Extract from the East Midlands Talented Young Musicians Report 2014

FST>>FWD Programme Ingredient 6: ORCHESTR@

AIMS

• To increase the mixture and range of innovative and creative activities offered for musicians in the East Midlands who are showing musical talent
• To develop opportunities for talented young musicians who have not had a chance of taking part in joint music making with peers, and to enable young musicians to take a lead in the creative direction of their ensemble
• To provide musical opportunities for young talented musicians to be expressive, creative, have fun, and realize their potential in an experimental musical setting which is completely new to them
• To develop a fully inclusive music ensemble model for both the young musicians and the music practitioners of the East MidlandsOU TCOMES

• Personal / social skills of musicians (young musicians and adult musicians): self-confidence, positive self-expression, leadership, improved positive behaviour, reflective thinking and achieving goals
• Music skills (young musicians and adult musicians): instrument learning, listening, performance skills, creating, musical experimentation, improvisation, conducting
• Educational skills (young musicians and adult musicians): accreditation, improved literacy, numeracy
• Improved quality and standards of music delivery for talented young musicians in the East Midlands
• Increased awareness of the benefits of participation in integrated and creative music making for young musicians across communities, networks and organisations in the East Midlands and beyond
• The development of more cohesive communities, by joining young people and their families from multi-cultural, multi-social backgrounds together through music making activities
• Increased enjoyment of music for young musicians, from playing and creating new music in a diverse group
• Creation of brand new music and artistic output from talented young musicians
• Increased artistic and creative progression of individual talented musicians
• Exposure of young musicians to new genres of music, and new ways of making music withtheir peersTARGET GROUPORCHESTR@ will engage with talented young musicians from a range of diverse backgrounds from across the East Midlands. ORCHESTR@ will be distinctive from (but complementary to) the existing provision across the East Midlands (such as the targeted work for CYPCC and the mainstream ensemble work of the Music Education Hubs): ORCHESTR@ will be an open access programme for all talented young musicians (rather than specifically CYPCC, or specifically those who are already engaged and/or are able to pay for music services such as ensembles or tuition).

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FST>>FWD Programme Ingredient 6: ORCHESTR@

ORCHESTR@ will be a melting pot reflecting the diversity of the young musicians of the East Midlands, and will integrate talented young musicians from all walks of life regardless of musical, social, or cultural background. There is currently a gap for this provision.

ORCHESTR@ will engage with any talented young musician in the East Midlands (identified through the TYMI Tool, referrals, direct recruitment or partners) who shows a musical interest including those who are not yet engaged in a formal music activity.

Primary target group: CYP and CYPCC who show talent and potential. CYPCC target groups: Young Carers, LAC, Care Leavers, CYP with SEN/D and AEN, CYP who are BAME, and CYP living in areas of multiple deprivation. Secondary beneficiaries: Arts organisations and individuals such as music leaders, the wider music education sector, and local communities (including parents/guardians/carers, siblings and families of the participants).

PROPOSED ACTIVITY

ORCHESTR@ is a contemporary, experimental, youth orchestra supporting CYP aged 13-18 years old (or up to 25 years old where the young person has SEN/D) in their musical, personal, emotional and social development. ORCHESTR@ workshops focus on permitting young people to have a voice through music. By working in a group, ORCHESTR@ helps young people to learn to work together and respect each other’s ideas. ORCHESTR@ allows CYP to explore “self” and develop essential social and personal skills. ORCHESTR@ is an ensemble for all CYP, including those who wouldn’t normally get the chance to play in a “traditional” orchestra. ORCHESTR@ will act as a platform for a diverse collection of musical tastes and talents, creating new kinds of music and culminating in the performance of an inspiring collaborative, new, musical creation. The artistic vision for ORCHESTR@ is an ensemble which is musically flexible, and is not determined by genre, or limited by adult imagination.

ORCHESTR@ will perform public concerts of original music through the provision of secure, free, open-access, music workshops, led by leading professional musicians.

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FST>>FWD Programme Ingredient 6: ORCHESTR@

An ORCHESTR@ project consists of four main stages:

1) Mentoring for ORCHES TR@ Y oung Ambassadors (See Ingredient 5), training for workforce (See Ingredient 2) and recruitment of support services for CYPCC by the Talent Officer (see Ingredient 1).

2) 4 x full-day ORCHESTR@ rehearsals, inviting talented young musicians referred through the TYMI Tool (or other methods) and an extended network of participants (sourced by partners or other informal methods). Rehearsals are led by a different professional Music Director for each project (potentially the Musician In Residence – see Ingredient 7), and are supported by a mixture of partner organisation tutors (specialising in work with CYP in CC) and Music Education Hub tutors (in order to share best practice and to create a sustainable model). Activities include informal learning, small group and whole group work in performance, peer-learning, youth leadership activities, conduction/conducting, composition/ song writing, instrumental / vocal engagement, sound design, lyric writing, and discussion.

3) 1 public performance of original music created by participants and led by a professional MD and supported by partner organisation and Music Education Hub tutors.

4) Smaller, localized “Supergroups” are formed from members of the larger ORCHESTR@ group, to sustain engagement and ongoing musical development of the young musicians, who will meet on a weekly basis at a local Music Education Hub Music Centre (or similar). The “Supergroups” are led locally by a music leader, and are enriched on occasions by the Musician In Residence (see Ingredient 7).

Three ORCHESTR@ projects will take place annually across different locations in the East Midlands region, and the membership will aim to have a county-wide reach each time. Around 40 – 50 talented young musicians will take part in each project. The projects will be managed by the Talent Officer, in partnership with one or two lead partner organisations and the local Music Education Hub, each providing music practitioners (and additional project resources and support where required) to work in creative collaboration.

Support will be prioritised for young musicians from challenging circumstances who struggle to attend regional rehearsals due to lack of support or issues relating to transport. This support will be provided on a case-by-case basis and on a personalised level as determined appropriate by the Talent Officer (see Ingredient 1), who will work with support agencies as far as possible to assist with engagement of young musicians from challenging circumstances.

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FST>>FWD Programme Ingredient 6: ORCHESTR@ FUNDING