The first ever IMRO / Songschool “Songwriting At School” Programme was a huge success, visiting 17 schools around the country. It is hoped to continue the programme in 2009 and if you are interested in us coming to your school please contact peter@songschool.ie

Below are details of the first tour - May / June 2008

Songwriting at School

This Spring, The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), Songschool and international hit songwriter, Ruth-Anne Cunningham, will be touring secondary schools throughout the country as part of a new Songwriting at School programme.

Spaces are limited and we are contacting schools throughout the country, so if you think your school might be interested in the programme please contact us as soon as possible.

The programme is due to take place from 28^th April to 16^th May and will involve representatives from IMRO, Songschool, O2 and Ruth Anne herself travelling to 15 schools around the country to organise a concert and songwriting workshop.

We plan to have a short concert, lasting 30-35 minutes, in the school hall where one or more of the students will have the opportunity to perform their original material in front of the school audience. The students will also have the chance to hear Ruth-Anne perform some of her own works.

This will be followed by a workshop lasting for around 40 to 45 minutes which will take the form of a Q&A session. It will be aimed at a smaller group of 30 to 40 students, who are particularly interested in the area of original songwriting. Ruth-Anne will discuss her own songwriting, and along with the Songschool founder & co-director Peter Baxter, provide the students with tips for successful songwriting. Our IMRO rep will talk about the importance performing rights in general and our O2 rep will discuss the changing nature of music in terms of online availability and new technology.

The tour will be sponsored by IMRO

Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO)

IMRO is a national organisation that administers the performing right in copyright music in Ireland on behalf of its members - songwriters, composers and music publishers - and on behalf of the members of the international overseas societies that are affiliated to it. IMRO’s function is to collect and distribute royalties arising from the public performance of copyright works.

www.imro.ie

Songschool

Since 1999, Songschool have been committed to delivering quality music education services throughout Ireland. What started as a small talk to a local TY class has now expanded to the largest provider of music workshops to secondary schools in the land, in the last 2 years they have delivered over 200 workshops in 28 counties, and 2 continents and that has created almost 1200 songs.

www.songschool.ie

Ruth-Anne Cunningham

At 21, Singer/Songwriter Ruth-Anne, from Dublin, is already Ireland’s most successful young songwriter ever. She has already had hit songs on 3 No.1 platinum albums in the USA and has recently had her song “Perfection” recorded by Leona Lewis for the USA. She has written Number 1 hit songs for JoJo, Katherine McPhee and Australian act Shakaya, along with the No.1 song for Finland Idol winner, Anna Abreu. More recently she has recorded a song for the new worldwide Levi’s TV campaign and is about to head off to the USA to do a duet with Ben E. King on his legendary song, “Stand By Me”. Last Year,

Ruth-Anne won a coveted ASCAP award for the “Best Pop Song of 2007” in the USA.

Ruth-Anne breathes new life into the music scene with her unique new sound. Her poignant blend of R&B and soul is a fusion of Alicia Keys, Norah Jones and Beyonce. Coming from a country of other music legends such as Enya and U2, Ruth-Anne takes the mystical charm of her homeland and transcends it into her music, creating a sound that blurs the lines of music genres.

Ruth-Anne, who also won the Irish 2FM Jacobs Songwriting Contest in 2004, has spent the last few years between Los Angeles, New York and her home in Dublin, writing and recording with amazing music industry legends that have led to chart-topping hits for many other artists.

As a result of holding the No.1 position for over five months on www.musicfreedom.com, Ruth-Anne was awarded her own NYC showcase, which led to her signing a huge deal with prestigious New York publishing house, Shapiro Bernstein.

Ruth-Anne has been writing since she was 8 years old and was spotted and signed by her current manager straight from school at 17 years old. She has become the poster child for IMRO and shows the success that many young Irish writers can reach. She is constantly taking inspiration from her own life experiences and those of people close to her. Music and performance is her life, thriving on the energy and creativity in a recording studio and the performing of her own material. She is an ambitious and driven individual and will hopefully be an inspiration to a new generation of young Irish songwriters.

www.bebo.com/ruthannemusic