LOETB Birr students celebrate major music milestones
LOETB Birr’s Music Industry and Event Management students are celebrating some major milestones, following the release of their debut single, "Dance With Me Tonight", under Birr Star Records.
The single is a lively cover of Olly Murs’ “Dance with Me Tonight", and has entered the Irish Homegrown Top 20 at an impressive No. 14.
The project was inspired by student Dan Daly’s personal connection to the charity, having received a exciting trip to Disneyland, Florida. In support of the charity, the students released their single on Wish Day, Friday April 4.
One of the track’s lead vocalists, Keeva Abbott, performing under the artist name MTM (Minds That Matter), suggested "Dance With Me Tonight" due to Olly Murs’ ongoing support of Make-A-Wish internationally. Keeva previously performed with Olly on stage, adding yet another personal touch to the single’s selection.
The track was recorded in Studio One at the Button Factory, Temple Bar, in collaboration with Sound Training College. Engineers Jonathon Flynn, Darragh Winters, Melinda Huian, and Shane O’Neill joined forces with O’Brien and Murphy to deliver a radio-ready production.
The success didn’t stop with the single’s release. The official music video directed by Clare-Ann Nolan is now the most viewed video on the Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board’s official YouTube channel, marking a digital milestone for the group.
Capping off the excitement was a celebration concert at Birr Theatre and Arts Centre on Friday, April 11th, where the LOETB Birr Choir, a solo guitar performance by Dan Daly and local artists Lauran Murphy & former LOETB Birr student Finley Wrafter wowed the audience with their talent and teamwork. Local TD Carol Nolan praised the group, saying:"Well done to all involved in LOETB Choir Birr, great night and lots of talent!"
To help track and maximize the single’s reach, Birr Star Records secured a deal with Radio Monitor, Ireland’s leading radio tracking service. This partnership enables the students to analyze airplay data and refine their promotion efforts in real time.
Another LOETB Student Aminat Olusesan led the team creating a media database, which when coupled with the Radio Monitor service has resulted in radio play and interviews across a host of stations including Midlands 103FM, KCLR, Liffey Sound, Dublin South FM, Tipp FM, and Athlone Community Radio.
“This has been an incredible opportunity for our students to engage directly with industry leaders and gain real-world experience—from working with renowned producers at The Production Suite to partnering with organisations like Radio Monitor,” said John McFadden, Executive Producer for Birr Star Records/LOETB Birr.
“Their creativity and commitment truly shone through as they brought everything together from social media to sales drives by Katie Nevin McEvoy, Melissa Dunne, Molly Kavanagh, and Andrea Cooke to the celebration concert at Birr Theatre and Arts Centre that was organised by Julija Odina, Olha Kalytka, Bara Kokoskova and Clare-Ann Nolan, I mean delivering a live event of that scale was both an exciting challenge and a major achievement, they should be very proud.”
When asked about the future of Birr Star Records, John said: “That will be determined by the motivation and drive of the students. So next year it could be a compilation album of students or local artists that the students are working with across a range of genres. No doubt, next year will add a different and exciting dimension, who knows maybe another Olly Murs cover or even a collaboration, imagine that!”
Centre Manager Enda Kennedy added: “I was blown away by the proposal the students presented last year. They’ve applied every bit of theory they’ve learned to this real-world project and overcame every challenge. Raising funds for Make-A-Wish while launching a professional-level single and hosting a concert is an amazing achievement.”