Annette McNelis is a creative music educator, composer, musician and keyboard tutor, with over 40 years’ experience working in music. She lives in Buncrana, Co. Donegal, Ireland, with her husband Ciaran. They have three grown-up daughters and two grandchildren.  As well as music, Annette loves gardening, cooking and crafting.

A dedicated environmentalist, Annette combines her music skills with a passion for raising awareness about caring for the environment. Her environmentally-themed educational music resources, and fun music workshops, are a big hit with schools across Ireland.

Annette's Biodiversity and Living on an Island animated song videos were introduced to schools in 2022. Resources to support these are now available to buy here Classroom Resources

The Environment the Musical resource pack was launched in 2014 by poet and playwright, Frank McGuinness. It was featured on RTE's Nationwide and features the Dog Pooh song, which has already been used by 11 county councils in public awareness campaigns.

Annette teaches electronic keyboard for the Donegal Music Education Partnership and delivers CPD music training for primary teachers, through the Donegal Education Centre. She also delivers remote, one-to-one training courses for primary school teachers.

Wake Up, Annette's first vocal recording was launched this this, to help raise awareness about the importance of protecting nature for future generations.

Annette was a contributor to the open access book, Sonic Histories of Occupation (Bloomsbury Publishing), launched in 2022.

As a volunteer for her local Tidy Towns Initiative, Annette delivers remote music workshops for local primary schools.

Annette wrote Learning for Life, the winning song in a 2005 competition to find a theme tune to mark the centenary of the Donegal ETB (then VEC).

The Long Shore and Inishowen are the titles of Annette's two albums of original instrumental music.