The Music Zone is a unique community education initiative, which offers an innovative, forward-thinking approach to music making, explains Matt Griffiths.
The project is currently part of Plymouth Education Action Zone (EAZ) and operates a large-scale out-of-school hours music programme to substantially increase access to music for children and young people who attend the 21 schools in the Plymouth Education Action Zone.The EAZ operates in an area of Plymouth where there is significant social deprivation with previously little opportunity for young people to engage in participative arts provision.
We are currently running 37 music activities each week, which include music clubs, individual tuition programmes, summer schools, performance opportunities and instrument loan schemes. All activities work across a wide range of musical styles and are led by professional freelance musicians from the industry who have a genuine flair for working within a broad educational context. Over 1,000 children and young people, from the ages of 4 to 16, have so far been involved in the project, with a core attendance of 400 each week.These figures continue to grow rapidly.
We work on the basis that all styles of music are as equally creative and valid as each other.Yes, classical music has an important part to play but, equally, so does DJ activity, steel band, African drumming, pop and rock and music technology. Our job is to offer a wide range of activity to all our participants who can ultimately make their own style choices.What is absolutely crucial is that all the activities we offer are presented in a refreshing, accessible and welcoming manner. Hand in hand with this, the selection of high quality, open-minded tutors is a top priority. Relevant training for both musicians and teachers therefore remains a key issue.
All our participants choose to attend our activities - as out-of-school hours initiatives, our participants don?t have to be there. Get it right and we?ll continue to attract more and more participants. Anything dusty or po-faced, and we?ll lose them. It?s as simple as that. Get it right, and we can show how the Music Zone really can get under the skin of a community - as much as a part of local life as the sports centre or community hall.The project will only succeed through practical activity on the ground: work which is visible - work which is clearly by and of the community for which it is intended.
Although the project has only been in operation since May 1999, many performances have taken place. These include at Downing Street with students from the Yehudi Menuhin School, at Plymouth Guildhall as part of Tony Blair?s visit to the city, and at the Arts Education Fair at Plymouth Pavilions. Then we have had major involvement in BBC Music Live, and regular showings of work and concerts to parents, family and friends. Glyndebourne Opera, Live Music Now! and Dartington College of Arts also regularly visit the Music Zone to give performances and workshops. During the summer the Music Zone will be composing and performing music for the Theatre Royal Plymouth Young Company production of ?A Midsummer Night?s Dream?.
Longer-term plans include developing our work across the city, both for music curriculum support and out-of-school hours activity, in tandem with basing ourselves in a specially refurbished music resource centre. In doing so, we would then become an independent and formally constituted organisation, which Plymouth Education Action Zone could leave as a tangible and long-term legacy for the EAZ community, the wider Plymouth and south west region.
Matt Griffiths is Music Director of the Music Zone. t: 01752 366400, e: matt@themusiczone.org.uk, w: http://www.themusiczone.org.uk