Pearl Robinson established the Kilshanna Music Studio in Kilshanna, in September 1998. The school moved to 9 King Street in January 2000, it now has moved to Forrest Hall in Mitchelstown in January 2016.
When Kilshanna Music Studio opened originally it focused mainly on piano and vocal lessons but soon developed in other disciplines to become Kilshanna Music, Art & Drama Studio.
The Studio has expanded to include Guitar, Music Theory, Voice, Junior Choir, Speech & Drama, Primary School Core Grinds, Languages, Musical Theatre and Dance classes in Kilshanna with a number of students receiving awards and prizes already.
Louise Howard teaches Speech & Drama in the Kilshanna Music Studio and her students have enjoyed great success in Feis Maitiu, Arklow Feis, Feis Sligo, Feis Ceoil and Kilshanna Arts Festival.
Annette Kearney teaches the Music Theory which includes Junior and Leaving Certificate courses, her students are always among the top results in both the state examinations and their theory papers.
Heather Barrett teaches the Musical Theatre and Dance classes in Kilshanna, since joining Kilshanna our musical theatre and dance classes have grown in numbers and enjoyed success at numerous competitions.
A number of Kilshanna students have graduated their Proficiency Diplomas and Professional Teaching Diplomas, conferring at the Griffith College Graduation Ceremonies held in Griffith College, Dublin. All graduates are now teaching throughout the country, thus continuing the Kilshanna tradition.
The Kilshanna Music, Arts & Drama Studio has maintained a reputation for excellence since its establishment in 1998.
Each year, a number of students from Kilshanna have been nominated for The Leinster School of Music & Drama Excellence Awards along with the Royal Irish High Achievers Awards a tribute to the high standard of tutelage that the school offers.
A number of students were awarded first prize in the National Leinster School Excellence Awards in recent years along with numerous Special Recognition Awards received by piano, drama and singing students in each year’s finals.
Kilshanna Junior Musical Theatre Group performed their piece ‘When I Grow Up’ from the musical Matilda on The Late Late Toy Show in November 2015
The Circus and The Perfect Nanny are among the full scale shows produced by the Kilshanna ensemble to entertain audiences each autumn.
Some of our music and singing students are encouraged to perform together as bands and attend some busking festivals each year raising money for charities including Crumlin Children’s Hospital.
Kilshanna’s Junior Choir perform on regular occasions throughout the year for visiting dignitaries, charities, carol singing and local promotions, the young singers won the Kilkenny Choral Festival’s Junior Open Cup for their performance of ‘I am a small part of the world’
Students representing counties Tipperary, Limerick, Cork and Waterford perform in the Prizewinners concert each year in Kilworth Arts Centre.
Some recent competitions featuring Kilshanna Music Studio Prizewinners include Feis Maitiu Corcaigh, Feis Arklow, Feis Sligo, Feis Navan, Feis Kilkenny, Feis Luimni, Kilshanna Arts Festival, Aims and Feis Ceoil.
Kilshanna establish not only a life time love of the arts in the students but life long friendships too.... Long may it continue.
