Administration
Waltons New School of Music
‘No two people on earth are alike, and it’s got to be that way in music or it isn’t music.’
– Billie Holiday
The page includes brief biographies of the New School Director and Administrators.
Director
John founded Waltons New School of Music together with his wife Aideen Walton in September 1994. He comes from a musical family; his mother was a concert pianist and his grandfather and great-grandfather were both composers. John received his BA from Harvard University and an MPhil from Trinity College Dublin. Although ‘classically’ trained (his main instrument is viola), he has always felt that different music genres have much to offer each other. For this reason, the New School’s approach embraces musical diversity, the school offers tuition in the widest range of instruments and genres (classical music, jazz, Irish traditional and folk music, popular music and world music) of any music school in Ireland, and students are encouraged to engage with and explore music genres outside their main focus. John also founded and directs the New School’s Outreach Programme (since 2001), Music at Work Programme (since 2003) and Waltons World Masters Series (since 2003). And he is co-founder and co-director (with Aideen Walton) of the Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition (since 2012).
Read a profile of John in the Sunday Tribune.
Read an interview with John in Irish Music Magazine.
Administrator
John has both jazz and classical background, now with a particular focus on contemporary rock and pop. His current bass playing is informed by his childhood education in classical piano to Senior Certificate level with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, as well as jazz and orchestral double bass (for which he was awarded a scholarship by Music Generation to pursue further study). John also has experience as a composer and producer, having arranged for and directed the Trinity College Jazz Society Big Band, which he helped found. He has written, produced and record music with several bands, including Banríon, Robbie Stickland, Isaac Jones Aoife Demille and others, and he has played at festivals nationally with several acts. He also previously worked as a piano and bass teacher. John’s studies in Engineering and Design in Trinity College and TUD, coupled with experience working in a nursing home, led him to pursue work in healthcare, charity administration and data management. This line of work has given him a wide range of administrative experience, which he now applies to his role with the New School.
Administrator
Tuition Assistance Coordinator
Siobhán has a diverse musical background, having studied jazz, classical singing, opera performance and interdisciplinary vocal techniques. She was awarded the Paul Brady Bursary to study Irish traditional styles of singing, including unaccompanied singing such as séan-nós. She holds a First Class Honours BA in Music and Anthropology from Maynooth University and studied opera performance for an Erasmus year at the renowned University of Oslo in Norway. More recently, she received a First Class Honours MA in Ethnomusicology from the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance at the University of Limerick, where she continued her studies of Irish traditional singing, researched unaccompanied traditional singing circles in Dublin and unravelled some of the history behind traditional songs, as well as exploring Middle Eastern singing techniques. With a passion for facilitation and organising events, Siobhán has also studied administration and office management in order to engage with the larger music community. She is passionate about sharing her music knowledge with young people and advocates for equal access to music making, singing, performance and music education. In addition to her work as an Administrator, Siobhán is also our Tuition Assistance Coordinator (see our Tuition Assistance Policy page for more information) and teaches voice with the New School.
Senior Administrator
Outreach Programme Coordinator
Although he studied law and history at college, music was Eoin’s first love and remains central to his life. He was literally born into music, and his first home was the New School, where his parents lived for its first two years in an apartment that was later converted into school classrooms, and he has studied with several teachers working with the school. Eoin achieved Grade 8 with distinction from the Associated Board (ABRSM) on piano, his main instrument, and he writes and records his own music. He also coordinates our Outreach Programme.
Senior Administrator
Child Protection Officer
COVID-19 Safety Officer
Fire Safety Officer
Zach received his BA in Music and Economics from University College Dublin and went on to pursue a Masters degree in Ethnomusicology, also from UCD. He began learning drums at the age of fourteen and is still performing to this day. With an initial interest in rock and pop music, Zach’s taste and playing style are now mainly geared towards metal and punk. This is also reflected in his ethnomusicological research, which has detailed the ins and outs of the Irish metal scene with a special emphasis on musical identity within Dublin metal. During his time at UCD, Zach began performing with both the UCD Gamelan Orchestra and the National Concert Hall Gamelan Orchestra. He remains with the NCH Gamelan Orchestra and has performed extensively with them around Ireland at music festivals as well as travelling to Java, Indonesia (the home of gamelan music) to perform in a major international festival there. In addition to performing around Ireland in both metal bands and gamelan orchestras, Zach has also taught music theory at University College Dublin. And in addition to his work as an Administrator, he also teaches drum kit with the New School and is our Child Protection Officer, COVID-19 Safety Officer and Fire Safety Officer. He is the primary contact regarding our Child Protection Policy, COVID-19 Safety Policy and Fire Safety Policy, as well as any issues related to them.
a comprehensive music centre in the heart of Dublin.