Young musicians release second album in two years

The members of an award winning Mullingar music programme for young people have just released a new album, their second in as many years.

It's been an eventful couple of weeks for the young musicians in the Mullingar EYE and YoYo Cafe's Music Jam project. Earlier this month, they received a Garda Youth Award in recognition of their achievements since the initiative was established in eight years ago.

The importance of the programme, where under the mentorship of local musicians such as Frankie Byrne and Justin Ryan scores of local young people have learned to play instruments and tap into their creative sides, has really been emphasised during the pandemic.

The last two years have been hard on young people, but Music Jam has provided an invaluable socially distanced outlet for its members.

In an effort to help them beat the (first) lockdown blues, Mullingar Eye co-ordinator Joan O’Connor last year applied for funding to record an album in the recording studio in Columb Barracks. The album, Music Box Volume 1, was so successful that the project received funding once more this year for its follow up, Music Box Volume 2.

Like its predecessor, all of the songs on the new album were written and performed by the Music Jam members with assistance from their mentors.

Joan says that she and the mentors are proud of the efforts of their young charges.

"We kind of did it just to give them something to do, but it was brilliant. We thought we have serious potential here so we will put it out there again this year and because it was good the funders wanted to fund us again.

"Honest to God, the quality has improved so much. There is so much potential. There are some new people in this year and some that were in the 2020 too. They have made an amazing album. I know I am slightly biased but it is brilliant."

The videos of the songs can be watched on Music Jam's YoYo Cafe's YouTube channel. While the album can be bought and listened to on Spotify.