Why do we need composition? Since I started working for Dabbledoo about a year ago I have been writing a lot of the articles for this blog. It’s something I really enjoy and I feel like I’m slowly getting better at it. Alongside working for Dabbledoo, I’ve also continued to play music and in the...

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With September looming, the new school year is nearly upon us and planning for the coming year is no doubt underway. For any primary teachers planning their music for this year, we've prepared a list of musical concepts from the Irish primary music curriculum along with some simple explanations...

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A great way to get the children in your class to buy-in to your music lessons is to provide them with examples of music that they know. Pop music is a simple way to do this. From doing workshops in primary schools all over Ireland, we've noticed that children have a surprisingly wide range of...

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This article was originally published in The Globe Post and can be viewed here. In 399 BC, the Greek philosopher Socrates was brought to trial accused of “failing to acknowledge the gods” and for “morally corrupting the Athenian youth.” Socrates, at the age of 70, defended himself at the...

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Summer is the time for festivals, and we have no shortage of quality events in every corner of Ireland. We'll be running workshops at a number of these, hopefully you can make it to one! First up is Knockanstockan Music & Arts Festival this weekend. Knockanstockan boasts an impressive...

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Classical music has been inspiring contemporary music for years. While some have tipped their hat to Haydn others have ripped off Rachmanioff. This quiz will test your knowledge of well known pop songs that have taken inspiration from the classical genre. 10 questions on the Liszt. Will you be...

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Something a lot of people struggle with is feeling embarrassed when it comes to music. They say things like: “I can’t sing” “I'm not musical” “I don’t have a note in my head” Often times this is followed by an explanation of their distressing musical experiences as a child: “My parents...

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Dear Dabbledoo'ers, The summer is here and, for those of you in teaching, a well earned rest is just around the corner! We wanted to share with you an infographic of our impact this year compared to 2017. We're delighted to see more and more children are getting the benefit of our music...

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Irish music comes in so many different forms and styles and one of those popular styles is the polka dance. But how did polka music come to arrive on Irish shores? This blog is structured as a lesson plan which looks at a number of elements around polka music including: The history of polka...

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We’re lucky to live in a country with such a rich musical heritage. When one thinks of Irish music, traditional music immediately springs to mind, such as that that was played so skilfully by Joe McKenna in our first Classroom Concert. Within traditional Irish music, skills and knowledge are...

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