The members of Music Jam were presented with a Garda Youth Award on Wednesday evening in Columb Barracks. Back row, from left, Ben Cranston, Sgt Roger Nicholson, Alex O'Dowd Reynolds, Ewan Durkin, Pijus (Pio) Pabrazinskas, Rolan Zunda, Community Garda Fiona Walsh, Jim Rock JLO, Joan O'Connor, Coordinator Mullingar EYE and YoYo Youth Cafe. Mid row, from left, Community Garda Martina Walsh, Jack Gaudet, Savannah Kelly, Tia Donoghue, Rachel Donoghue, Aidah Reilly, Community Garda Neil Donnellan, musician Justin Ryan. Front, Ciaran Lee, Conor Walsh, Lily Walsh, Katie Lee, Gemma Lee.

Award winning Music Jam hits the right note

Mullingar’s status as Ireland’s number one town for music looks assured for a good while yet if the young members of the Mullingar EYE and YoYo Cafe's Music Jam project are anything to go by.

Over the last two years the group has released two albums, Music Jam Originals Volumes 1 and 2. The two albums feature tracks written and arranged by local young people with some assistance from their musical mentors.

Their sterling efforts have not gone unnoticed and on Wednesday evening the group received a Westmeath Garda Award at a ceremony at their base in Columb Barracks.

Sgt Roger Nicholson, centre, presenting a certificate to Music Jam members Ciaran Lee and Rachel Donoghue.

The group was nominated for the award by Mullingar Eye co-ordinator Joan O’Connor. Recording the two albums in Mullingar EYE’s studio in Columb Barracks was an invaluable outlet during what has been a challenging time for young people, she says.

"In the first lockdown in 2020 we were doing clubs online and then we were doing Music Jam online as well. It was quite difficult to keep everyone’s attention and we realised that when they lessened restrictions on June 29, our young people just needed to get out even though there were still strict restrictions in place.

"We applied for funding to the Arts Council, to Creative Westmeath, to Music Generation and to Youthwork Ireland Midlands that I work for. There was four-way funding and everyone came in under strict Covid conditions. We made the album over six weeks and we made it up here.

"The young people wrote the songs themselves with help from Justin Ryan, Frankie Byrne, DJ Kelly and Graham Dowling. They then went into the studio and got the melodies for the songs and made videos. It was brilliant craic.

"We kind of did it just to give them something to do, but it was brilliant. We thought we have serious potential here so we will put it out there again this year and because it was good the funders wanted to fund us again.

"Honest to God, the quality has improved so much. There is so much potential. There are some new people in this year and some that were in the 2020 too. They have made an amazing album. I know I am slightly biased but it is brilliant."

Joan says that at a time when there was a "lot of negative attention" on young people during the pandemic, the members of Music Jam channelled their energies into something positive and she is "so proud of them". She also paid tribute to their musical mentors for their efforts since Music Jam was established eight years ago.

"It is so good to see the young people getting to that level of proficiency. Coming in maybe as four-year-olds and getting to that level. Two of our young people who were on both albums can’t be here today because one is in the BIMM school of rock in Dublin and the other is doing sound engineering because they learned that over in the studio," she said.

Sgt Roger Nicholson, centre, presenting the award to Music Jam members Pijus (Pio) Pabrazinskas, left, and Ewan Durkin.

The award was presented to the group by Sergeant Roger Nicholson. Speaking at the ceremony, he praised everyone involved with the project and said that the participants were learning life skills that will stand to them as they get older.

"It is a fantastic achievement for everyone associated with Music Jam. Those who learned to play music, those who taught you and those who brought you here. Everybody who gave you assistance in any form. It is a marvellous achievement.

"The great thing about being involved in this group is that apart from the fact that you are learning music, it also teaches you a lot of things. You all work as a team, without actually realising it, you are working with others. It also teaches you discipline. It furthers your lives and gives you a great sense of wellbeing in the world.

"When you are filling up job applications and doing up your CVs, one of the first things you will put on it is your Garda Youth Award. When you go for an interview for a job, an employer will ask you about your youth award. It’s like getting another qualification."

The group will be premiering their new album on Mullingar EYE and the YoYo Youth Cafe's YouTube channel and on their Facebook page next Thursday, November 25, at 7pm.