U2 to give €5m for music tuition

ROCK BAND U2 are to contribute €5 million to a new music training fund for children which is aimed at redressing inequality in music education in Ireland.

The Ireland Funds international charity is also giving its backing to the scheme which aims to teach young people to play a musical instrument or to have their voice trained.

Deirdre McCrea, chief executive of non-profit organisation Music Network, which is administering the fund, said: “It is currently very inequitable that the opportunity to play music depends on your parents’ ability to afford that privilege, to buy musical instruments and to drive you to lessons.”

U2 guitarist the Edge said: “Being around music at a young age was important for us and we were lucky to have it at school.”

The band had been “looking for some time for a way to get involved in an initiative in music education in Ireland, he said in a statement. After speaking to various people about what to do, the band thought the scheme was “really well thought out” and that they should “get behind it”.

The Ireland Funds will also part-finance the scheme and is beginning a campaign to raise €2 million.

Ireland Funds chief executive Kingsley Aikens said there was a gap that had to be filled in this area for a country with such a reputation for music.

Mr Aikens was referring to 2003 research by the Music Network which revealed that only 1 per cent of children of secondary school age received tuition in instrumental or vocal performance compared with 6 to 8 per cent in other EU countries.

Mr Aikens said he hoped that the Government would continue the scheme, but he was unable to get any guarantees yet.