‘Putting music making front and centre, this two day event will engage and inspire even the youngest of performers.’
Joining the raft of organisations and individuals taking musical experiences online, the announcement of Music for Youth: ‘The Future is Now’ proves that while music provision in education may be variable at the moment, it doesn’t have to stop entirely. Spread across two days (4th – 5th Dec. 2020), the virtual event will provide a whole host of not-to-be-missed, inspirational opportunities for those aged 18 and under. Headed up with the tagline ‘This is Your Time, This is Your Event’, there is no doubting that the emphasis is very much on all those young music makers out there who may feel music is missing in their lives right now. Equally, with the line up how it is, this void will, at least for two days, be filled.
Kicking off Friday 4th Dec with a focus towards primary school age (6+), a soundscape workshop led by MFY Music Mentor Neil Valentine (10:30am), will look at how to utilise percussive instruments, as well as body percussion to create the atmosphere of a forest. Then, as the school day progresses, a combination of vocalisation and beat creation workshops aimed at junior and senior level learning will be hosted by Mark De-Lisser & Mel Uye-Parker respectively. But don’t think that when school hours finish the event does as well. In fact, with the learning experiences being sent right in to the homes of those young music makers out there, at this point ‘The Future Is Now’ really has only just begun.
Ensuring that the positivity runs right to the end of day one, a workshop on how to make practice enjoyable, as well as productive will be hosted by Amy Bannister & Cathy Bennett (Sheffield University), while a truly jazzy close will be brought by NMPAT tutor Jamie Glew leading an improvisation centred jam session. Like the other sessions, both of these are of course designed to be educational. However, with them also being incredibly interactive, there is a distinct chance you won’t realise how much you are learning!
“The Future Is Now is a two day event hosted by Music For Youth to help young musicians, engage creatively with the issues that concern them, get inspired by what other young musicians are doing, and get help and support from music leaders about what opportunities exist for them right now.” [Music For Youth]
Heading into Saturday 5th Dec, while schools may be closed the learning opportunities very much continue and begin with Rachel Coles & Beth Hodgson leading a vocal and physical warm up. Aptly named ‘Rise and Shine’ (9:30am), it’s an initial activity that’s sure to brighten the start to your day, and set you up for the workshops that follow. As a point of reference though, it is worth noting that the majority of day two has more of a focus towards musical development, so may not be suited to the youngest of learners. But don’t let that put you off as while this is the case, for those who wish to experience it, there is plenty going on.
Following the awakening warm up, MFY Ambassador Love Ssega will talk through his musical experiences, while you brass players out there can build up your stamina – and appetite – ahead of lunch by performing newly commissioned work, Xaloc alongside Roger Argente. Then, heading into the final sessions of the event, singer, songwriter and MFY Music Mentor Bridget Walsh will reconstruct one of her tracks, while Jason Singh brings proceedings to a close by showcasing new works by young artists. As if this wasn’t enough, around 250 music videos from young artists will be available to view, experienced mentors including aforementioned Love Ssega will be available to provide 1:1 advice throughout the day and an interview with the man himself will inspire everyone even more.
For any young person learning music right now, or any music tutor wanting to bring as much music as possible to students lives right now, ‘The Future is Now’ is an event to get in your calendars.
To find out more about the event and book your place on any of the workshops mentioned, head over to the Music For Youth: The Future Is Now website here.
Industry Article by David Croker
