Jon Perks looks at a city schools project aimed at reinvigorating children’s love for playing live music.
School music lessons don’t hold happy memories for me – and, I’m sure, for many other people.
A class of 30 boys armed with plastic recorders, attempting to play in unison but instead simply producing a cacophony of squeaks, toots and sounds only audible to canines. Hardly the way to tap into any potential to find the next Nigel Kennedy, Jimmy Page or Soweto Kinch.
Happily, some of today’s generation of Birmingham school children have an enviably better experience to spark their creative minds.
For the last 12 months, more than 3,000 children and a host of teachers, professional musicians and music lovers have been taking part in workshops and performances as part of Banded About, a year-long project by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and its Birmingham Music Hub partners – Birmingham Jazz, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Town Hall Symphony Hall and Digbeth-based Sound It Out.
Ranging from ages 9-13, the main focus has been to keep children interested in music after progressing into Year 7.
“It is a big jump to go from being in primary to secondary school,” said Lisa Mallett, education manager for the CBSO. “If young children see those in secondary school playing music then they may feel more comfortable to continue with learning themselves and the project aims to assist this.”
Support has also come from the likes of Birmingham Music Service and Ex Cathedra. It really is a city-wide initiative.
The project culminates in a special concert at Birmingham Town Hall on July 9, with all monies raised supporting the charity Children in Crisis.
Apart from the cluster groups made up of the Banded About participants who will be showcasing their new and enhanced skills from the workshops, one of the main highlights of the concert will be performances by the Practitioners’ Ensemble – a unique collaboration between the teachers and professional musicians who have led and driven the project.
Writing compositions from scratch, the ensemble sees musicians from all genres and areas of music – from classical to jazz, session players to school teachers – come together and doubtlessly get as much from the project as the kids.
The brainchild of project lead officer Keith Stubbs, Banded About has been supported by a grant from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now the Department of Education).
Claire Farrell, Banded About project co-ordinator, explains: “Each partner has a specific renowned set of skills and practice that has made this huge ambitious project a success, reaching over 3,000 children and young people in the region, hundreds of workshops delivered across 20 schools, with regular sharing days held at the CBSO Centre over the last 12 months, with up to 10 performances in one afternoon on one particular day.
Keith adds: “The legacy of the project is new and strengthened relationships, emerging new models for music education and engagement for children young people, teachers, professional musicians and music partners.”
One of those involved in Banded About is Birmingham’s own MC/musician Soweto Kinch. The Mercury Music Prize nominee is in no doubt about the credibility and worth of the project:
“It’s such a well-intentioned idea – getting primary school and secondary schools working together, sharing skills and teaching people about music across the usual boundaries,” he says.
“It’s also been a good way of spreading musical education in areas and schools which don’t normally get that; I’ve also enjoyed the Practitioners’ Ensemble which has seen musicians getting together for a common end, as opposed to working in boxes and bubbles.”
One of Soweto’s ensemble partners is Jenetta Hurst, Head of Music at Holyhead School, Handsworth.
While classically trained at Birmingham Conservatoire, the flautist approaches the project from the other side to Soweto – the classroom – but she has clearly loved it just as much, both on a personal and professional basis.
She added: “The main thing that’s been fantastic has been working with the professional musicians, they’ve got a wealth of experience; that’s been the biggest impact for the kids, and also having the ‘sharing days’, seeing music come from different starting points has been wonderful for them, it’s exposed them to children from all over the city, all different backgrounds – it’s been a real eye opener for them.
“The kids have been able to go down to Symphony Hall to the Rush Hour Blues on a Friday night, they’ve performed at the MAC... for them it’s about getting into that professional environment; the tutors will come and talk about their idols and encourage the kids to listen to that music and put things up on YouTube – it’s just good for the kids to get more of a rounded experience and a real life experience [of music].”
* The Banded About Showcase is at Birmingham Town Hall on July 9; tickets are £2.50 from www.thsh.co.uk or by calling 0121 780 3333
