On Friday 8 September, year 6 pupils at Shirley Warren took part in their first iPad concerto workshop, where they were joined by members of the Són orchestra, spoken word artist and musician Ricky Tart, and Southampton Music Hub's Music Technology Leader, Matt Brombley. The afternoon started with all sixty pupils making music together, creating music with their instruments and voices. Then in group workshops, pupils made new musical ideas using their voices, iPads, and instruments. Over the next three weeks, Shirley Warren's Head of Music, Helen Mead, will help pupils develop and refine their ideas, which have been inspired by their class topic of World War Two, ready to bring everything together into a brand new piece of music in October. 

Matt Brombley, Music Technology Leader for Southampton Music Hub says:
"This is an exciting and ambitious new project, which is giving Shirley Warren pupils the chance to create music alongside incredible musicians, including Robin Browning, musical director of Són, and Ricky Tart. Thanks to the expertise of Helen Mead, we're able to pair inspirational workshops with work in the classroom, which we hope will boost pupils' ambitions and support deeper learning."

Teachers and musicians from Southampton Music Hub led music assemblies at Cantell School this week, starting the new term with inspiring music performances that encouraged pupils to take up learning an instrument. Alongside performances for over 300 pupils in year 7 and 8, pupils are also being offered taster sessions to get hands-on, and give playing a new instrument a try.

Thanks to @MusicHubSouth for inspiring assemblies! Music so important here. Just ask Will @coldplay Russel&Matt @bandofskulls & Joe @alt_J pic.twitter.com/qZCcgEJkCE

— Cantell School (@CantellSchool) September 7, 2017

And Jack&Milo @porticoquartet to name a few! #culturalcapital #musicforlife #cantellandproud

— Cantell School (@CantellSchool) September 7, 2017

The autumn term, and the new school year, are off to an inspiring start for staff at Southampton Music Hub. With two days of training, the first was dedicated to looking at the year ahead, and a second was dedicated to different approaches to creating music, where staff were also joined by music teachers from Portsmouth Music Hub. The morning session was expertly led by Neil Valentine, a nationally recognised music leader, former Southampton Youth Orchestra member and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra member. During the afternoon, Matt Brombley from Southampton and Isle of Wight Music Hubs shared approaches to composing music with technology based on the past year of the Music Tech project.

Nia Collins, Interim Hub Manager for Southampton Music Hub says:

"We have incredible team of staff who are both outstanding musicians and educators, and it's been a delight to spend the past two days with them, working alongside nationally recognised music leaders, to inspire our staff with new music experiences that they can now share with the children and young people in Southampton."

As the new school year starts, Southampton Music Hub is working in schools and across the community to deliver its ambitious programme of life-changing music for the year ahead. Through first access, instrumental and vocal tuition and city ensembles, every child has the opportunity to perform and progress. Through the Stadium Tour, every child will have access to inspiring and inclusive music experiences, with world class musicians touring around the city's schools. Everybody Sing will help everyone to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of singing . The Family Music Programme — including Family Singing and a new Family Rock Jam, along with the return of the Family Orchestra — will help all families share the life-changing power of making music together.

September 2017 Southampton Music Hub launches Everybody Sing. As part of this years school's music programme, Everybody Sing will be sharing the health and wellbeing benefits of singing with every child.

Everybody Sing shares the incredible health and wellbeing benefits of singing, helping every child to feel healthier and happier. Free singing resources and training for teachers will help support vocal development and build awareness of important health, wellbeing and PSHE themes. Events and workshops will inspire children and young people who would not normally take part in singing, particularly boys and pupils in secondary schools, through learning and performing alongside world-class singers and vocal coaches.

This year's programme includes singing experiences from Southampton Choral Society, CPR and Sound Pop Academy, as well as other inspiring music leaders.

September 2017 Southampton Music Hub launches the Stadium Tour. As part of this years school's music programme, the Stadium Tour will be taking inspiring and inclusive music experiences touring across the city.

In July 2016, over 2,500 children took part in Sounds from the Stadium: making music at St Mary’s Stadium, alongside world-class musicians.

Building on the overwhelming success of this event, the Stadium Tour is taking inspirational and inclusive music experiences touring across the city. With performances and workshops from exceptional local, national and international musicians, high-quality music is accessible to every child, regardless of their background. Encountering and exploring music from a wide range of genres, styles and traditions opens up a new world of creative participation, building aspirations to engage in lifelong music-making.

This year's programme includes experiences with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Welsh National Opera and Mayflower Theatre, as well as other inspiring music leaders and performers.
 

Southampton Music Hub have released a free songbook, ‘We’re All Here From Around The World’, which celebrates Southampton’s diverse musical cultures and communities. The book, which has been compiled by Fiona Funnell of Delicious Sound Choir, contains new arrangements of traditional songs, alongside an original song, inspired by the musical traditions which the songbook draws from.

The free book has been sent to every infant, junior and primary school in the city and is also available to download for free below, so that friends, families and the community can take part in singing to celebrate Southampton’s musical diversity. The songbook will also be supported by free singing workshops and events in schools across the city.

Fiona Funnell, Founder and Musical Director of Delicious Sounds Choir, says:

“This songbook brings together music from many of Southampton’s diverse musical traditions: from ‘Ami Tomake’, a Bengali lullaby which my local pharmacist knew from his childhood, through to ‘Stary Nietz’, a song I have sung to my Polish neighbours, making them light up with recognition, whilst also being very bemused with my pronunciation. I wrote the song ‘Singing in the City’ on one of my regular morning walks through St Mary’s, heading towards the Itchen Bridge. As I walked, I was reminded that the people of our city represent cultures from all around the world, yet we all call Southampton our home.”

Matt Brombley, Projects Manager for Southampton Music Hub, says:

“As an ancient port city, Southampton has a long and proud history of welcoming people from all across the globe. As people have come to Southampton from around the world, over hundreds of years, they have bought with them a rich diversity of music. We hope that schools, families and the city will join us in singing the songs of those who have made Southampton their home, as we celebrate the contribution they have made to our communities, our city and our rich musical heritage.”

Performance Tracks:

Backing Tracks