Youth orchestras matter, now more than ever.
At an orchestra conference many years ago, a speaker asked assembled delegates how many of them had played in a youth orchestra. Nearly everyone in the room raised their hand and for a few moments the session lacked focus as delegates became distracted, lost in their own nostalgia.
That day, there seemed little doubt that the youth orchestra experience was fundamental to their subsequent career choices, but the value of youth orchestras extends well beyond the musicians, managers, agents, critics and funders who were present in that session.
Like professional orchestras, youth orchestras have been forced to cancel their plans for 2020, deal with significant financial loss and are unable to plan. We too rely on a mixed financial model of earned and raised income, spectacularly blown apart by the pandemic. We are professionally run, engage hundreds of freelance musicians as instrumental tutors, conductors and specialist practitioners and perform to thousands of people every year.
Yet while the future of professional orchestras in the ‘new normal’ has been widely debated, very little has been said about the fundamental role of youth orchestras both in that future and well beyond it too.
Youth orchestras are straightforward in design and clear in purpose. They are self-aware, thoughtful and motivated by the difference they make to the lives of thousands of young people, society and music and are key agents for change in the challenge for greater diversity and inclusion in classical music.
At NCO, we were just getting into our stride. We had recruited over 700 children aged 7 to 14 years old to join our 11 symphony orchestras when the pandemic struck. Our large, diverse membership will be the future of classical music, whether as professional musicians, administrators, audience members, supporters or advocates. Building on our founding principles of excellence and diversity, we placed child voice, creativity and wellbeing at the centre of our new strategy. We were all fired up, ready to move forward and hold ourselves to account.
As the pandemic struck, we had to think differently. Very quickly we began a series of Friday afternoon webinars, which we hoped would be something for families to look forward to at the end of each week of lockdown. Expertly curated and hosted by NCO’s Artistic and Educational Director, Catherine Arlidge, they were so popular they continued for 12 weeks. The winning combination proved to be a mix of inspirational guests, engaging topics and above all, great fun. I am not sure who had the most laughs, our guests or the children, but everyone clearly needed them by the end of the working and/or home-schooling week. You can watch a few of our highlights below.
In a couple of weeks’ time we will run a three week digital membership for 450 children, twice as many as we expected to sign up. Before deciding the content of the programme, we took time to consult with our families to find out what they were missing from us most right now. In the current circumstances, we weren’t surprised to discover that ‘feeling happy and having fun’ came out top for both parents and children.
From what I’ve seen, our digital membership will be inspiring, educational and huge fun but it cannot replace the thrill of playing great music together, friendships or the sense of belonging and achievement associated with being part of a youth orchestra. When all this is over, no matter where life takes them in the future, children are going to need us even more than ever.
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