Waltons New School of Music

Ok, so I really have to agree with many of the Reviews here. Have been associated with Waltons for past 6 years. In that period my daughter at one stage had three different piano teachers in a 6 month period due to staff leaving (underpaid and over worked according to one of them). Hugely overpriced lessons bearing in mind that many teachers are newly graduates themselves and indeed some are still students of better schools e. g DIT. Rooms old and cold, really need a re-​furb. Many of pianos are out of tune. Reception staff entirely unhelpful and unfriendly in my experience. Have been told that they keep ‘no records’ of any student, results of grading etc. My daughter missed her grade entirely one year as staff advised me it was my own business to find date and enroll. Also missed a grading as her teacher ‘forgot’ she needed theory grade 5 in order to do practical grade 6!!! This is essentially a ‘macdonald mentality’ music school, squeeze as many students per day as humanely possible into a junior teachers day while charging more than the Conservatory charges per hour for private class. Could NOT recommend it to anyone looking for quality teaching by an interested, passionate teacher.

I was a frequent visitor, renting piano rooms by the hour… you know… to play.
I had the opportunity to try a few different pianos, all of them badly tuned and some even had the sticky key syndrome (when you press a key and it stays down!).
Definitely not worth the price.
This «new» school is badly in need of a little TLC!

This is by far the best place to shop for instruments — with two outlets in the city centre, plus a well-​sorted online shop you’ll find anything musical you’ll need — from pianos to sheets of music — here. Plus, a piece of pop culture can be found in the shop on George’s Street, where a part of «Once» was filmed. Even though it’s no longer allowed to play «Falling Slowly» from the movie on one of the pianos. This piece has become as annoying to staff as «Stairway to Heaven» in Wayne’s World.

It’s no wonder why there’s such a cacaphony of intrsuments and chatter in Waltons massive music shop… the place is full of its students! Pop in on a weekday after schools let out and you won’t be alone. Teenagers, music school students and lay customers mill around in the massive space behind the small shop entrance.
Guitars line the walls along with chords, cables, straps and other string-​instrument paraphernalia. There’s parliaments of pianos (of the upright and grand varieties), do keep your mitts off the sold merchandise, but feel free to plink away on the unclaimed models.
Best of all in this palace of music is the New School of Music upstairs. Affordable classes, taught by professionals with storied backgrounds, for everything from voice to viola can be taken here; the promisingly titled Rock Guitar for Teens is just € 170 for 10 weeks. Each meticulously written flyer urges early enrollment as classes are kept small and fill up fast.
Check out the website for details on upcoming classes and workshops!

I went to the New School of music for nearly two years to take speciality classes in Jazz guitar. I was very impressed with the high standard of teaching and the expertise of the teachers in their respective fields. The building it is in is very old, and nearly everywhere you go you can hear music literally seeping through the walls — this is nice when you want to get in the musical mood but a little frustrating when you are trying to concentrate on what you are doing in your own class.
My class was way up at the very top of the building and nearly impossible to find without a guide or a map or a GPS… which was fine because it was quiet. but it was a little frustrating lugging the guitar all the way up. Definitely not for those who hate stairs!
The receptionists are lovely and this school teaches nearly everything. So if you are looking for high quality teaching look no further!

Usually try not to duplicate reviews but… a fellow qyper has described Waltons as ‘well-​regarded’ so — hang on where was that oar? oh here it is — ok I’m just going to stick my oar in:
Nobody who has taught or attended lessons in Waltons speaks well of the place.
For a start, it is horrendously overpriced. A 30minute lesson is more than E25 (that’s as much as many music teachers earn per hour — do the math there on the profit margin). Prospective students: hit the suburbs for good value music lessons. Kylemore in Ballyfermot, in particular, is an excellent, affordable school. If money really is no object, you might as well go to the Royal Irish Academy of Music on Westland Row (classical only) or Newpark.