Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion (PDF) - Cork City Council

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
2009
Cork City Council

ISBN No: 978­0­902282­12­4
Published by Cork City Council in 2009
Research project was co­ordinated and edited by
Maria Minguella and Cathy Buchanan, and
carried out independently by
UONER Ltd. Company.
Copyright © Cork City Council

Dedication
This report is dedicated to the workers and volunteers who bring music into Cork’s communities,
to whom the residents of the city owe a debt of gratitude. Bob Seward should be singled out as
a pioneer in providing quality music education to disadvantaged communities on the north­side
of the city; so should Sean Forde, who has done the same on the south­side.

Foreword
I welcome the publication of “The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion”, based on the work
of community music organisations in disadvantaged areas of Cork City.
Cork City Council Social Inclusion Unit initiated and led this research with the support of the
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Réamhrá
Fearaim fáilte roimh foilsiú “Úsáid Cheoil mar Uirlis don Cuimsiú Sóisialta” atá bunaithe ar obair
na neagraíochtaí cheoil pobal ‘sna ceantair míbhuntáistiúla.
B’é an tAonad Cuimsiú Sóisialta de chuid Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí a chur an taighde seo
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Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction
Section 1: Policy Context
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Social Inclusion
1.3. The European Social Agenda – Lisbon, 2000
1.4. Ireland’s NAPinclusion 2007 – 2016
1.5. Employment and Education
1.6. Adult Learning and Community Education
1.7. Lifelong Learning and Active Citizenship
1.8. The Arts and Social Inclusion
1.9. Music Education
Local Music Services
Primary and Secondary Level Music
Third Level Music Education
1.10. Cork City Learning Forum
Forum Operating Structures
Steering Committee
Forum Plenary Meetings and Working Groups
1.11. Summary
1.12. Conclusion
1
4
6
7
7
9
9
10
12
13
14
15
15
16
16
17
17
17
18
18
19
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
2.1. Introduction and Approach
2.2. The Questionnaire
2.3. Overview of Participation
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2.5. Membership­based Groups
2.6. Community Music Education Providers
2.7. Full­time Programmes
2.8. Progression from Full­time Programmes
2.9. Part­time Programmes
2.10. Outreach Programmes
2.11. Conclusion
20
21
22
22
23
24
25
25
26
27
28
29
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
3.1. Introduction and Methods of Assessing Sustainability
3.2. Organisational Structures and Systems
3.3. Resources: facilities, income and expenditure
Facilities
Income and Expenditure
Types of Income
Grant Income
Fundraising
Fees
Income Summary
Expenditure
30
31
32
32
32
33
33
34
35
35
35
35

3.4. People
Volunteers
Human Resources
3.5. Process
Events
Partnership
Networking
3.6. Conclusion
36
37
37
38
38
38
39
39
Section 4: Inclusiveness and Sustainability of Services
4.1. Are community music education services inclusive?
Education
Employment
Personal Development Outcomes
Concluding Remarks
4.2. Are community music education services sustainable?
Impact of Fundraising
Community Music Education Centres
Member Groups
Part­time and Outreach programmes
Part­time Programmes
Outreach Programmes
Financial Sustainability: Concluding Remarks
Short­term Programme Focus and Educational Outcomes from
Employment Programmes
People
Process
40
41
42
42
42
44
44
45
46
47
47
47
48
48
49
49
50
Section 5: Community Music Organisations in Cork City 2006 to 2009
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Cork Community Music Network
5.3. Cork Community Music Organisations
Cork Academy of Music
Togher Music Project and School
Barrack Street Band
Butter Exchange Band
Cork Music Works
Voices of Cork
Cork’s Children Chorus
Pipe Bands
52
53
53
54
54
55
55
55
56
56
56
56
Section 6: Conclusion and Recommendations
6.1. Conclusion
6.2. Key Recommendations
58
59
60
Appendix 1:
Description of the community music organisations and groups
63

Executive Summary
Cork City’s communities have a long tradition of music­making, best illustrated by the
level of local respect for the “Barracka” and the “Buttera” ­ the Cork Barrack Street
Band and the Butter Exchange Band, which have been around since 1837 and 1878
respectively. There are many other community music initiatives in the city. These
include full­time music education programmes offered by the Cork Academy of Music
and the Togher Music Project, choirs, pipe bands, brass bands and school outreach
services.
The purpose of this report was to identify how national polices, national and local
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Executive Summary
The research shows that the work of the local music groups meets national and local
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Executive Summary
than music to cover almost 20% of their expenses. A portion of those
expenses are incurred in providing outreach services to schools as part
of the state music education curriculum. One of the two outreach
programmes to schools had to cease in 2008 because of lack of funding.
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1.Introduction
Cork City’s communities have a long tradition of music­making. Informally or formally,
at home, in pubs and halls, in bands at street processions and concert performances,
1
music has very much had its place. Ireland’s “oldest amateur musical institution” the
Barrack Street Band, started at the city end of that south­side street in 1837, and
its contemporary counterpart on the north­side, the Butter Exchange Band, began
alongside the then­thriving local butter market at Shandon in 1878.
The origins of the Barrack Street Band are linked to efforts to tackle the misery of the
2
socio­economic conditions of the time through the Temperance Movement. As then, so
now: the opportunities that can be opened up to disadvantaged communities through
music and music­making remain determinedly alive in the city. The aim of this report is
to highlight the work of the people who make it so.
This research report seeks to analyse how and if the learning of music can be used as
a tool to combat social exclusion. It is based on the work of community and voluntary
organisations offering music programmes in Cork City. The analysis shows how these
groups link with local and national Government policies and structures for music
education and for social inclusion, and presents recommendations on how their work
might be consolidated in both areas. A parallel task was the social inclusion evaluation
measures for the community music groups based in Cork City.
In April 2008 a summary of the report’s main recommendations was published by
Cork City Council to coincide with the conference “Access All Areas: Showcasing Social
Inclusion Initiatives in Music & Education” during the annual Lifelong Learning Festival.
Since then, some progress has been made on these recommendations, and these are
presented at the end of this report.
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in relation to arts, music and further education and its relation to community music
education organisations. It follows by presenting the sustainability and social inclusion
analysis of data collected from the community music organisations, groups and bands in
2005. An update on how these have developed from 2006 to 2009 is also presented.
the report then looks at the development of the Cork Community Music Network,
;

Outline of the Report
Section 1
sets out the policy and its context with respect to social inclusion, employment,
education, active citizenship, the arts in general and music in particular.
Section 2
is an overview of the activities of local music education service providers in Cork City,
based on the results of a questionnaire.
Section 3
focuses on the sustainability of community music services in the city based on an
analysis of the key dimensions of community groups including organisational structure;
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Section 1:
Policy Context
1.1. Introduction
Music is central to the groups featured in this report: music that is accessible to many,
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
Keeps you on the outside of what others take for granted, for example going to
the cinema, buying winter clothes;
Affects your quality of life and life chances;
Is not just about how much money you have;
Is feeling that you are powerless;
Is reversible.
In the simplest terms, social inclusion is the process of overcoming the effects of social
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
1.3. The European Social Agenda – Lisbon, 2000
A special European Council meeting was held at Lisbon in 2000 to agree goals for
strengthening employment, economic reform and social cohesion as part of a
knowledge­based economy. This meeting was the basis for National Anti­Poverty
Strategies (NAPS) and National Action Plans on Inclusion (NAPinclusion). The European
Commission and Member States were directed to make a decisive impact on the
eradication of poverty by 2010.
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
Its focus is on providing supports at key stages of the life cycle: children, people of
working age, older people, and people with disabilities. Initiatives for communities and
implementation and monitoring measures are also included.
The overall goal of the NAP inclusion strategy is “to reduce the number of those
experiencing consistent poverty to between 2% and 4% by 2012, with the aim of
12
eliminating consistent poverty by 2016 ...”
The thrust of this and the other key goals in the strategy is on supporting
13
the most disadvantaged and vulnerable across the life cycle stages by:
Ensuring children reach their true potential;
Supporting working age people and people with disabilities ....
to increase employment and participation;
Providing the type of supports that enable older people to maintain a
comfortable and high­quality standard of living;
Building viable and sustainable communities, improving the lives of people
living in disadvantaged areas and building social capital.
The themes of education and training, employment, access to lifelong learning and
equality of opportunity feature throughout the NAPinclusion strategy. There are key
education goals for children; employment, literacy and second­chance education targets
for working age people; and education and employment goals for older people.
Other relevant supports in terms of this report relate to active citizenship, arts and
culture and RAPID (Revitalising Areas through Planning Investment and Development)
areas, although the relevant targets are couched in general terms. The indicators used
to monitor the NAPinclusion allow progress in income, employment, education, health,
housing and deprivation to be assessed.
14
The institutional arrangements for implementation of the strategy demonstrate the
importance of the inclusion issue nationally. Leadership comes from a cabinet committee
chaired by the Taoiseach and composed of relevant ministers, ensuring that
implementation is regularly monitored and promoted at the highest level. There is a
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Social Inclusion Units in key government departments. A number of local authorities
15
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
EU Joint Employment Reports provide an assessment of the progress made in
implementing the European Employment Strategy and outline the future direction for
17
each Member State. The most recent report states that Ireland should give priority to:
Attracting more people to the labour market and making work real for all.
Increasing access to active labour market measures for a larger share of
the unemployed and inactive population and ensuring their effectiveness.
Investing more, and more effectively, in human capital and lifelong learning.
Implementing a coherent lifelong learning strategy to reduce early school
leaving and increase participation in training, especially for the
low­skilled worker.
17. Council for the European Union; 2005. Joint Employment Report 2005/2006 ­ More and Better Jobs: Delivering the Priorities of the
European Employment Strategy.
11

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
encourage community­based learning groups; partnerships and links with statutory
and other providers; networking; sharing of good practice; and the mainstreaming of
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funding mechanism, long­term funding and a separate budget line for community
23
education” were to be provided.
A year after the publication of the White Paper, the context for the structural aspects
of these recommendations altered with the introduction of the Vocational Education
24
(Amendment) Act 2001. This Act brought in changes to the structures of Vocational
Education Committees (VEC), increasing their powers locally. The National Adult
Learning Council and associated local structures have not yet been implemented.
In Cork City, as in other parts of the country, the ad hoc local Adult Education Board
remains in place.
However, a Community Education Facilitator has been appointed by the City of Cork
VEC. In addition, a Community Education Network Forum has been established since
2001 and networks of community­based groups providing adult education throughout
the city have been set up and strengthened in response to other recommendations in
the White Paper.
There are now 11 networks in Cork: ten based in local areas and one city­wide,
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
1.8. The Arts and Social Inclusion
th
The National Economic and Social Forum’s (NESF) 35 report, “The Arts, Cultural
Inclusion and Social Cohesion”, is a comprehensive examination of access to and
27
participation in the arts. Recognition is given to the importance of the arts for all
individuals and for society.
The report notes disparities in participation in the arts depending on education level,
socio­economic status, geographical area and age group. Those in lower income
brackets, with lower levels of education, tend to have lower levels of participation. While
greater participation is supported in both legislation and policy, the practical effect is
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
Other NESF recommendations of relevance to the sector relate to the provision of the
arts for young people, links between schools and artists, funding for disadvantaged
schools, and supports for adult education in the arts.
1.9. Music Education
Local Music Services
31
Music Network Ireland’s (MNI) 2003 feasibility study on local music education services
highlighted by way of comparison, the poor level of public provision in this country
32
in relation to other parts of Europe. Based on a European Music Union (EMU) study
comparing key indicators in six countries, Ireland scored “consistently poorly.” For
example, the comparison between Ireland, Slovenia and Denmark in Table 1.3 shows
that at the time of the EMU study (1999), there were nearly eight times fewer music
schools in Ireland than in Slovenia per head of population, and 13 times fewer in Ireland
than in Denmark.
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
In terms of education, local provision of services is envisaged in two key areas:
Instrumental and vocal music education services outside school hours;
Complementary music curriculum support services in the classroom.
The Arts Council recognised the value of the framework proposed in the MNI study
34
in its policy paper, Education: Arts in Schools, and proposed that the study’s
recommendations should be implemented through a multi­agency partnership at local
and national levels. As a result of this process, Pilot Music Education Partnerships were
set up in Donegal and Dublin, with funding from the Department of Education and
Science. An evaluation of these projects was commissioned, and is due for completion
35
in 2009.
Primary and Secondary Level Music
The Department of Education and Science is responsible for the provision of access
to music education at primary and secondary level. There are three main strands of
learning: listening and responding, performing, and composing. The Primary
Curriculum, implemented at the start of the school year in 2005, “envisages that
children will learn simple music performance skills within the classroom by singing and
36
playing musical instruments.”
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
Technology Cork School of Music and the Department of Music at University
College Cork. The dominance of the city in terms of degree courses is shown in Higher
38
Education Authority (HEA) statistics for 2004­2005 with an enrolment of 251 music
and performing arts students at UCC, equivalent to over 40% of the total for music in
all universities.
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
Forum Plenary Meetings and Working Groups
In general the Forum meets in plenary session twice each year. Plenary meetings
provide an opportunity for all Forum members, who are nominated by representative
bodies and networks, and from relevant service providers, to meet. Each meeting
includes a report on activities from the Forum Working Groups, updating members
on plans, a number of keynote presentations, discussions, and invitations to other
interested parties to join the groups. A number of Forum working groups have been
established to progress particular items of work for the Forum and report back regularly
to plenary meetings.
1.11. Summary
The central issue for the community and voluntary music groups is mainstreaming
policy mechanisms that will ensure their music education programmes can continue
in the future. The intentions of the policies in the NAPinclusion and the National
Employment Action Plan to promote social inclusion, support measures to increase
access to employment and lifelong learning opportunities for those who are
disadvantaged, and to ensure children and young people reach their true potential, are
obvious. As will become clear in the following sections, the work of the local music
groups meets those intentions, yet their sustainability is tenuous.
The promotion of social inclusion through employment and education is supported by
a range of programmes, including the FÁS Community Employment Scheme, which, as
will be explored further in this report, is used by two of the music groups included in this
research. However, the interface at which the groups operate, linking music, lifelong
learning, employment and community education, does not sit easily with the central
values of many of these programmes. As highlighted by the NESF, the music activity is
a by­product for the funding organisations, so its real importance is not recognised.
The real answer for the community music groups appears to lie in the emergence of
a clear national policy that will need to provide within a national framework practical
supports and resources necessary for arts and education.
The ingredients to pave the way for such a policy exist. There are three key strong
considerations that will inform this report’s recommendations:
1­ The framework proposed by Music Network Ireland for local music education
partnerships, seen as likely to ensure access and social inclusion is supported
by the Arts Council and the Department of Education and Science. The latter
have funded two partnership pilots in Dublin and County Donegal. These
pilots have been mainstreamed. An advisory Arts and Education Committee
was established jointly by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and the
Minister for Education and Science in 2006 to advise the Arts Council on how
best to promote and encourage the arts within the formal education system.
18

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
2­) =

Section 2:
Local Music Education
Services in Cork City
2.1. Introduction and Approach
The information and analysis in this and the following sections is based on responses to
39
a questionnaire completed by 10 local community and voluntary music organisations.
The researcher also interviewed key individuals in the organisations, consulted, made
site visits, and held workshops with learners at the Cork Academy of Music and the
Togher Music Project and School.
The groups involved in this research include three pipe bands, two brass­and­reed
bands, two choral groups and three community music educ tion providers:
Ballyphehane and District Pipe Band
Barrack Street Band
Butter Exchange Band
Cork Academy of Music
Cork Children’s Chorus
Cork Music Works
Saint Finbarr’s Pipe Band
Togher and Fire Brigade Pipe Band
Voices of Cork
Togher Music Project and School
See Appendix 1 for a description of the origins and activities these community music
education providers undertake.
The formation of the Cork Community Music Network (CCMN) crystallised during the
research process and the work and challenges facing the Network will be presented
in section 6. The researcher acted as an external facilitator for CCMN, a role that also
helped to inform this report.
39. A number of other groups were also invited to take part in the survey but did not take up the opportunity
for a variety of reasons.
21

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
2.2. The Questionnaire
The questionnaire was structured around two themes:
1. The sustainability of the community music organisations
2. The music education programmes or services provided by them.
The questions about music education explored the type of courses offered,
accreditation, results, and general information on participants. The research was
carried out in 2005.
Questions on sustainability related to organisational structure, membership and
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
In 2005 almost 290 people throughout the city played with a band or sang in a choir,
and just over 700 people were enrolled on a community music education programme
full­time, part­time or as part of an outreach class. The distribution between these
categories is summarised in Table 2.1.
Full­time programmes offered by the Cork Academy of Music and the Togher Music
Project and School between them provided places for 36 people in 2005. Outreach
services, mainly in schools, were provided by the Cork Academy of Music and the
Barrack Street Band to 284 pupils.
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
2.5. Membership­based Groups
Participation in the membership­based bands and choirs is clearly voluntary in nature.
Many voluntary music groups in the city have existed for over 25 years: the Barrack
Street Band (formed in 1837) and the Butter Exchange Band (formed in 1878) are city
institutions.
Voices of Cork and the Cork Children’s Chorus are recent arrivals. The Children’s
Chorus developed from a youth choir in Togher. It is the largest of the groups in this
category with 110 members. The Barrack Street Band with 55 members has the highest
membership amongst the instrumental groups. The three pipe bands, in Ballyphehane,
Togher and Blackpool, have almost 70 members between them.
At one time the membership catchments for the groups, and in particular the oldest
bands, corresponded with their local geographical area, but that has widened over the
years. Another change with the passing of time is a reduction in inter­generational
membership; the tradition of a father passing on his involvement to a son or daughter
is dying out.
Most of the groups have an application process, with some combination of a written
application form and an interview and/or a test of ability. Entry into Voices of Cork
in 2005, for example, involved an application, an interview and an audition with the
Musical Director. A similar procedure is in place for the Barrack Street Band, where
prospective members are expected to have passed the Grade 3 examination of the
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
An alternative pathway to membership is through one of the part­time or outreach
music education programmes operated by, for example, the Barrack Street Band.
Groups which do not offer music education programmes, like the Voices of Cork, have
tried using less formal methods of attracting members such as hosting workshops to
entice prospective members.
Groups with members typically train together twice weekly, two hours on a weekday
evening and two at the weekend, in addition to the time individual members spend
practicing alone. In most cases musical direction is provided by volunteers, though
there are instances where the director is paid. Performances are the goal of member
groups and the key indicator for quality control. Although membership catchment
areas might have broadened, performance venues often remain local to the band/choir,
connected to a local parish church or community event. For example, the Ballyphehane
and District Pipe Band play at the Ballyphehane Park Summer Festival annually and
conduct piping and drumming marches on the roads of Ballyphehane and surrounding
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
2.6. Community Music Education Providers
Each of the groups surveyed in 2005 provide training, but the focus of this section
is formal training to participant learners, rather than to fellow­members for band
performances.
Full­time, part­time and outreach courses were offered as follows:
There were two full­time music education providers, Cork Academy of Music
and Togher Music Project, offering a range of services to disadvantaged
communities in the city.
Cork Music Works ran a part­time course teaching music to students with
learning disabilities, and the membership­based Barrack Street Band and
Butter Exchange Band held formal part­time training sessions for their
junior learners.
Togher Music School part­time course was the largest single programme in
terms of participants offered by any of the groups. The membership­based
Barrack Street Band provided outreach services to schools.
The focus of the training of these community music organisations was accreditation,
further education or employment preparation, in addition to providing players for band
or choir performances. The details of each training programme type are dealt with in
the paragraphs below.
2.7. Full­time Programmes
Full­time music education services were provided through FÁS Community
Employment (CE) schemes in Cork Academy of Music and Togher Music Project. Both
organisations are located in areas of relative disadvantage where RAPID programmes
operate, and from where the majority of their participants are drawn. Applicant
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
The organisations have been remarkably successful at providing music theory
education. More than 50 awards were issued from 2003 – 2005, the three years
examined by the questionnaire. This success is most clearly demonstrated at the
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
The success of 12 learners in progressing to undergraduate programmes is notable. This
achievement would not be a typical outcome of Community Employment programmes,
nor, in general, for the catchment populations of the Academy or the Music Project. In
addition, such progression is part of a trend since 1994, when the Cork Academy of
Music was established. Almost 40 graduates of the Academy have gone on to gain
degrees, from University College Cork, Leeds University and the Cork Institute of
Technology Cork School of Music.
Progression to employment is positive but less prominent with six graduates of both
programmes accessing employment over the three years examined.
2.9. Part­time Programmes
In 2005 there were 381 participants accessing part­time music courses run by four
organisations: the Togher Music School (270 participants), Cork Music Works (50), the
Barrack Street Band (46) and the Butter Exchange Band (15).
The Togher Music School’s part­time music tuition programme is an interesting model.
It is the by­product of a social economy business plan process that was initiated by
FÁS, but ultimately did not attract funding through that route. The Music Project and
School decided to take the risk of running the part­time element of the business plan
themselves instead, on a self­sustaining basis. In 2004, the course’s second year of
operation, the demand for places far exceeded expectations, with most of the places
booked up three months before the September start date. The course involves guitar,
piano and percussion tuition. At the time of the survey most participants had signed up
to take the relevant external tests in their discipline.
Cork Music Works provided 50 part­time learning opportunities to persons with
learning disabilities. Participants explored their creative potential in a weekly workshop.
Performances took place in partnership with members of the Cork Youth Orchestra and
the CIT Cork School of Music, an indication of quality standards.
27

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
Barrack Street Band provided training opportunities for graduates of their outreach
programme who wanted to continue their music education. The quality of this education
is shown by six young former participants having taken up music careers with the Army
band, a remarkable achievement for a voluntary group.
2.10. Outreach Programmes
Outreach programmes featuring in the research involve the Barrack Street Band and
the Cork Academy of Music arranging tuition in outside venues: at schools in most
nstances, but also at community centres and youth projects. The majority of the schools
catered for are situated in areas of disadvantage, and in all 284 students received
classes in music theory and practice. The schools involved are shown in Table 2.5.
Primary schools were the major focus of the programme in response to the demands
of the music education curriculum and driven by poor music education infrastructure.
Classes lasted one and a half to three hours per week. Accreditation was provided by the
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
The results for 2005 are impressive. All 151 learners accessing services from Barrack
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 2: Local Music Education Services in Cork City
2.11.Conclusion
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degree of success for participants, and for the community and voluntary groups hosting
these programmes. The commitment to external accreditation of learning was evident
amongst many of the groups and the results achieved are impressive.
The prominence of music and education outcomes over those of employment could
be regarded as inconsistent with the goals of the CE programme. However, the
transferable skills developed in these music programmes should not be underestimated
when assessing FÁS’s involvement.
^

Section 3:
Sustainability Assessment
3.1. Introduction and Methods of Assessing Sustainability
Local music education services in Cork City were described in the previous section. Here
the sustainability of community service providers is assessed based on four dimensions:
organisation, resources, people and process. These aspects are described below. The
framework is based on an approach to community assessment and analysis which
uses the philosophy, principles and strategies associated with community economic
development.
31

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
3.2. Organisational Structures and Systems
The purpose of this dimension is to establish the context in which music groups
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
purpose built band rooms of similar size close to either end of North and South Main
Street in the heart of the communities they have historically served. The Butter
Exchange Band has two premises, one of which is the now derelict ‘old’ hall which was
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
A truer picture of income emerges if the participant wages are omitted, which
represents a transfer of wages from FÁS to the organisation (Cork Academy and Togher
Music Project) to workers on Community Employment schemes, and is not a source
of income for the organisation. The effect of this is to reduce income by over 50%, or
almost €330,000. Grant income continues to dominate, but fundraising (18%) and
income from fees/performances (17%) are relatively important.
Grant Income
The relative importance of all grant income sources is shown in the table below. FÁS
Community Employment grants, at 60.5%, are the dominant income source. This
income accrues to the two full­time programmes and is used primarily to pay wages for the
supervisor positions. Materials, insurance and participant training are also included.
Instruments can be purchased with the materials allocation and music tutors are among
those paid from the participant training budget.
Education grants in the form of Vocational Education Committee (VEC) hours and the
Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) account for 12.2% of income. The VEC pays music
tutors for the hours they teach in the part­time music programmes and the BTEI grant
pays for FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council) non­music courses in
Cork Academy of Music.
=

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
Fundraising
Fundraising, accounting for 18% of the total in 2005, is an important source of income
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
separately in the accounts, as they are self­employed contractors. Total expenditure
in Table 3.8 is adjusted by not including the participant wages to give a true picture
of the level of expenditure. Total expenditure of just over €317,000 reduces
staff wages to 36%, which accounts for the two CE supervisor positions at
Cork Academy of Music. The cost of all workers in community music education
services was about 55% of total expenditure in 2005.
Operations, accounting for 15%, includes facility costs such as utilities, materials,
insurance and rates. The FÁS materials budget accounts for almost 50% of the total.
In terms of insurance there is just over a €4,000 difference between the highest cost,
€4,800 at the Academy and the lowest, €750 paid by the pipe band in Ballyphehane.
The average insurance costs for the two full­time programmes, two of the pipe bands
and the two brass bands is over €2200.
Programme expenses include related costs such as travel and accommodation,
accounting for over 25% of the budget. Equipment, mainly instruments and uniforms,
accounts for a further 25% of the total and the participant development allocation from
the CE budget makes up over 35% of the total.
Fundraising expenses, at almost 60%, account for the dominant portion of
miscellaneous expenditure with the remainder made up of unallocated expenses.
The necessity to fundraise and the impact on services are dealt with in more detail in
the next section.
3.4 People
People are the source of the vision, mission and success of local music education
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
divided between those who take on legally recognised board of management duties and
those who carry out general duties.
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
Bachelor of Music degrees and were working primarily as music theory instructors.
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 3: Sustainability Assessment
In terms of funding, partnership with FÁS has been central to the survival of the core
programmes. Relationships have also been established with local agencies such as the
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Academy of Music has established links with UK schools, and in 2005 Princethorpe
School was hosted by the Academy and performed at a number of city venues.
Networking
Network links are established within the different disciplines with regional, national and
in some cases international associations. The pipe bands, for example, are registered
with the Munster Branch of the Irish Association of Pipe Bands. The Irish Marching Bands
Association is the network body for the brass and reed bands. These networks serve the
musical objectives of member groups in particular.
Networking in terms of educational objectives has been more challenging and was
subject to discussion at a meeting of the groups in December 2005. At that meeting
the relative isolation of individual groups was discussed, particularly in terms of policy.
The Cork Community Music Network evolved from that meeting and received funding in
August 2006 to carry out network development and training activities. These are
discussed in more detail in Section 6.
3.6 Conclusion
The assessment of the sustainability of community music education service providers
in Cork City shows some interesting trends that are dealt with in Section 4. Some
groups own their own premises and so have a considerable asset at their disposal. The
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Section 4:
Inclusiveness and
Sustainability of Services
Information on the services offered by community music providers in Cork City was
given in Section 2. In Section 3 the sustainability of music services was explored in the
context of four dimensions: organisation, resources, people and process.
:%)'

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
communities and expanding support such as the Back to Education Initiative and Post
D8.P&%+)08,'&7!.'8)-,"+,.##8*9)
Addressing child poverty continues to be an important element of the social inclusion
planning process and, in terms of the policy objective, Improving Education Outcomes
for Children, the targets aimed at reducing the number of early school leavers,
increasing Youthreach places and increasing literacy levels in disadvantaged
communities are relevant.
=

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
one focus group session in the Cork Academy of Music and a series of short one­to­one
meetings with participants in Togher Music Project.
While it should be remembered that this was a minor exercise within the larger
study, it is clear from the chart that there is a real connection between the
!

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
quality of local music education courses. The focus of this training is on exams and
similarly the outreach programmes, targeted mainly at primary schools, are accredited
through The Royal Irish Academy of Music. An interesting difference is that the outreach
programmes tend to concentrate on music theory while the part­time programmes focus
more on instrument tuition. Success rates are positive with all students from Barrack
Street Band enjoying success at Grade 1 theory and an 80% success rate at Preparatory
Grade level and 60% at Grade 1 at the Academy.
In terms of the target of increasing employment participation among marginalised
groups, six young ‘graduates’ of the Barrack St. Band have taken up music careers
with the Army band, a remarkable achievement for a voluntary group. As the outreach
programme is targeted at schools it is possible to further assert the social inclusion
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
positive, overall the answer to the question of sustainability is unclear. Income and
expenditure are compared, so is the impact of fundraising, an activity that might be
considered outside the core mission of the group. The sustainability of Cork Academy
of Music and Togher Music Project, which are primarily reliant on grant income, and of
the four member groups, which rely on fundraising, is analysed. Part­time and outreach
programmes are examined to highlight different approaches to sustainability.
In section 3 the combined income and expenditure of seven community groups was
analysed. A realistic picture of budgets was obtained by removing participant wages
from the FÁS programmes. Table 4.2 shows that income exceeds expenditure by just
over €2,000, which is less than one percent of total income. This surplus is marginal and
,8E8!'*)'

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
fundraising… This puts enormous strain on these organisations, and diverts them from
49
the provision of essential services”
The clearest picture of the effort that fundraising requires emerged from details
received from the Barrack St Band during the survey. There, fundraising accrued an
income of €33,000 as the result of a well established weekly lottery and regular church
gate collections. However, in addition to the voluntary input of 4.5 hours per week for
trustees and 5.25 hours for board members to organise and staff these initiatives, the
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
Member Groups
The annual accounts for member groups show some striking differences with those
of education centres. Not surprisingly, the scale of operations is smaller. The annual
budget in 2005 for three of four groups (Butter Exchange Band, St. Finbarr’s Pipe Band,
Ballyphehane and District Pipe Band) was €10,000 or less and only one member group,
the Barrack St. Band, shows a larger budget of €50,000. These compare to budgets of
over 90K for the Togher Music Project and almost €125,000 for the Academy.
Fundraising (60%) was the main source of income; fees and engagements account for
32%; while grant income accounts for just 8%. In terms of expenditure the pattern
that emerges is consistent with the voluntary status of groups. Payments to tutors was
only 24% of all expenditure for all member groups in comparison to 55% for staff and
tutors in the community music education centres. Total tutor payments for member
groups amount to less than 10% of staff and tutor expenditure for the community music
education centres.
What emerges from the analysis is that member groups, in line with most voluntary
groups, pay for the services that they offer to members in the form of membership
dues and voluntary labour to raise funds. Outreach services to the community are also
primarily funded by fundraising, a situation that is analysed in the next paragraph.
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
infrastructure in place for a service that they knew would have to be self­sustaining, and
hence costly to parents.
In terms of sustainability the revenue generated by what was a new programme in
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
Short­term Programme Focus and Educational Outcomes
from Employment Programmes
The main source of grant income, the FÁS Community Employment programme, had
been in place for over 10 years at Cork Academy of Music and Togher Music Project when
the research was carried out. From this base other funding sources had been accessed
over the years. While adding to the diversity of grant funding sources is positive, the
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 4: Inclusiveness and sustainability of Services
Process
The success of the groups in terms of events, partnership and networking is very
important in terms of community building. Groups reach out through partnership to
improve services. Nowhere is this more evident than in education where there has
always been a focus on external accreditation. The openness of the groups and their
willingness to engage in partnership should assure funders and learners that high
quality is a key focus. It is not by accident that Togher Music Project and School and the
Cork Academy of Music have been able to attract ongoing FÁS funding.
=

Section 5:

Section 5:
Community Music
Organisations in
Cork City 2006 to 2009
5.1. Introduction:
This section summarises the main developments in the community music organisations
and groups from 2006 to 2009. It also introduces the Cork Community Music Network,
the work that it has carried out and the challenges it faces.
Research for this section was carried out through interviews with the organisations and
groups. This evaluation reinforces how tenuous is the sustainability of the community
organisations and groups. It also describes the advances they have made, and the
struggles and challenges they still face.
5.2. Cork Community Music Network
The Cork Community Music Network emerged in early 2006 during the carrying out of
research for this report. The Network was initially supported by the Social Inclusion Unit
at Cork City Council, and shortly afterwards received funding for a training programme
51
from The Wheel.
That training programme helped the Network to move forward. Some of the training
undertaken in 2006 and 2007 has been extended into 2009. In 2006/7 training included:
a course on methods of instruction for teachers, composition for
performance, the use of the computer notation programme Sibelius,
a brass masterclass, performance in a social and healthcare setting and
a Jazz Summer School. An evaluation was carried out after the year which
showed that much was achieved for the €20,000 funding received.
The Wheel has extended some of its support this year and the Network has
51. The Wheel is a support and representative body connecting community and voluntary organisations and charities across Ireland.
Established in 1999, The Wheel has evolved to become a resource centre and forum for the community and voluntary sector.
http://www.thewheel.ie
53

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion Section 5: Community Music Orginisations in Cork City 2006 to 2009
run another training course on methods of instruction for teachers, which
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion Section 5: Community Music Orginisations in Cork City 2006 to 2009
City of Cork Vocational Education Committee and networking with organisations that
support disadvantaged groups. While the nature of the Academy’s outreach programme
)0)
Ovens, Ballincollig and Innishannon. The increase in students has meant that the school
provides employment for 14 teachers, four of whom came through a FÁS scheme in the
school, went on to university and came back as teachers. Part of the income from the
fees subsidises events in the community centre.
Barrack Street Band
Barrack Street Band is still providing its outreach programme to primary schools and
continuing to teach theory and the playing of brass and reed instruments to children.
The band has sustained its teaching programmes and is still very active. In November
2008 the band travelled to Flanders in Belgium for the Ceremonial World War I
Commemoration.
There are two main developments in relation to the band’s teaching programmes. From
2009 it will be teaching primary children basic instrumentation in groups instead of
one to one tuition. This will maximise the band’s resources and also provide a more
creative and enjoyable method for the children. Secondly, in 2008 the band started an
outreach music programme for adults, similar to that offered by the Cork Academy
of Music. The programme is giving 12 adults the opportunity to learn music. This
programme was supported and developed through the band’s involvement in the Cork
Community Music Network and is supported through the Cork Academy of Music. This
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion Section 5: Community Music Orginisations in Cork City 2006 to 2009
funding for adult education for the tuition they are currently providing with volunteers.
The premises they have been using for the past few years are limited and the band is
hopeful that they will eventually return to their original premises, which are derelict but
more spacious.
Cork Music Works
Over the next two years (2009 – 2011) Cork Music Works will develop tuition
programmes for individuals and groups, alongside its performance and advocacy work
6",) -8"-28) ;&'

Section 6:
Conclusion and
Recommendations
6.1. Conclusion
The sustainability of community music groups and organisations is tenuous because
funding is provided on an annual basis, and is fragmented and limited. The support
that they receive is mainly from adult education and employment schemes and
initiatives, which are then supplemented through their fundraising and voluntary efforts.
The present economic downturn could adversely affect the already limited supports
they receive and this puts their sustainability further in question.
The community music groups and organisations featured in this report offer different
types of music provision. Some have survived for many years, others were founded
more recently. They have had valuable experience and success in involving children and
adults, young people and adults at risk, and people with disabilities. This offers huge
potential if all their skills were used to provide a service that has access and tackling
social exclusion as its main focus.
The need for these services is crucial if the disadvantages in the city are to be tackled.
The groups agree that it is their community based approach that provides the space
for people’s personal, educational and cultural development. They agree that it is the
basic human approach that provides the key to their success. This approach works
face to face with the needs of the person, making people feel valued, included and
respected. It has been shown by a large volume of international research that music can
improve school performance, personal development and help in tackling poverty and
social exclusion.
In 2006 the Cork Music Works pilot­project which formed part of a PhD multiple case­study
52
dissertation by Evelyn Grant showed the undisputed gains made by people with
disabilities through involvement in music but little evidence of systemic change or
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 6: Conclusion and recommendations
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local structures need to join together to support on a practical level the development
and sustainability of the strong community music infrastructure that is unique to Cork
City. This uniqueness is part of a long community tradition that has provided access to
music services to disadvantaged communities and groups. This report presents clear
recommendations for action.
6.2. Key Recommendations
Recommendation 1:
Community Education and Lifelong Learning Policy
Despite a number of commitments to community education and lifelong learning in
policies for social inclusion, the arts, education and employment, there is no coherent
national framework for arts and education within which the community music groups
can provide education programmes. Practical supports and resources are needed,
together with political will and recognition of the scope of community education to
address educational disadvantage.
The relevant educational and developmental organisations in Cork should
come together to identify practical steps towards developing a coherent local
framework to strengthen and support community music education services in
the city. Cork City Council’s Community and Enterprise Directorate could
facilitate the initial stages of this process.
Cork’s community music education providers should be recognised and
valued not only for the high standard of their work in music, but also for their
contribution to social inclusion and community education. These are the
achievements of dedicated ‘active citizens’ in the face of a determined struggle
for sustainability. Their contribution deserves to be matched by the authorities
responsible for arts and education nationally.
60

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 6: Conclusion and recommendations
Recommendation 2:
Core Funding
The anomaly of achieving educational outcomes via employment programming should
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The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 6: Conclusion and recommendations
Recommendation 6:
Member Groups
Performance is a core objective of membership­based groups with the potential to add
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Appendix 1:
Description of the community music organisations and groups
Cork Academy of Music
The objective of the Cork Academy of Music is to provide the best possible access to
music education for disadvantaged adults, elderly, youths and children in the North side
of Cork City.
The Cork Academy of Music accomplishes this objective by teaching music notation and
-,.!'&!.2)&%*',$#8%'.'&"%)'

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion Appendix 1
Cork Music Works
Cork Music Works was founded in 2002, by Evelyn Grant and Judith Brereton, to provide
music activities and performance opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Led
by professional workshop leaders and volunteer student musicians, the group comes
together every week in the beautiful surroundings of The John Bermingham Centre in
Glasheen. Cork Music Works has pioneered many exciting public performances and
collaborations using new music technology, rapping, songwriting and dance. Major
performances have been staged over the past number of years in City Hall, at the
Cork School of Music and in the CIT Theatre. The biggest project to date took place in
2005 as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations. More recently, Cork Music
Works performed in the RDS Dublin for the announcement of Team Ireland before the
Beijing Special Olympics and at the Trasna International Festival of Inclusive Theatre in
Kilkenny. A major concert and conference – ‘Pathways to Performance’ ­ is planned for
May 2009.
Barrack Street Band
Barrack Street Band was founded in 1837 by Father Matthew as a result of the social
deprivation prevalent at the time. Ever since the band has continued to recruit, train,
and develop its own members, most of whom would never have had an opportunity to
access musical training for a variety of reasons, both social and economic. The Band
operates from its own purpose built Band room which the members built themselves in
1953.This Room is now no longer suitable.
The Band currently run their own accredited (Trinity College of Music/Associated Boards
schools of Music) Music Education program for both adults and young people. One to
one tuition is provided on a weekly basis on Wind/Brass and percussion instruments.
Music Theory classes are also provided. Along with this the Band also provide outreach
programs both on theory and practice in Greenmount National school and Scoil an Aither
Maitu Togher (Girls Primary School) and from April 2009 Deerpark CBS (Secondary
school) will be included in this. The Students are then encouraged to join the Band after
they have a basic level of playing the instruments.
Butter Exchange Band
The Butter Exchange was established in 1878. Records show that the band did
actually exist before this date and as early as 1840. In those days the band was know
as St Marys Band, but the great famine had a devastating effect and the Band had to
be disbanded. In the early 1850 Father Mc Namara came to the Catherdral Parish and
with his help and funding the Band was once again reestablished and grew in strength.
After Father Mc Namara left the parish the band once again became known as St Marys
Band and continued under this name until a local company took on the sponsorship of
the band and hence became the Butter Exchange Band. Through the years the Band has
taken part in many historical occasions The Band played at a rally in Dublin with Danile
O’Connell, and played at the grave of Charles Stuart Parnell. Also in 1963 the Band
played on the occasion of the visit of President JF Kennedy.
The Butter Exchange Band has a senior Band and a junior Band. The Band practices
twice per week for two hours and classes are held for three hours on Saturday
afternoons for members of the bands and provided by volunteers. The band is very
dependant on its volunteers and long standing members.
64

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion Appendix 1
Voices of Cork
Voices of Cork was started as a Community Education funded scheme by FÁS to
contribute to the City of Culture celebrations in 2005, and was then based at Northside
Community Enterprises, Sunbeam Industrial Park in Blackpool. The core objective was
to facilitate performance for communities with limited access to the celebrations for
themselves. It operated as a CE programme during 2005 and, following transitional
assistance from Northside Community Enterprises, it is now a voluntary group with
a management committee of eight members. The CE scheme started with 36 choir
members balanced evenly in terms of gender and with half of the group in the younger
and half in the older age group. The voluntary choir now has 30 members.
Cork Children’s Chorus
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