DabbledooMusic - Early Years

Music making resources for early years.

   Watch Video   Enroll in Course

Listen. Perform. Create.

Explore vocal and instrumental music our play along activities.

No musical experience required.

Step by step videos to guide you through.

Discover our groundbreaking online resource that uses colour, animations and fun musical characters to make music making, fun, creative and engaging for all.


About The Author


Shane Mc Kenna
Shane Mc Kenna

Shane Mc Kenna is a musician and music teacher from Monaghan, based in Dublin. He studied Music Education and Music Technology in Trinity College Dublin where he became a leading researcher and developer in the area of new musical notation for education and collaborative music making. He has guest lectured in Ireland and abroad based on his work developing new systems of teaching and learning about music, inside and outside the classroom.

Shane is an experienced musician having performed in orchestras, choirs and bands on a range of instruments and is currently attempting to master the fiddle!

Shane hosts CPD courses across Ireland each a year and leads the development of the DabbledooMusic curriculum content.

If you have any questions or feedback about the curriculum content please get in touch!


A Letter From Shane

I picked up the guitar at the age of 14 and from that point on music has played a major role in my life. I started studying classical guitar at the age of 17 and went on to study music education and music technology in Trinity College Dublin.

Since then music has taken me around the world, introduced me to amazing people and allowed me to part of incredible events and magic experiences.

Music Education can have a hugely positive impact on young children in particular. The last 20 years of research have showed that music education can help children with learning languages, problem solving, self esteem and team work. Music is also worth while for the joy and fun of just playing music!. It is for these reason that making music more accessible for children around the world has become a driving ambition, and why in 2008 I founded DabbledooMusic with visual artist Killian Redmond.

As a teacher I know that music can be a scary subject to approach and I myself found it challenging in my early years as a teacher. The problem is that most of us think of music as a specialist area for professional musicians and composers. not true!

Music is there for everyone. It's universal human activity that has been passed through thousands of years in every corner of the world.

DabbledooMusic is about exploring our shared musicality, through fun and creativity, to spark children's imaginations and help them to develop a lifelong passion for music that will enrich their lives and the lives of others around them.

Shane Mc Kenna.