Live Music is Better
Music Collective
SubSounds is a youth music collective that is managed and delivered by a partnership between Alternative Entertainments and CONTACT Studio. It is funded by Music Generation South Dublin. CONTACT Studio is a South Dublin County Arts Office initiative.
The programme takes place in RUA RED South Dublin Arts Centre which is based in Tallaght & it is open to young musicians from throughout South Dublin County.
“SubSounds aims to empower young people to develop their creativity, musicianship and composition skills through mentorship and collaboration.”
Schedule: SubSounds Academy & SubSounds Intro
Term 1: October mid-term break until the Christmas break
Term 2: January until the Easter break
Workshops take place every Wednesday evening from 6pm - 9pm for SubSounds Academy, and Thursday evening from 6pm-8:45pm for SubSounds Intro.
During the October and February mid-term breaks workshops run for SubSounds Academy from 11am - 3:30pm, with a break for lunch between 1pm and 1:45pm.
Spotlight on Term 1
Participants take part in workshops covering basic musicianship, ensemble playing, songwriting and performing. They write songs that are worked on in groups, adding band arrangements under the guidance of the tutors. At the end of the first term, the group performs stripped down acoustic versions of the songs that have been written to an invited audience in the Performance Space in RUA RED.
Participants are encouraged to try out instruments they have never played before, and are offered tuition in vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. Guest musicians come in to give masterclasses in various aspects of musicianship and to give participants an insight into pursuing music as a profession. This term is brought to a close with a live performance in Rua Red of the new work created before the Christmas break.
Tuition Types
Ensemble - Participants work in groups with a tutor on a new piece of music written by one (or more) of the participants. This is to develop their understanding of musical structures, critical listening & ensemble playing skills.
Individual - Participants will develop their musicianship & get a better understanding of how to develop their technical & creative abilities. Individual lessons are tailored to suit the current technical ability of each participant, exercises are developed specifically for them to work on aspects of their technique.
Spotlight on Term 2
Participants have the opportunity to further develop their musicianship, songwriting skills and ensemble playing. There is a greater emphasis on preparing new pieces for recording and performance. At the end of the February mid term break, participants take part in a one day recording session in Windmill Lane studio in Ringsend to make their album for that year. The recordings are mixed in CONTACT Studio and the album is manufactured on CD and uploaded to online streaming platforms.
The end of the programme is marked by an album launch, which takes place in The Grand Social around the time of the Easter mid-term break. Participants are encouraged to collaborate as much as possible, with the aim that each participant takes part in as many songs as they can.
Throughout both terms, all participants have access to free rehearsal times in the music rooms in RUA RED South Dublin Arts Centre so that they can spend time outside the Wednesday and mid-term workshops rehearsing and working on their material.