Qualifications:

Vinny holds a Doctorate in Education and an honours masters degree in education and school leadership from NUI Maynooth, an honours masters degree in computer music from NUI Maynooth, an honours higher diploma in primary education from Hibernia College, an honours higher diploma in music technology from NUI Maynooth, an honours post graduate diploma in educational studies and special education needs from Trinity College Dublin, an honours bachelors degree in music education from Trinity College Dublin, an honours diploma in music education from DIT College of Music and an honours diploma in education practice and ICT skills from JEB Dublin.

Experience:

Vinny is a native of Newbridge in County Kildare and currently works as principal in Scoil Bhride National School in Nurney County Kildare. He works as a music tutor with Hibernia College training primary school teachers. Vinny also provides College workshops in multi-class primary school teaching and works as a science tutor with STEM, an RDS Foundation led Science teaching and learning programme . He has also served as a judge at the annual RDS Primary Science Fair. However alongside his professional teaching career, his role as both a husband and father and his love of Gaelic sports, he has a great passion for music. Over the last five years, Vinny has built up a well of experience in many wonderful venues, in every county of the country, providing elegant and classy drinks reception and background music to wedding parties, corporate functions, launch events and private parties. Vinny's soft music style and professionl approach has won him great praise and admiration from a wide and varied customer base.

With various Orchestras Vinny has performed in many established venues such as the RDS and the National Concert Hall. Vinny has also performed alongside many solo artists and groups from the Rock, Pop, Jazz, Traditional Irish and Classical music worlds. In this area he has played Piano, Keyboards, Clarinet, Saxophone, Tin whistle and Trumpet and performed Vocals. A personal highlight was performing on a track entitled “Come on you Lilywhites” by Sean Brennan which reached no.11 in the Irish Pop singles chart of 1998.

As a keen Music Composer and Arranger Vinny has been called upon many times to write original music for Church weddings and recordings. His music has also been performed in many venues and on RTE Television. A large personal project was the writing and production of a show entitled “Celtic Heart” (script and score) for a fifty piece orchestra, twenty Dancers, twenty actors and fifteen member production crew. The show was performed in the Kildare Bealtaine Arts Festival”, “Athy Viking Festival” and for the international Roses at the “Rose of Tralee Banquet” held in County Kildare, 1997.

In 2008 Vinny formed “The Tabhair le Cheile Big Band” which comprised of 25 musicians. The Band came together to play a concert of live Latin American themed music in the Moate Theatre, Naas, County Kildare in 2008 and 2009. All proceeds from the concerts went to a selected charity. All the musicians performed free of charge. As the Irish name of the band states “Tabhair le Cheile” – “To give together”.