St. Anne’s Tyrrellspass National School Music Collaborative
Emsona LIVE
Harmonising Generations
The Emsona LIVE Music Collaborative
In County Westmeath, a unique symphony is being composed—not just of notes, but of voices, generations, and shared heritage. The Emsona LIVE – St. Anne's Tyrrellpass National School Music Collaborative exemplifies the transformative power of inclusive arts education.
This project is a holistic ecosystem, not a single event. It begins months in advance, driven by the dedicated preparation of classroom teachers and 80 students (aged 9–12). Established by Adele O’Dwyer in 2022, the Emsona music programme empowers educators to teach music fluency regardless of their prior experience. Throughout the school year, teachers utilise tailored resources to build a solid foundation of confidence and skill. This rigorous, year-long groundwork is the engine that fuels the collaborative magic to come.
The initiative converges when these prepared classrooms meet a diverse ensemble of professional musicians. This multi-faceted collaboration bridges the gap between educator, learner, and artist. Students transition from passive observers to active creators alongside mentors who guide them in interpreting emotion through song and instrument. The project culminates in a public performance and display of creative work on 11 June in St. Anne's Tyrrellpass National School, Co. Westmeath.
Emsona LIVE proves that when teachers, students, and artists unite, music becomes a universal language connecting us all.
St. Anne's National School, located in the heart of the Georgian village of Tyrrellspass in County Westmeath, is a progressive primary school with a rich history of community engagement and educational excellence. With its location in a village steeped in history—from its origins in the Nine Years' War to its connections with the 1916 Easter Rising—St. Anne's National School stands as a modern educational institution that honors its heritage while embracing new initiatives to prepare pupils for the future.
Emsona, Founder
Based in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland, Adele is a cellist, composer and educator with a varied musical career spanning 4 decades. The focus of Adele’s current work is on the creation of opportunities to break down barriers that limit music-learning participation. Emsona LIVE represents one element in that quest.
Embrace the journey,
Embody the music,
Empower the artist.
A Lifetime of Music