Enrolment for lessons and courses with the New School is straightforward. When you have decided what to enrol for, you simply complete the relevant enrolment form. These can be accessed directly in the Enrolment • Fees section of this website, and there links to the appropriate enrolment forms from all Instrumental • Vocal Departments pages as well as all group course pages. You can also complete a hard copy enrolment form in the school office.

If you enrol yourself or your child for lessons, we will then find available lesson days/times based on your preferences and contact you for tuition fee payment. If you enrol yourself or your child for a group course or workshop, you should phone the school office on (01) 478 1884 as soon as possible after submitting your enrolment form to arrange payment, as we can’t hold places in group courses and workshops provisionally. (If the New School is physically closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, please phone us on our mobile number – (086) 869 5415 – instead.) Tuition fees can be paid over the phone, in person or we can send you an invoice to be paid online.

See our Enrolment FAQs page for more frequently asked questions about enrolment with the New School.

Private lesson tuition, because it is one-to-one, is tailored to your skill level and previous musical experience (if any). Our  Introducing (in 5-string banjo, bodhrán, guitar, harmonica, Irish fiddle, piano/keyboard, singing, tin whistle, ukulele, violin and world drumming) are designed for absolute beginners with no previous musical experience. If a class or ensemble is described as intermediate level, then some previous experience and training is expected. If you don’t know if your experience is enough to start at the level of an intermediate class, it is best to talk to us.

In-school lessons and courses take place in Waltons New School of Music, 69 South Great George’s Street, or in our annex classrooms in the Centre of English Studies building, 31 Dame Street. (See our Location page for details.) You will be notified when your in-school enrolment is confirmed where your lessons or class will be. Classroom numbers are listed on our timetable, which is posted daily in the school, and generally do not change from week to week.

Online lessons and courses take place in your own home, which can be anywhere in Ireland or around the world. (We currently have students in almost every county in Ireland as well as Europe and the US.)

With both types of tuition, you will have the personal attention of an expert teacher, providing you with immediate feedback and helping you to improve. The only difference between in-school tuition and online tuition is that in-school students take their lessons, courses or workshops on the school premises, and online students take their lessons, courses or workshops in their own homes, which can be anywhere in Ireland or around the world. (For more information about online tuition, see our Online Tuition page.)

One type of music tuition isn’t ‘better’ than another, and students choose to take in-school or online tuition for different reasons. In any case, our teachers are experienced in both types and adapt their teaching approaches to make the most of each.

For online tuition, you or your child will need:

• An instrument for both lessons or classes and practice (except for voice, theory, songwriting and music technology tuition).
• An internet-connected laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. (A laptop or computer is recommended, as it will have the largest picture.)
• If your laptop or computer doesn’t have this, a separate webcam with microphone.
• Ideally, internet speed at least 1.5Mb per second. (You can test your speed using Measurement Lab’s Speed Test.)
• Headphones or earbuds, if possible.
• Free Zoom software or app.*

*   If you haven’t learned music with Zoom before, please see our printable Zoom for Students information sheet for information on how to download and set up Zoom for music tuition.

See our Online Tuition page for more information on online tuition with the New School, as well as the instruments, subjects and courses we offer online.

The health and safety of all New School students, staff and visitors are of paramount importance to us during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have developed a rigorous COVID-19 Safety Policy to make the school a safe and secure place to learn music.

We have also made a number of adaptations to our equipment and procedures, including:

• Perspex screens in every classroom.
• Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units wherever necessary.
• Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
• Regular cleaning of classrooms and public spaces.

See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all in-school students and visitors to follow.

The New School is located in Dublin city centre, and there are several car parks in our immediate vicinity, as well as limited on-street parking. The school has an agreement with Park Rite car parks that means all in-school students, parents and faculty can avail of special student discount rates of €2.50 per hour or €10 per day at any of their Dublin car parks (the closest is on Drury Street, a three-minute walk to/from the school). To avail of these discounts, drop by the school office with your parking ticket, which we will stamp for you, and show it to a car park attendant when you leave.

Because of our central location, it is also very convenient to take public transport or travel to the school by bike. (There is a Dublin Bikes station on Exchequer Street, a two-minute walk to/from the school.)

See our Location page for details.

Both because of our central location and to travel to and from the New School in a more environmentally sustainable way, we encourage students to use public transport. The The 9, 14, 15, 15a, 15b, 15d, 16, 65, 65b, 68, 68a, 83, 83a, 122, 140 and 142 buses all have stops near the school. The nearest LUAS stop is at St. Stephen’s Green, a five-minute walk to/from the school. The nearest DART stations are Pearse Street and Tara Street, both ten-minute walks to/from the school.

See our Location page for details.

Except for voice (singing), theory, musicianship and songwriting tuition, all students will need to have instruments at home for regular practice. And all in-school students – except those learning piano, drum kit, Irish harp, cello and double bass – will need to bring their own instruments to the school for lessons or classes as well.

If you aren’t sure what instrument to get for yourself / your child, you can ask for advice from your / your child’s teacher. We have a limited number of school instruments available for students to use in their first lessons or classes in order to avail of this advice, but students/parents must be prepared to purchase or hire instruments as soon as possible afterwards. This facility is not available for online students, but the school administration is happy to offer advice and assistance in this regard. Finally, Waltons Music offers discounts on a number of instruments for currently enrolled students.

We offer 10% discounts on 30-minute private lessons to students who are 65 and over, unemployed or full-time third-level students (with valid identification). These discounts also apply to Lunchtime Lessons (30-minute lessons taken between 10 am and 2 pm, Monday – Friday) and to additional lessons taken by a single student or lessons taken by additional students from the same immediate family. Discounts do not apply to partner lessons, small group lessons or group courses.

Tuition assistance based on financial circumstances is also available. See our Tuition Assistance Policy for details.

Group courses take place on fixed days/times, and students can enrol for them individually. Partner (two-person) and small group (three- or four-person) lessons can be scheduled for any day/time of week, subject to teacher availability, and students enrolling for them are responsible for forming their own groups.

Partner and small group lessons cannot be confirmed until enrolment forms and tuition fees are received from all group members.

If enough students in a group course are interested, a continuation or ‘improvers’ group course can generally be scheduled, subject to teacher and timetable availability, although this will not generally take place at the same time as the previous course.

If we are unable to schedule a continuation course or there are not enough students to do so, you can enrol for private (one-to-one), partner or small group lessons with other course participants. Group course teachers discuss these options with their students before the courses are due to finish each term.

It is not always possible to know as much as a year in advance whether a particular course will be offered, and we are constantly developing new courses and modifying existing ones. Our best recommendation is to try to take the course when it is offered. Be aware, also, that in order to provide the best possible tuition our group courses have strict enrolment limits, so we suggest early enrolment if you know you want to be in a particular class.

While we try to plan our schedule of lessons and courses well in advance, it is not always possible to know as much as a year in advance whether lessons in a particular subject or a course will be offered the next year. Summer Term lessons and courses are available on our website by early May, and the next year’s lessons and courses by mid-July.

Our teachers complete term reports for all under-18 students at the end of each term. The reports provide feedback from teachers in three categories:

• Progress • Effort
• Practice • Homework
• Attendance • Punctuality

– as well as comments about the term’s tuition and recommendations for the next term. They are also happy to discuss children’s progress with their parents.

All tuition at the New School is designed to work within our Stage System, a comprehensive methodology for assessing student progress, from absolute beginner to a professional qualification (Performing or Teaching Diploma level). Students who successfully complete a stage can be issued with a certificate of completion. (See About Our Stage System for more information.)

Outside of the school, the only widely recognised qualification for classical, jazz – and more recently traditional and popular – instrumentalists and singers is the graded music examination. Students wishing to make careers of music generally pass through eight graded examinations measuring musicianship, technique and theoretical knowledge before going on to take a teacher’s or performer’s diploma exam. The best known exam boards in Ireland are the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (Associated Board or ABRSM for short), the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Trinity College of Music, the London College of Music and Rockschool. New School teachers can prepare students for exams with any of these boards. (See Frequently Asked Questions about Music Grade Exams and/or Grade Exam Syllabi by Instrument for more information.)

Grade exams are a useful way of measuring musical progress, but they are not the only way – and they are not for everyone. We prefer to leave the decision of whether or not to follow the ‘exam path’ up to teacher and student, or teacher and parent.

We do accept students of all ages and skill levels with neurodiverse conditions such as autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Down syndrome, ADHD and other conditions, as well as those with physical challenges or intellectual disabilities, and we have successfully taught many such students over the years. Music is a universal language that can, and should, be spoken by everyone. It is very important for the school administration and the student’s teacher to have a clear understanding of the need or disability, so that we can provide the student with the best possible music tuition, but this information – provided in the Medical Condition • Special Requirements section of our enrolment forms – is kept strictly confidential.

Please note that although physically disabled students can easily take our online lessons or courses, accessibility for in-school lessons and courses is limited. (See ‘How accessible is the school?’ below.)

Feel free to contact us with any questions about this issue.

Yes. Foreign students who are living or studying in Ireland are welcome at the New School. However, it is not possible to apply for a student visa to study with the school, as we do not offer the option of full-time study.

Regarding language proficiency, most of what is taught in instrumental or vocal lessons can be demonstrated or explained in relatively simple language, and an A1 or A2 level of proficiency (basic user) is generally sufficient. However, tuition in theory and musicianship requires a higher level of language proficiency.

Of course, students living in other countries can also take a wide range of online lessons and courses with the New School.

The New School building is Victorian, and accessibility is limited. However, there is a stairlift from our ground-floor entrance to the first floor, where the school office and two of our classrooms are located. And there is another small stairlift down to our largest classroom, where our Friday Casual Concerts and Trad Slow Sessions take place, as well as an accessible toilet. We may be able to arrange music lessons for a person with mobility difficulties in one of our first-floor classrooms. Alternatively, people with disabilities can take online lessons or courses with the school.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about this issue.

You are welcome to contact the New School’s administrative staff on our landline: (01) 478 1884. Or, if the school is physically closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, use our mobile number: (086) 869 5415. Our office hours are 10 am – 8 pm, Monday – Thursday and 10 am – 6 pm, Friday and Saturday. Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form. We are happy to help! We are:

Róisín Lisa Bohan • Administrator
Eoin Mardirosian • Administrator
Yolande Ní Dhuinn • Administrator
Zach Parkinson • Administrator
John Mardirosian • Director

CONTACT US