Listen Up!

'When I hear them play it makes me feel different. Happy!'

Listen Up! gives children with little or no access to classical music the opportunity to build listening and musical skills and to perform alongside a professional orchestra. The project is based on an educational piece of music that has been commissioned for Aurora Orchestra and children in years 4-6 who have no necessary background knowledge in music.

The commission has been written by Christopher Willis, who wrote 'Life in the Key of Aaargh!' for Aurora Orchestra in June 2007 as part of a collaboration with the Bristol School of Animation. This education piece has been written in close collaboration with the Da Capo Foundation. Visits were made to primary schools to ensure that parts for children fit a sound educational process and learning activities were created alongside the work, making them an innate part of its creation.

Over a term, Da Capo teachers and Aurora players work with children to build the skills necessary to perform the work alongside Aurora. This is done using the Da Capo curriculum in rigorous, comprehensive and progressive steps to ensure that everyone can contribute meaningfully to the performance and attain an advanced level of proficiency. Pupils are introduced to rhythm, pitch, pulse, inner-hearing, moving in time, inventing, conducting and listening. They also learn how to use their voices as well as a variety of tuned and untuned percussion.

We do not single out musically talented individuals but use our expertise to equip everyone with the tools to enjoy and explore the music to the depth that they would like, and to stretch them to the extent of their individual ability.

Listen Up! went into its first two schools (in Waltham Forest) in January 2008. Plans are already being put in place to take Listen Up! to schools across London as well as further afield. There is a lot of potential for Listen Up! to be of national importance. The growing network of Da Capo staff in the UK offers the opportunity for a strong future – introducing large numbers of children to music, inspiring long-term involvement in the arts and building firm foundations of musical skills amongst large numbers.

We carried out a research project for Listen Up! (January – April 2007) in Wessex Gardens Primary School in North London. Headteacher Sue Brown described our work as:

'A real learning experience for children – an opportunity to work with real artists and experience ‘excellence’ – an opportunity for children to develop their own creativity and appreciate that of others.'

Orchestrate!

Aurora Orchestra is also working regularly with instrumentalists at the Lady Margaret School in Fulham. Players are coaching the school’s orchestra and we are running a side-by-side scheme during Aurora’s rehearsal periods. Special emphasis is being placed on conducting workshops and encouraging young women to build the skills and confidence necessary to succeed in this area of music.