Some music hub friends have sent in videos of them singing, dancing, signing and even playing along with ‘The Greatest Friend’ — enjoy watching them as they get moving, make some great sounds, and even get a little messy!
Over the past few days the team have spent time reflecting on how we can better support BAME musicians in our city. We continue to listen and learn. We also want to act now.
So, today, we launch a new, paid commission for BAME musicians in Southampton.
Southampton Music Hub is looking for BAME musicians, performers and producers who:
Live or study in Southampton
Are 18+
Perform or record their own original material
We’re looking to commission them to:
Record a performance (audio or video, 3–4 minutes) of a self-composed piece of music
Participate in a recorded, one-hour zoom conversation about their music
Genre and style are open, and musical and lyrical content should be appropriate for audiences of all ages.
The recordings will form a digital resource pack for schools and the wider community that will be made freely available on the Southampton Music Hub website.
Fee: £200 for individuals, £300 for duo or group performers
We are looking to commission 3-5 musicians in this first round, and hope to be able to expand the scheme in future.
Expressions of interest for this round close at 12noon on Tuesday 30 June 2020.
The brief is also available to download from the Synthesis Page
Coronavirus has has a huge impact on all our lives. For families up and down the country, the past half term has been unlike any other: learning at home, and keeping a social distance from others. With schools looking to start welcoming more pupils on site, starting with some of the youngest first, this is a challenging time for everybody.
For children, as this half term ends, and they look ahead to the big changes coming soon, there are lots of confusing thoughts and feelings to try and make sense of. That is why Southampton Music Hub has created a brand new song called, ‘The Greatest Friend’.
We Need You!
With some very silly lyrics, fun actions, and sign language translation too, the song is fun for all ages. So there really is no excuse not to sing, dance or sign along.
The song also has a very important message hidden inside: it’s ok to feel sad and confused sometimes; everybody feels that way, but, it’s not forever.
What better way to show that we’re all in this together, than a video of everybody joining in? That’s why we need YOU!
Send us your videos and video clips either through the music hub website, or on Twitter, and you could be part of a huge, exciting, community video version of the song.
Starting today, pizza boxes of music activities arrive on the doorsteps of shielded children across the city. Including support for songwriting, beatboxing, and even turning the box in to the drum, the resources are designed to support music-making at home, with no extra stuff needed.
The boxes have been put together by Southampton Music Hub and are inspired by the incredible work of Solent Showcase Gallery and Southampton City Council’s art box scheme. They are part of the Covid-19 response from Southampton’s Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP), looking to help make sure children can access cultural experiences from a distance.
Matt Brombley, Development Manager for Southampton Music Hub, says:
”We’re delighted to be part of the SCEP’s response to COVID-19: helping children and young people making music at home. We know that for shielded children — those who are extremely clinically vulnerable, or who live with someone who is — the very strict social distancing restrictions are really tough. We hope that being able to make music and write songs will help them to work through the difficult feelings that such a troubled time brings.”
Today, Southampton Music Hub releases the first evaluation report from Action Research into the impact of moving music lessons online during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Drawing on responses from young musicians, parents and staff, the report highlights some key findings:
Build on existing strengths
Staff, parents and young musicians all have existing, transferable experiences, skills, knowledge and understanding that can be used and built upon to support new initiatives and formats
Existing relationships, infrastructure and processes can be built upon and developed, even in challenging circumstances
Facilitate and support the sharing of adapted good practice and learning experiences
Community is key
Support is all around us — colleagues, family members
This support supplements, but is not a replacement for clear and concise guidance
Sharing emerging good practice, both formally and informally helps to support staff and families, and further opportunities to do this should be found
Simplicity enables speed
Selecting a single platform allows for quicker training, support and troubleshooting
Platform specific pre-existing skills are broadly low, and the transferable knowledge and understanding which accompanies these skills are quickly built upon
Complicated technical setups do, sometimes, result in higher audio and video quality, but we have not gathered enough evidence to support the assertion that this improve learning outcomes for young musicians
Challenging circumstances are increased, but can also be reduced
For children, young people and families already facing challenging circumstances, moving music lessons online has resulted in a reduction in their engagement — a deeper understanding of the causes of this reduction is needed, and both the adaption of existing strategies and the introduction of new strategies for engagement will be needed
For those able to engage, learning music online has provided many improvements to wellbeing, including:
A comforting sense of connection to “normal life”
Improved, transferable confidence
Increased parental engagement
Exceptional circumstances lead to exceptional responses
Across staff, parents and young musicians there is wide acknowledgment of the exceptional context in which this work takes place, and the willingness to undertake exceptional actions as a result
However, there are some transferable principles that would apply beyond the current period:
Parents and young musicians highly value regular music lessons, including developing a learning relationship with an individual teacher
Staff, parents, and young musicians may not have experience of specific technologies or activities, but are willing to use and build upon existing transferable skills, knowledge and understanding to achieve successful outcomes
In responding to the report, Matt Brombley, Development Manager for Southampton Music Hub, says:
In compiling this report, I was overwhelmed by the extraordinary amount of effort, goodwill and energy that had been shown by our young musicians, their parents and teachers in exceptional circumstances.
To staff, your resilience is truly incredible. In teaching, we often talk about modelling, and usually, mean playing music for our students in a way that demonstrates excellence. But to me, this report shines a light on how you have gone further: modelling resilience to the young musicians you teach, demonstrating what huge challenges can be overcome when we approach them with a willingness to learn and adapt. I cannot include every thank you that came in the responses from our families, it would be many pages long, instead, accept just one on their behalf — thank you!
To parents and guardians, as this report shows, your existing skills and confidence have been vital in getting online music lessons taking place. But, beyond that, you have been on a learning journey of your own — developing new knowledge and understanding, as well as building on your skills and confidence, and this progress should not be lost or underplayed. It has not always been easy, or simple, but you have made it work. For many of you, this experience has brought you closer together as a family, making you more engaged in the musical lives of your children. On behalf of the young musicians you support — thank you!
To our young musicians, I am delighted that we have been able to provide you with music lessons at a time when so much else is being lost. You have shared how comforting it is to be connected with “normality”, with your music teachers, and with music as a place for creative self-expression. Your energy and passion have driven us all forward, wanting to allow you each to develop to the fullness of your potential — thank you!
We continue to learn together.”
Responding to the reports key development areas, Kath Page, Manager for Southampton Music Hub, says:
“We have already started to respond to the key development areas highlighted by this report. We are committed to helping children overcome the barriers and challenges which may prevent them benefiting from the life-changing power of music. I’m delighted that we have already moved to:
Deliver physical music resources to children who find they don’t have the right technology to access music lessons online. Starting with shielded children, and expanding over the coming weeks, boxes of music activities will help them continue making music at home.
Working with schools to expand our online music lessons offer, including a digital version of our incredibly popular SoundBites project, which can be done both at school and at home
Re-imagining our inset programmes for the rest of the year, and the year ahead, to allow time for the team to share, and build upon, the new and adaptive practices which they have so quickly deployed”
Southampton Music Hub has new sets of resources to support music-making and learning at home and in schools this week.
Instrumental Newsletter
A weekly newsletter for instrumental musicians, to go alongside online music lessons, and instrument specific resources being sent directly by instrumental teachers.
Curriculum Newsletter
A weekly newsletter for those missing out on classroom music sessions.
Music Technology
Resources for making use of iPad and other digital apps, including video guides from expert musicians on how to write your own songs.
Soundbites Digital
This week, the first of ten weekly sessions for First Access musicians is heading out to schools and families that are missing out on their Soundbites and In2Music lessons. Learning music from across the world, over ten weeks, young music-makers will use their voices and any percussion they can get their hands on — or just their hands — to explore melody and rhythm.
Think your school or family should be taking part? Get in touch
Over the Easter Holidays, staff from Southampton Music Services were redeployed within Southampton City Council, becoming part of the team which delivered child care for vulnerable and key worker children during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Judi, Debbie, Lewis, Simon, Kevin and Kath were joined by other city council staff as well as teams from Youth Options, to provide sport, music, arts, games and other activities.
The sessions did more than inspire the kids — two members of the youth options staff have taken up the ukulele as a result!
Matt Brombley, Development Manager for Southampton Music Hub, says:
”We’re so proud of the members of our team who gave up their Easter Holiday to be redeployed within the council and to take on such important work. Music has incredible power to help us make sense of the world around us — that is never more important than now, particularly for vulnerable children in the city. Added to that, we know the huge sacrifices that key workers in the city are making during this time, and for our staff to step up and help support them to be out in our hospitals and communities doing vital work, we’re overwhelmed with pride!”
Southampton City Council leader Christopher Hammond said:
"It's been brilliant to see how schools, childcare providers and other community organisations have gone the extra mile.”
Southampton Music Hub is launching Challenge-19: a challenge to the city’s young musicians to perform for friends and family, sharing their musical talents through digital video and over the phone.
For those who meet the challenge of performing 19 times, they can send a record of their achievement to the music hub office to get a digital certificate.
Young musicians interested in taking part should get in touch with the music hub office.
Southampton Music Hub is creating regular resources to support the city’s children and young people learning at home and in school.
Music Curriculum
Instrumental Music
The instrumental teams have been busy making videos, worksheets and other resources to support young musicians playing at home, which they will add to over the coming weeks
Easter Break
Southampton Music Hub instrumental and vocal teachers have worked exceptionally hard this term — thanks to their resilience and creative problem solving we have had over 300 young musicians start online music lessons in less than two weeks. They deserve a break — and so do we all! Lessons and resources will be back after the Easter Holidays, from Monday 20 April onward.
The Synthesis Project has been working with young electronic musicians across Southampton and the Isle of Wight this year, and, as we all approach the end of the Spring Term, it is a great time to share some recordings and reflect on their achievements.
Mayflower 400 Pieces
The first two pieces were inspired by the Mayflower 400 commemorations. The first is an original composition by Callum, and the second, a remix of ‘Symphony 400’ by Keiran. Both pieces were played at the Mayflower Theatre in March.
Hunnyhill Band
The next piece comes from a new iPad band based at Hunnyhill. The group is a Friday afternoon activity in the ‘Rainbow Room’: a teaching space to meet the needs of children and young people with social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH).
In January, the band set themselves the target of getting 100 new fans before Easter. To meet this ambitious goal, they worked together to create a brand new piece of music together that they would play to the whole school in assembly.
Sadly, school was closed before they had a chance to play their music for their friends and classmates — but their recording is here for you all to listen to, and perhaps they can count you as a new fan?
The Synthesis Project has been funded by Youth Music.
Southampton Music Hub is launching the first of a series of regular activity newsletters designed to support pupils, teachers and parents with a musical learning framework in the coming months.
This initial resource has a variety of activities for Key Stages 1–2 which are appropriate to complete either in school or at home. After Easter the hub will aim to provide two weekly newsletters created by the hub’s specialist curriculum team.
Each newsletter will follow a similar structure and include signposts to cross-curricular links. Activities will include guided listening; practical tasks; a research topic; digital and creative music making ideas; and music staves and notation worksheets.
The team would welcome feedback including ideas for genres, topics or types of activities pupils, parents and teachers would like to see included — get in touch and the team will do their best to take on board your suggestions.
In September 2019, composer James Redwood visited four Southampton Primary Schools: collecting musical ideas from 100 school children, inspired by the Mayflower 400 story.
Now, those ideas have become a brand new piece of music: “Symphony 400: The Voyage” — debuted by 60 talented secondary and sixth form musicians at the Mayflower Theatre on Friday 6 March 2020
Watch the video of the story of “Symphony 400: The Voyage”.
Where Now? An Unexpected Twist
When the Symphony 400 journey began back in September, no one could have predicted the circumstances that would be to follow in March 2020. With social distancing and isolation set to be a part of life for the weeks, and possibly months, to come, there is a twist in the next stage of our journey.
One Start — Many Different Journeys
Southampton Music Hub is making all the music available — to anyone — for free — including…
PDF scores
Sibelius Files
MIDI Files and more
You can use these to…
Remix
Reimagine
Rearrange
Transform
Play
Perform and more
This can be done…
At home
At school
On video chat with friends or relatives
Using apps on your smartphone or tablet
Using apps on your PC or Mac
With an instrument
With your voice
Any way you can imagine — the possibilities are endless
Why not try…
Printing out the score, and chopping it up — move the pieces around and then stick them down again
Adding the MIDI parts to GarageBand or Logic and changing the instruments — explore the world of digital sound
Create loops — either by playing or recording — layer them up and remix the parts
If you have recordings, photos or scores you’d like to share, send us links on Twitter or via the contact page, and we’ll try to share some with everybody.
Where next? It’s up to you!
Where our journey goes next is in your hands. Symphony 400: The Voyage launched its journey in the classroom, and led us all the way to the Mayflower stage. Now, let many more journeys begin.
Over the coming weeks, you may find yourself missing out on music lessons, or playing with your ensemble. Here are some things you could do instead.
Perform at home
Pick pieces of music you know. Try new pieces of music. Come up with an exciting programme of music to share with those around you. Practice hard. Then invite the people you live with to watch the show. Make tickets and a programme with fun facts about the music and your instrument. Don’t forget to invite your pets.
Perform for older relatives with video chat
We know many older people might be feeling lonely over the next few weeks or months. Why not perform a concert for your older relatives over Skype, or FaceTime, or Video Chat?
Write a song
Composing your own music is a great way to understand your feelings, particularly in difficult times. It can also be a great way to forget your worries for a while, and focus on something more positive. You could write music inspired by our recent Mayflower 400 project. You could be inspired by your favourite songwriters and composers. You could write parts for any instruments you play. You could write lyrics to sing or rap. Anything is possible when you’re writing your own songs.
Download music apps and create music on your phone/tablet
If you don’t have an instrument, or can’t play one, or just fancy trying something new, why not download free apps like GarageBand or Walk Band and make music on your smartphone or tablet? Why not get inspired with the free Synthesis eBook?
Create and share playlists of music you like
Listening to music is a great way to change the way you feel. You could make a playlist of happy songs to pick you up when you feel down. You could also playlist of sad songs that you can listen to when you just want to feel sad for a while, that’s ok too. You can then make a playlist of songs that inspire you to sing, dance and jump around when you’re feeling in more of a party mood. Share your playlists with your friends, or even make one together.
However you do it, remember, making music is great!
On Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March 2020, Mayflower Theatre hosted 1,000 young performers, brought together by Southampton Music Hub, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. The Mayflower’s pioneering voyage 400 years ago created connections that changed the world. In response, these two show stopping performances saw young people at the heart of the start of a year of cultural programming for the city.
Thursday 5 March — Photo Gallery
Friday 6 March 2020 — Photo Gallery
On Saturday 29 February 2020, Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Mayflower Cruise Terminal hosted a rehearsal for 1,000 performers ahead of two nights of music at Mayflower Theatre on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March 2020.
The two events will commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower: a pioneering voyage 400 years ago created connections that changed the world. In response, Southampton Music Hub, will use these two momentous evenings to celebrate the incredible power of music to take people and communities on life-changing journeys.
Kath Page, Manager at Southampton Music Hub, says:
“Everybody is so excited to be part of these incredible musical celebrations. These two nights will be an opportunity for the whole community to come together and enjoy the power of music to connect people, to inspire people, and to help make Southampton an exciting city to live in.”
Both evenings will include performers from all across the city: including 800 young singers from city schools; 200 talented young musicians from community bands and orchestras; 80 young theatre performers; 50 community musicians and many more. With so many performers, finding rehearsal space is a huge challenge. But thanks to the kindness of Associated British Ports (ABP), they were all able to come together in the Mayflower cruise terminal for an epic rehearsal on Saturday 29 February 2020.
Michael Ockwell, Mayflower Theatre Chief Executive says:“We are delighted to be able to host these two concerts and to premiere songs from our Mayflower 400 musical commissions which will be performed in August 2020 at the theatre. It will be amazing to see all the talented young singers and musicians on our stage and we hope that they will have an inspiring experience performing their songs.”
Morning Rehearsal Gallery:
Afternoon Rehearsal Gallery:
On Thursday 27 February, 60 young musicians from across the city came together at Bitterne Park school for one big rehearsal ahead of an epic musical performance on Friday 6 March 2020 at Mayflower Theatre.
The rehearsal, organised as part of an inspirational music project from Southampton Music Hub and Mayflower Theatre, was the first — and only — time the performers will rehearse all together, the brand new piece of music which they will debut on the night.
“Symphony 400: The Journey”, from award-winning composer James Redwood, was inspired by the Mayflower’s pioneering voyage 400 years ago, which created connections that changed the world.
The piece of music started life as musical ideas from 100 primary school children, who joined the rehearsal to hear their ideas transformed and performed by the city’s most talented young musicians ahead of its debut on the Mayflower stage.
James Redwood, composer for the project, says:
“The primary school children were deeply engaged by the Mayflower 400 story, and the musical ideas they created are now taking an incredible journey of their own. I’m delighted to turn those ideas into a piece of music for some of the city’s most talented young musicians to perform, and even more thrilled to know that the composers of the original ideas will see their work performed on the city’s most famous stage.”
On the night, young musicians from Bitterne Park Secondary, Oasis Lordshill, Richard Taunton’s Sixth Form College and St Anne’s Catholic School will join a line up of 500 performers for a momentous evening to celebrate the incredible power of music to take people and communities on life-changing journeys.
Councillor Darren Paffey, Cabinet Member for Aspiration, Children and Lifelong Learning says:
“As we begin our commemorations of 400 years since the Mayflower set sail, I’m delighted that young musicians from across Southampton will have the opportunity to take part in A Musical Odyssey. I know from my own experience of learning and performing music when I was younger that it’s a brilliant way of opening up new experiences, ideas, and cultures, and really brings communities together. My congratulations to Southampton Music Hub for putting this event together and for putting the life-changing power of music into the hands of so many young people.”
On Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March, Southampton Music Hub and Mayflower Theatre present Southampton: A Musical Odyssey — connecting children, schools and communities with the Mayflower 400 Commemorations taking place this year.
The new year has started with two news pieces for Southampton Music Hub:
Daily Echo highlights the Mayflower 400 Journey
The Daily Echo have written about the hub’s Mayflower 400 journey, with 1,000 residents taking part in workshops and events leading up to two epic celebration events at Mayflower Theatre on 5 and 6 March 2020.
Synthesis Project at the Music Mark Conference
Solent University have written about the Synthesis project session at November’s Music Mark conference.
This year, as we wrap up for a Christmas holiday that includes the ringing in of a new decade, Southampton Music Hub looks back on the past ten years of music-making, to see the impact the hub is having for children, young people, and their families across the city.
18,500+ First Access Musicians
Every year Southampton Music Hub gives children an inspirational start to learning a musical instrument in First Access. In the past ten years 18,500+ children have picked up an instrument for the first time in classrooms across the city.
2,500+ Ensemble Members
Every year Southampton Music Hub gives young musicians the opportunity to perform and progress in a musical community of orchestras and bands. There are even a small handful of young musicians who, having started in 2009 or before, have been in an ensemble for over ten years!
30,000+ Affordable Instruments, Saving £10m
Every year Southampton Music Hub provides free, or affordable, instrumental loans to young musicians, families and schools. In the past ten years, there have been over 30,000 instruments loaned out, saving schools and families, an estimated £10million.
Looking Ahead:
On Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March 2020, Southampton Music Hub presents two momentous evenings of musical odysseys. Hosted by Soweto Kinch, eache evening will feature musical performances from bands and orchestras of all different shapes and sizes from across the City of Southampton and celebrate the life-changing power of music, including the premiers of Mayflower 400 inspired projects Big Sing: The Journey and Symphony 400: The Voyage.
Tickets cost just £10.
Southampton Music Hub’s community and family choir, Soton Voce, have been spreading festive cheer around the city carol singing and wassailing alongside Sea Shanty Choir The Salty Sea Dogs.
Soton Voce members began their singing tour by visiting Southampton General Hospital and sang in the main foyer raising money for the Southampton Hospital Charity whilst entertaining patients, visitors and employees. The choirs then moved on to the German Market in the city centre and sang to large crowds of shoppers on what looked like one of the busiest shopping days of the year. A final group went on to take part in Carols on the Square outside St Michael the Archangel on Bugle Street.
Soton Voce presented an eclectic programme spanning medieval rounds, traditional carols and modern acapella classics from The Fleet Foxes and Pentatonix. The Salty Sea Dogs entertained with their always raucous sea shanties in their own inimitable style, including a real dog and several members of the public who joined in with them at the German Market!
Nia Collins, Musical Director of Soton Voce, says:
“It was fantastic to share all the hard work that our new choir has put in this term and bring community music making to other areas of the city and also to be able to share that with The Salty Sea Dogs as well as all our member’s friends and families. We’re looking forward to continuing to recruit new members in 2020 and watching the choir grow and develop”
Soton Voce choir are still recruiting new members so if you would like to come and try it out, rehearsals start again on Tuesday 14th January 2020 from 11.30am-12.30pm at St Michael the Archangel off Bugle Street.