Karen MacCauley
Karen McCauley has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Waterford Institute of Technology. Karen trained in violin and piano from an early age and has completed all grades with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In her youth, she was involved in Fleadh Ceoils and Scor na N’Ogs while later she was a member of the Chamber Choir and the Waterford Orchestra for five years when studying for her degree in W.I.T. When she finished college, she travelled to New York where she took up a post as a violin and piano teacher in Oceanside Music School, Long Island.Her duties were teaching students aged 4 to 12 years. She prepared children for the New York State School of Music exams, including the different teaching methods of music, for example the Suzuki method for strings. When she returned to Ireland, she began a teaching job in Dun Laoighre Music Centre. She also has several year’s experience teaching in primary schools and regularly assists with St. Helen’s Junior School and Senior School’s Communion, Confirmation and Christmas Carol servicesShe has also taught tin whistle and theory at the Senior School, to students from third class up to sixth class.She co-founded the North County Dublin Music School along with Denise in 2003. They now cater to all levels of students from beginner up, kids to adults, teaching a variety of instruments.
“Sometimes music is the only medicine the heart and soul needs.”
Denise Carney
Denise has a B.A. Degree in Music from Waterford Institute of Technology. She studied piano under Tim Cooper and also has studied Voice as her second instrument.
In her youth, Denise played traditional music on accordian and tin whistle, competing in many Fleadh Ceols and Scor na N’Ogs around the country. She was also involved in musicals in secondary school and also plays guitar. In W.I.T., Denise was an active member in the Chamber Choir and also the college Choir while studing music. She has experience teaching at primary school level and previously gave lessons in piano at Dun Laoighre Music School.
She co-founded the North County Dublin Music School along with Karen in 2003. They now cater to all levels of students from beginner up, kids to adults, teaching a variety of instruments.
David Conyard
David holds a Batchelor of Arts Honours Degree in applied music and a Master of Arts in music technology from Dundalk Institute of Technology. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Music Education for secondary school from Limerick University.
David plays guitar, bass guitar, piano, ukulele, vocals, percussion, and recorder. He has been performing in variety of musical groups such as rock, jazz, traditional Irish, choirs and classical orchestras spanning twenty years. He has also worked as a composer for film, theatre, and multimedia for the past six years. David has been involved in teaching guitar, bass guitar, piano, ukulele and recorder for many years to adults and children. He has taught in primary and secondary schools teaching grades, preparing students for performance and curriculum exams, taught in music schools and is currently teaching for North County Dublin Music School two days a week.
On Saturdays David will be holding rock school classes on the guitar (electric or acoustic) and Bass guitar. There will also be piano and ukulele classes available.
Regina Quinn
Regina is a classical pianist and piano teacher. She has enjoyed playing music all her life and now enjoys supporting piano students on their learning journey.
Alannah Thornburgh
Alannah is a multi-instrumentalist from Swinford, Co. Mayo, playing fiddle, whistle and piano from an early age and finally the harp at the age of 11. Hailing from a family steeped in music, Alannah’s style and repertoire is particularly influenced by her father Rob Thornburgh, a fiddler and saxophonist from Virginia, USA. She spent her childhood and teenage years playing Irish music with her family in Ireland and America. Alannah is a multiple All-Ireland winning champion in both solo and group settings. In 2016, Alannah graduated from Maynooth University with a degree in Music and English, majoring in performance, and was awarded with the ‘Music Class Prize’ for obtaining the best results in her class. She is now the resident harp tutor in Maynooth University. Alannah received a Distinction in her piano teaching diploma from the Victoria College of Music, London in 2015. She completed her Masters in Education in Maynooth University in 2018 with first class honours. Alannah has toured Ireland, America and parts of Europe with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and her band Alfi, a fresh new trio who combine Irish traditional and American old-time music and song to produce a unique and tasteful sound. She has performed at many festivals and venues with Alfi including Body&Soul, Knockanstockan and Trip to Birmingham Tradfest, where they were crowned winners of the ‘Molloy Award’ competition for young bands. As well as being kept busy as a soloist and with Alfi, Alannah has recorded with folk artists LemonCello and David Keenan, and performed with LemonCello on numerous occasions. Alannah always strives to ‘think outside of the box’ when creating a bass accompaniment on harp, which has been described as ‘mind-blowing magic’ by The Bluegrass Situation.
Andrew Mahon
Andrew Mahon is a Fellow of the Victoria College of Music with over 25 year’s experience of playing both for personal enjoyment and professionally.
Andrew has been teaching guitar and ukulele now for 10 years and has worked in a number of Music Schools and Adult Education centres across North County Dublin and the Louth/East Meath areas. Andrew has experience with group, individual and special needs tuition across a span of students aged 5 upwards.
Andrew has featured in the Adult Education Ireland website and information centre to promote the Adult Education agenda. Andrew also completed a thesis focused on the different teaching methodologies and the adaptation of same to suit your students, for which he attained a distinction.
Andrew teaches pieces across all genres and believes that encouraging students to select some of their pieces supports their learning and progression with their instrument.
Faustina O’Sullivan
Faustina is a classically trained soprano who has achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Maynooth University. She has also trained/studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She has performed in venues such as the National Concert Hall, the Mansion House and the National Gallery of Ireland. For many years she has taught Voice and Piano in music schools in Swords, Clontarf, Drogheda and Ratoath. She has been performing since the age of 8, when she was a semi-finalist on RTE’s Star Stream, and soon after, performed live on TV3, accompanying Karen Lynch and Paul Redmond (Essence) as part of their chorus section.
She has been awarded the TSB High Achiever award from RIAM in 2004/5 and 2005/6. Performed in The National Concert Hall as part of the chorus section for Liam Lawton, before being a part of the studio recording of his Christmas album. She was awarded 1st Prize in Feis Ceoil ag Canadh as Gaeilge, in the Kilcoole Music Festival in 2008.
She was a part of the Maynooth Ladies Choir from 2013 to 2015. She was a part of The New Early Music Ensemble of Maynooth in 2015-2016. And the Maynooth Chamber Choir (winner of choir of the world) in 2017-2018, which won both the Mixed Voices and Church Music Competitions at the ESB Feis Ceoil, before being awarded the Oliver O’Brien award out of all competition winners. She performed at the Meath Stars of the Future showcase in 2019, hosted by Virginia Kerr and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She has been highly commended in the Soprano Solo Feis Ceoil 2019 Competition. Since graduating from college Faustina has pursued her studies with the Royal Irish Academy under Molly-Adams Toomey, a student of Dr Imelda Drumm.
Ruth Gahan
Ruth is an experienced voice and piano teacher and choral director originally from Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary but now located in North Dublin. She studied music at Waterford Institute of Technology before further advancing her voice training at DIT and completing a masters degree in musicology and performance at NUI Maynooth. Ruth has taught in schools and worked with choirs across Dublin,
Tipperary and Waterford for many years. She is also an experienced vocalist and has given recitals and worked with many choirs and musical societies across the country.
Ioana Constantin Pipelea
Ioana is a Romanian-Irish soprano, singing and piano teacher based in Ireland with over 7 years teaching experience. A graduate of M.A in Mus.Perf., BA in Mus.Perf. and Diploma in Music Teaching and Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and DCU, Ioana studied with the Dr. Veronica Dunne and pianist Dr. Dearbhla Collins. Ioana is an Associate Artist at Northern Ireland Opera. A multiple awards and prize winner in national and international competitions, Ioana was also awarded a bursary at the Wexford Festival Opera during her performances at the festival in 2017. Ioana made her soloist debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at National Concert Hall, Dublin in 2018 in a RTÉ Lyric FM live-streamed concert presented by Liz Nolan.
Sarah Smith
Sarah holds an honours Bachelor of Education in Primary Teaching and works as a primary school teacher. She completed her Diploma in Piano Teaching in 2019. Sarah is a past pupil of the North County Dublin Music School where she attended lessons from a young age. She completed her grades with Denise and other teachers. Sarah then returned to study for her Diploma with the music school after a short break. She has over 6 years experience teaching children and regularly assists with the Laudate Childrens Choir in her school. She continues to enjoy playing piano in her spare time.
Oísin Fitzgerald
Oisín is a guitar and voice teacher at NCDMS and has been practising his craft since a young age. Having graduated from Maynooth University and also having sung with some of Ireland’s best choirs, he has a broad understanding of the voice which can benefit any singer. Both his guitar playing and voice have enabled Oisín to play stages in Ireland, Europe and America!