Music Explorers
An introduction to rhythm, melody, instruments and ensemble skills through age-appropriate, practical activities — building the listening and coordination that instrumental lessons later rely on.
Lessons by age
Never too early.
Never too late.
GMA teaches from age 4 right through to adults — complete beginners, students working towards exams, and people coming back to an instrument after years away. Here is what usually suits each stage.
01 · Ages 4–6
First steps
into music.
For young learners, group lessons and pre-instrumental programmes are usually a better starting point than one-to-one tuition. These are available in some but not all locations — ask and GMA will tell you what is running near you.
Little Dreamers (4–6)
The youngest GMA Stage School group: singing, movement and drama with live musicians, building confidence and stage presence long before any audition nerves exist.
Explore GMA Stage SchoolIs my child ready?
If your child is 4–6 and keen, a group programme is nearly always the right first step. Private one-to-one lessons generally suit from around age 6–7, when a child can focus for a full 30-minute lesson and practise between them.
Read the FAQs02 · Ages 6–12
Learning an
instrument.
From around age 6–7, private lessons open up. Most students at this stage start with no previous experience at all — teachers guide them step by step and keep it enjoyable.
Private lessons
Weekly 30-minute lessons in piano, guitar, ukulele, drums, violin, fiddle, voice, flute, whistle, banjo and more — shaped entirely around your child’s pace and the music they actually like. €30 per 30 minutes.
Group & duo lessons
Group classes (€15 per person) and duo lessons for two students sharing a slot (€18 per person). Fun, social and motivating — children practise more when their friends are doing it too.
Choirs, Stage School & concerts
Sing Squad and GMA Stage School run alongside instrumental lessons, and regular concerts and recitals give every student somewhere to show what they have been working on.
Explore GMA Stage School03 · Teenagers
Grades, bands
and real playing.
Teenagers usually want one of two things: to get seriously good, or to play the music they love with other people. GMA supports both — and exams are entirely optional.
RIAM & ABRSM grades
We prepare students for accredited RIAM and ABRSM grades, including rock and pop pathways. Exams give structure and an independent measure of progress — but they are always a choice, never a requirement.
Music gradesRock & trad groups
Playing in a group is where technique turns into musicianship — listening, holding your part, and the particular thrill of a room full of people locking into the same groove.
Junior & Leaving Cert support
Instrumental lessons can be shaped around the practical and theory requirements of Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate music. Mention it in your enquiry and GMA will match you with a suitable teacher.
Ask the academy04 · Adults
Yes, adults
too.
A large share of GMA students are adults — complete beginners, people returning after decades away, and players adding a second instrument. No auditions, no judgement, no one watching.
Starting from scratch
Most adult students have never played before. Lessons move at your pace and centre on music you actually want to play, whether that is a specific song, trad, classical or writing your own.
Picking it back up
If you played as a child and stopped, you almost certainly retain more than you expect. A few lessons is usually all it takes to find out where you actually are.
Read the FAQsGroups & duos
Adult group classes and duo lessons are a friendly, lower-cost way in — and learning alongside someone else tends to keep everyone honest about practising.
Every age, every stage