Entry to the music school is normally in September of each year with occasional places becoming available throughout the academic year.
Frequently asked questions
Is my child musical?
We believe that ALL children are inherently musical and that ALL children can learn to play an instrument with an excellent tutor and good parental backing.
We provide parent talks and suggestions to help to guide parents in their home practice.
What is a good age to start lessons?
Students are welcome from age 4+ in our Suzuki department, tin whistle and guitar. All other instruments age 7+
Is my child too old to start?
We teach any student who wishes to learn from age 4+. We have no upper age limit.
Do you audition students before starting?
NO! We take all students who wish to learn in chronological order of their application dependant on availability of individual lessons.
What instruments do you teach?
A complete list of our instruments is on our “about” tab on this website
Do students get to ‘try out’ instruments to see if they like it?
We have found that when a beginner ‘tries’ an instrument, they mostly find out that they can’t play it or it’s hard. Learning a musical instrument is a slow burner and hence we recommend that the selection of an instrument is facilitated by going to concerts and hearing live instruments being played or by looking at instrumental players on YouTube.
We have also found that if the word ‘trial’ is used in the context of ‘we are trying the violin’, then, when the student hits the inevitable blip in progress that they think the trial is now over! We encourage saying ‘we are playing the violin’ in much the same way we, as parents say ‘and now we are brushing our teeth!’
Does the child choose one instrument or is it a mix?
A child starts on one instrument. They may decide after a few years to add a second, or indeed to change to another instrument. We find that the child progress rate on the 2nd instrument is complimented by their studies on their first instrument. Essentially, the physical and musical skills transfer. We recommend that the student has at least 3 years on the first instrument before adding or changing.
Individual or Group lessons?
Athenry Music School specialises in one-to-one lessons, to enable each student to be treated as an individual and to go at the progression rate of each student.
What is your location and times of classes?
We have a number of premises in and around Athenry. Lessons are conducted Monday- Thursday 2.30-9.30pm, Friday 2pm-9.30pm and all day Saturday depending on availability of faculty and lesson times. Each individual lesson time is discussed directly with each parent.
What is the cost of classes/terms?
All fees and terms are on our website- under the fees tab and our calendar tab
For further information, please see our “about” tab.
THANK YOU