Category: News

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‘In Tune with Nature’ composition competition

 

To celebrate Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, artists aged 16+ are invited to write new music inspired by one of ten National Nature Reserves (NNRs) across the country.

The entries will be judged by a panel of well-known and highly regarded musicians and industry professionals, including Julie Fowlis, Vic Galloway, Gill Maxwell and Karine Polwart, and chaired by Fiona Dalgetty. The 10 winning artists will each win a £500 cash prize as well as the opportunity to make a film on the NNR site which inspired their music. The winning artists will be paid for their time on site making the film. There will also be the opportunity to take part in live performances throughout the year.’

The NNRs include;

The new work should reflect the special qualities of the National Nature Reserves, all those selected having strong coastal or freshwater elements. New Gaelic songs are particularly encouraged in the Beinn Eighe and Creag Meagaidh areas and, similarly, songs written in Scots and regional dialects would be warmly received in other areas. Artists should aim to communicate the richness of Scotland’s nature and, through this, encourage new audiences to consider the actions they may take to protect it.

Timescale

  • 1st March 2020 – Competition is launched
  • 31st May 2020 – Closing date for entries
  • 26th June 2020 – Winners announced
  • July – August 2020 – Winning composers/songwriters create films on location at NNRs

Below is a link to the full details,

https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/land-and-sea-management/managing-access-and-recreation/increasing-participation/snh-and-year-coasts-and-waters-2020-ycw2020-1

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YMI Impact report 207/18

YMI Impact Report 2017 /18

The end of project report for the YMI year 2018/819 has just been released. It explores the work of all the funds strands, highlight that during that year at least 240,000 young people took part in YMI activity. This includes at least 195,000 in school based activity and at least 45,000 in out of school activity.

For this year there was a 10% cut in the overall budgets allocated, which led to a 3% drop in participation numbers and the numbers of hours delivered also reduced slightly.

Despite this YMI’s  impact remained very strong and the report  is filled with positive developments and learning experiences. The final section makes some  with some realistic and positive points for consideration.

Below is the document

YMI-Impact-Report-2017.18

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2019 Report on Music Instrument Services

 


 

 

 

 

The 2019 Report on Music Instrument Services

The  National Instrumental Music Survey in Scotland looks at the  32 local authorities Instrumental Music Services (IMS) across Scotland. These services are  discretionary and separate to the music taught within the classroom or by the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) funded  music making programme. The report  has produced  for the last seven years by ‘Improvement Service’  for the Heads of Instrumental Teaching Scotland.

The report notes some valuable research about music education in its forward highlighting its cultural, skill for life  and mathematical benefits to those taking part.

‘It has also been proven that music is linked to neurological benefits, which can help with subjects such as mathematics, language, and cognitive tasks. As noted by Lawrence Scripp, “A strong body of evidence establishes positive significant associations between music and spatial-temporal reasoning; achievement in math; achievement in reading; and the reinforcement of social-emotional or behavioural objectives.”

It also quotes the study ‘The Importance of Music Education’  by Ken Petress  where he states ‘that music teaches children self-discipline, to take instruction and criticism, to perform and gain self-confidence, dedication, teamwork, to gain knowledge e.g. musical theory, humility, hard-work, goal setting and to practice. These types of skills can be enhanced and transferred into other aspects of children’s lives and follow them into adulthood. ‘

He also notes in his paper that “Music is shown to be beneficial to students in four major categories: success in society, success in school, success in developing intelligence, and success in life.”

 

 

 

Below are download link to the report and summary

IMS Survey Report 2019

IMS Survey Report 2019 Music tuition summary tables 2019

 

 

1. Scripp, L (2002) ‘An Overview of Research on Music and Learning’ pp. 132

2. Petress, K ‘The Importance of Music Education’

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New funding Opportunities

Two funding opportunities  for music have been recently announced.

  • Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Youth Development Fund

The 2020 round of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Youth Development Fund is open for applications. For a third year, the fund aims to nurture the ambition and talent of young people (aged 5-26) engaged in traditional music and dance, specifically in piping, drumming, Highland dance and fiddle playing.

Web page: https://www.creativescotland.com/funding/funding-programmes/funds-delivered-by-partners/the-royal-edinburgh-military-

 

  • Decca Records Bursary Fund

The Decca Bursary aims to inspire and encourage a new generation of classical musicians and composers. Its mission is to help children afford a classical music education, no matter their financial background. The bursary is supported by funds raised by a team from Decca Records and Universal Music UK who scaled the heights of the UK’s three highest peaks within 24 hours. Grants of a maximum £2,000 will be available to eligible individuals and ensembles, in need of funding for classical music lessons, instruments and courses throughout the UK. Individuals (of school-age), teachers on their behalf, and schools will be able to submit applications.

https://grantfinder.co.uk/archive/90th-anniversary-of-decca-records-bursary-to-launch-in-2020/

Applications for awards will open in the new year.

For further information please contact umuksfdeccabursary@umusic.com

 

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YMI Access Fund and Strengthening Youth Music Fund

 

Creative Scotland have launched the 2019/20 funding round for the community based YMI Access to Music-Making and Strengthening Youth Music Funds.

 

You can  read our post  about  the three parts of the YMI fund here.

The application deadline is very short, the 13th January, but both funds are worth looking at.  Below are the summaries of the two funds.

  •  Access to Music-Making fund supports access to high-quality music-making opportunities for young people aged 0-25 years outwith school time.  It is open to  organisations and individuals based in Scotland or who are delivering programmes within Scotland, with grants between £1k – £40k for  up to two years.

 

  • Strengthening Youth Music fund is to improve the youth music sector infrastructure and the services that organisers offer.  Supporting strategic action, research or training that will strengthen the youth music sector in Scotland. It is not to support project delivery directly with young people. Both  organisations and individuals can apply, with grants between £1k – £20k for  up to two years. You need to be based in Scotland or delivering programmes within Scotland.

For more details and forms visit the Creative Scotland website.

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Paul Harris talk

For November’s in-service day music staff from the YMI project, the Music Instrumental Service and our Music Curriculum Support Teacher’s  got together to hear from music educator Paul Harris.

Paul has written over six hundred books about music education and writes for major international music magazines. He performs regularly and is an examiner and an adjudicator at national events.

Paul Harris Talking

At our session he talked about his  Simultaneous Learning approach to instrumental and singing teaching. There was so  much to take in, both practical ideas and the theory of learning. One of the themes that really came across was the need for a teacher to be an empowering guide to their students, collaboratively going on a learning journey with them. His ‘Map of the Musical World’ is a practical presentation of the musical ingredients that learners need to develop. It helps both student and teacher move through, and make connections between, these ingredients to embed the learning and develop their skills.

We are already considering how we can bring Paul back to expand into group or whole class teaching and inspire non specialist class teachers.

 

 

 

 

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Scottish Opera Tour

The Scottish Opera Primary School tour has been happening for 50 years . Each year, once we get our funding,  we apply for 3 or 4 schools to take part across the region and there is always a high demand for spaces . This year’s workshop and performance, Warriors! The Emperor’s Incredible Army, is based upon  the true story of Emperor Qin’s incredible 2,000 year old terracotta army.

This year we have managed to combine a number of smaller schools to work together on one show, that will be performed in the bigger school.  The project will be delivered to  5 or 6 schools and will take place between April and May 2020.

The pupils learning the songs with their teacher in class,  using the resources provided by Scottish Opera. There is a practice morning, led by a SO singing coach,  two weeks before the workshop day.  Then the performance day it is all pulled together by a team of SO staff, with a morning of practice, a dress rehearsal to the rest of the school, followed by a final performance to the parents. it is amazing what the pupils achieve in such a short space of time.

The story line for this years workhop is below.

ll hail Qin Shi Huang – the first Emperor of China, destined to rule his Empire forever. After all, didn’t he drink the Elixir of Life, a potion that promises immortality? Not such a great promise when that elixir turns out to be a deadly poison. Now the afterlife awaits, but even a dead Emperor needs an army. So, over many years, he’s gathered a vast hoard to watch over him after death – 8,000 soldiers, horses and chariots, all armoured and armed to the teeth. And every one of them moulded from clay…

Music:  Alan Penman
Lyrics:  Ross Stenhouse
Commissioned with the five Scottish Confucius Institutes

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Sounding Out

In 2014 a report was commissioned to examine the strengths and weakness of  youth music in the Scottish Borders. The writers spoke with a cross section of sectors, music teachers and young people. The report led to the creation of the Borders youth Music Forum ‘Soundcycle’

The full report can be downloaded below.

Sounding Out 2014

 

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