in November 2019 and was due to end in June 2020 with a big performance in the Black Box Theatre in Galway city.
Creating during Covid–19
The Covid–19 lockdown happened only one week after Wall2Wall Music’s last workshop with the students in March. Everyone was disappointed that the music would not be performed on stage as originally planned. Not wanting the students’ hard work to go to waste, Wall2Wall Music, Scoil San Phroinsias and project partners Music Generation Galway City and the Contemporary Music Centre came up with alternative ways of showcasing and celebrating the new music that had been composed by the students during the school year.
Wall2Wall Music created a lockdown project, sending backing tracks to the students and getting them to record themselves singing the songs they had created in the workshops. Piecing together footage and photos taken over the course of the workshops, they created five new music videos and recordings, which became the main creative output of this Per Cent for Art Scheme project.
Sarah Murphy, Artistic Director, Wall2Wall Music:
“We were all deeply disappointed not to be able to perform our newly composed music in the Black Box in June, and while not the same experience as a live performance, we worked hard to find a way to connect and complete the project with the 6th classes during lockdown so that we can now share the amazing music they created together”
Alessia, 6th class student and co-writer of the music:
“During the music workshops I learned there is actually more to global citizenship than it seems. I know that we are all global citizens but it’s more about what we have to do to work together to save the planet”
More About The Music In The Videos
The Big Why – This song came out of a 6th class brainstorm and discussion about the challenges and concerns facing the planet, people and animals. They explored the worries and concerns they had for the world, such as climate change, inequality and homelessness.
Dreams For Our Future – This song explores hopes and dreams the students have for the world. The result is a slow, moving ballad that aims to unite us all.
I Am A Global Citizen – This song celebrates the amazing diversity of cultural backgrounds that make up the Scoil San Phroinsias community using a choir of the children’s voices and percussion from the Scoil San Phroinsias marching band.
Hear Our Voices – This song came out of the music and lyric writing workshops that took place in every class in the school. The students explored what it means to be a global citizen by bringing in objects for the Portable Museum of Cultural Heritage, brainstorming, exploring ideas, making sounds and writing lyrics. This is the new school song incorporating lyrics and voices from the whole student body.
Swim To The Moon – This is a collection of sights and sounds from the lyric writing and music workshops, the Scoil San Phroinsias community and the surrounding area composed and arranged into an evocative soundscape. Audio composition by Feargus Murphy, videography by Cheylene Murphy.
With thanks to staff and students of the school for their enthusiasm and creativity throughout the year and to the project team involved:
Project Team
- Wall2Wall Music composers and music facilitators: Sarah Murphy (Artistic Director), Cheylene Murphy, Seamus Devenny & Feargus Murphy
- Kieran Tierney (Principal) & Mary Dillon (Former Principal), Scoil San Phroinsias N.S
- Stephanie Ford, Project Manager, CMC
- Karen Dervan, Music Development Officer, Music Generation Galway City
