NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA INSPIRE WORKSHOP

A number of IGS students have been involved in a National Youth Orchestra initiative. They took part in a NYO Inspire workshop, where they enjoyed workshops covering composition and performance, before digitally recording a piece called 'Jigsaw'. Please click here to see the final product.

Below is an article written for the NYO blog by Esme.

This February, alongside 600 other young musicians, I took part in an NYO Inspire day. As my first time taking part in an NYO project, I was nervous, but the kindness and gentle encouragement from the NYO leaders and tutors made me feel comfortable to contribute and share music with others.

Throughout the day, there were opportunities to meet new people and hear about their relationship with music. Despite the activities being delivered online, we even managed to compose a short piece of music about flying in groups. We were unmuted, and the unpredictability of the timings and sound was one of the reasons the piece was meaningful, as we connected through the music regardless of the difficulties of technology. In the afternoon, we rehearsed and performed a piece called 'Jigsaw', composed by Dani Howard. In a Q and A session with Dani, she told us about the piece. It was designed to be playable by any combination of instruments - every performance will be slightly different, brought to life in different ways by musicians from different areas. The process reminded me of quilting, and stitching together layers and textures.

By the end of the Inspire project, sixteen live performances of the same piece will have taken place – teenagers will have played with others from their local area, celebrating the spirit of their home towns and villages, and building connections with other like-minded musicians.

I found the day overwhelmingly rewarding and ‘inspiring’ as it reminded me that, despite the difficulties of the past year, music will bring people together, through the acts of listening and playing. It was such a valuable and rewarding experience, as it allowed me to share my love of music and create connections with new people. I look forward to the future opportunities NYO will bring!

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