Maire Ledwith Butler Biography   Máire began voice training at eight years of age with the renowned blind teacher, Mr. David McNulty. She was a frequent prizewinner at Feis Ceoil, Feis Maitiu and at several festivals throughout the country. She also featured regularly on Jane Carty’s Young Musicians programme on RTE. She subsequently studied under Dr. Veronica Dunne in the DIT Conservatory of Music and was a scholarship student there for four years.   After graduating from Trinity College with an honours degree in Music and Irish, Máire taught as a teacher of Music both abroad and at home. She has attended Master Classes at the International Summer School at Dartington, Devon, and has sung for internationally acclaimed singers including Emma Kirkby, Dame Margaret Lensky and Dame Esther Salaman.   Máire enjoyed several seasons with Dublin Grand Opera Society and Opera Ireland before deciding to establish her own school, concentrating on voice and performance. The Let’s Go Singing Studio was born in September 1998 and comprises singers from ages six to fifty plus. In 2007 the studio began to operate under a new name the Máire Ledwith Butler Singing Studio. They host three concerts per year, the highlight being their Annual Gala Concert in Dublin’s National Concert Hall.   Máire has been a frequent adjudicator for auditions to RTE’s Cór na nÓg and was on contract with them as vocal coach to their training choir. Máire has always loved singing with chamber choirs and in university was a member of the college singers for five years. After graduation, she founded her own chamber choir while in Abu Dhabi and was a founding member of Dun Laoghaire Chamber Choir on her return. In October, 2002 Máire founded Classicus Youth Chamber Choir which comprises select students from the Máire Ledwith Butler Singing Studio.   In March 2007 Classicus Youth Chamber Choir were first winners in the Siemens Feis Ceoil Three Part Choir Competition. The then went on the win first prize in the Youth Choir category at the 2008 Limerick Festival of Church Music, adjudicated by Ite O’Donovan. The choir came second to New Dublin Voices in this year’s Feis Ceoil Competition. The choir has produced their first CD recording of Haydn’s Little Organ Mass. In 2006 Máire was invited to form a junior choir in John Scottus School in Ballsbridge. They have already performed in the Wesley Feis, and have made their debut in the John Field Room on the 23rd of April 2007.         Let’s Go Singing Studio was established in October 1998. It was born out of a consummate desire to teach singing and musicianship in a fun way. The nuturing of self-confidence, self-expression and self-awareness, skills that are vital in performance, is the essence what the studio is all about. The correct pitching of notes and rhythmic awareness through nursery rhymes, little folk songs and other appropriate children’s repertoire are two skills taught in the younger classes. The playing of little percussion instruments add to the enjoyment of the children’s learning experience. Skills such as breathing, intonation and musicianship are taught using a wide variety of song material in the older classes. Movement and dance are also taught where particular songs require such attention. This makes the whole performance aspect a hugely enjoyable one. Junior and Leaving Certificate Performance tuition is also part of the work in the studio, along with preparation for Associated Board Vocal Exams and Competitions like Feis Ceoil and the Newpark Feis. Although students are encouraged to push themselves, however, competition is not what is central to the Let’s Go Singing Studio.   As performance and the enjoyment of it are the two most important aspects of the studio, a concert is put on at the close of the Christmas and summer terms. Other aspects of stagecraft come into play here in terms of costuming, props and movement. When combined, these elements make performing a thoroughly enjoyable experience.   The decision was taken this year to become the Ledwith Butler Singing Studio. This was done for several reasons. As our students have developed, so the studio has developed with them. As a result, its ambitions have widened. Many of our students want to focus on specify, diverse genres such as Opera and Musical theatre. Today, the studio has hundreds of pupils who study classical art, but also the simple and fundamental techniques we originally set out to teach.