Page 29 - BBC Music (January 2020)
P. 29
Nicola Benedetti
Has she encountered no resistance but can they pass it on and share their
from established music-education excitement? That’s a skill in itself.’
organisations? No sense of toes trodden on, How to find such people? Benedetti
or noses put out of joint? ‘Treading on toes wisely started by hiring some key
isn’t really a problem, because if you are lieutenants who themselves have bags of
a music educator invested in improving experience. The foundation’s executive
the whole picture on a national scale you director is Michael Garvey, whose years
will understand that we are trying to work in orchestral management culminated in
with you, not in competition,’ Benedetti him running the BBC National Orchestra
says. ‘All we are doing is intended to and Chorus of Wales. And as her
complement, highlight and support the educational director Benedetti has brought
work that everyone in those other charities in Laura Gardiner, herself a phenomenal
is doing, day in and day out. In fact, if we’ve violin teacher. ‘She created the Oasby
had a problem so far, it’s been of too much Music Group [in Lincolnshire] with five Royal view: HRH watches the NYO in 2016
love, too many offers of collaboration.’ violin students, and it went to 90 within
Each weekend event will involve five years,’ Benedetti says. ‘She has been The power of youth
sessions for children in three different searching for the kind of people out there UK music education foundations
string orchestras of varying levels, two who will inspire kids as she does. And
With recent research by the British
‘professional development’ sessions I’ve been searching as well, during all the
Phonographic Industry (BPI) showing
aimed at string teachers and primary workshops that I’ve done over the years, a significant decline in music
school classroom teachers respectively, working alongside different people. I can education provision in state schools
and a general musicianship session that tell within five minutes whether someone – down 21 per cent over the last five
any youngster can attend. It’s a packed can command a room or not. years – children can struggle for the
programme. So although Benedetti will be ‘We also ask everyone who we interact chance to make music. Yet many UK
the main attraction, she has had to embark with: “who do you know that’s great at foundations are working to support
on an urgent recruitment drive to find teaching music?” If you are determined young musicians, with the Benedetti
tutors to lead the sessions who come up to to ask, ask, ask, until you find the right Foundation joining a thriving line-up.
her demanding standards. people, you will eventually uncover more The award-winning Chineke!
Orchestra (see p15) has a younger
‘We want people who not only have a and more great teachers – perhaps people
sibling, Chineke! Junior Orchestra,
deep and considered knowledge of music, who are currently working unappreciated funded by the Chineke! Foundation,
and who bring weight and gravitas to in isolation.’
which was set up four years ago to
what they are teaching, but also have that The way Benedetti tells it – as those champion Black and Minority Ethnic
indefinable quality that enables them to espressos start to take effect and her brain (BME) classical musicians. The group
be great communicators,’ Benedetti says. accelerates towards top gear – this mass is open to 11 to 18 year-olds, of
‘That’s a rare combination. There are lots recruiting operation sounds a bit like the Grade 8 standard and above.
of people out there who have spent their start of a revolution. And she envisages The National Youth Orchestra (NYO)
lives dedicated to the study of something, her workshops as being similarly life- of Great Britain runs NYO Inspire,
which provides teenagers of Grade 6
to 8-plus standard with workshops run
by NYO musicians and tutors. It’s free,
with all places funded by NYO. We’ll
be reporting on the scheme in the
February 2020 issue.
The Voices Foundation provides
programmes to encourage singing
to flourish at school, from nursery to
secondary pupils. Suzi Digby set up
the foundation in 1993, inspired by
Kodály’s teaching methods, creating
a network of choral experts who can
lead workshops in schools.
Music for Youth turns 50 this year.
The charity aims to nurture ‘not only
the next generation of musical talent,
but the next generation full stop’, and
it runs an ambitious line-up of events.
Its season culminates with the Music
Time out: the Scottish violinist in 2002 New directions: Benedetti gets involved with UNICEF in 2005 for Youth Proms each November.
BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE 31
