What the research suggests?

There has been lots of research around instrument engagement. The below journal, Survival of musical activities. When do young people stop making music? Nicolas Ruth and Daniel Müllensiefen , highlights the challenges that this project is directly addressing.

‘The factors influencing premature dropouts have been reviewed to offer suggestions that may help teachers prevent losing students [24].The most common reasons are socio-economic factors, loss of motivation, loss of support and logistical issues for example with transport to or from the music school [25]…In addition, an interview study with five members of an orchestra and a big band found that the social aspects of playing music and the interaction with other music students were major reasons for continuing with or dropping out of musical activities [27]’

Several factors that were important predictors for a continued playing of musical instruments include:

starting age of studying music,
the instrument played,
type of teaching,
content,
characteristics of lessons,
the musical environment during childhood
the preferred music genre.

To account for the research and evidence, this project is designed with a particular focus on supporting engagement. The project is working across the transition from primary to secondary school. We are framing the instrument around musicians and bands that offer inspiration and have been chosen by Reverberate, our youth advisory board. The lessons are ensemble based and encourage and support social interaction. We will be designing activities, including game based ideas, to support engagement. Tutors will receive CPD from organisations that have had similar success, and we look to work and learn from groups such as Youthsayers and Kinetica Blocco.

The Activity

If we are successful with funding we will:

Research the work of Youthsayers and other groups such as Kinetica Blocco to inform a new brass wind curriculum.
Work with local brass artists and educators including Adam Wood (RNS) and Jason Holcomb (NCL Uni/Glasshouse ICM) as consultants to support CPD and curriculum design.
Support two existing brass and wind ensembles in Newcastle and Gateshead with recruiting new young brass wind players plus ideas and content.
Support the professional development and teaching based work of 4 brass wind tutors.
Set up 2 primary school and 2 secondary school brass wind out of school weekly music clubs.
Set up 3 performance opportunities including a mass busk celebration on the Newcastle Gateshead Quayside.
Share our content and ideas through a digital platform and pdf resource across the Northeast Music Hub partnership supporting the progression and engagement of 100s of young brass wind players.
Have supported 50 new brass wind players directly.
Connection with the Glasshouse ICM Artistic Programme
Resources shared across 6000+ brass tutors and enthusiasts through Brass Bands England’s online community.

Inspiration…

The project is inspired by street music from across the globe, that through having an understanding of different sociocultural perspectives has had a powerful impact in democratising access to music making. Music such as second line from New Orleans, kwela from South Africa and the beautiful simplicity and effectiveness of reggae and ska music from Jamaica will help shape the repertoire being explored in this project.

In Brassy B, the members had a choice over the genres they wanted to learn, this brought about brass arrangements of Red Hot Chilli Pepper tunes and they began to compose their own music rooted in more funk and riff based tunes with elements of risk taking through improvisation. The band played in parades and went out busking starting to generate an income from their musical skills. They went on to record their own album, put on their own gigs, and whilst still attending school, won a BBC3 Jazz Introducing award, playing a live Radio 3 slot at The Wall in Manchester and live on the 6 Music Huey Morgan show. Most members of this band are now professional working musicians, with one member now playing principle trumpet for Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Dr Jason Holcomb

Dr Julia Partington

Dr Hannabiel Sanders

We want to take the learning from the Brassy B model further, share it across the Northeast and radically change the uptake of brass and wind instruments by children and young people.

Partners and experience:

Adam Wood

Gateshead and South Tyneside Music Hub will be lead partner for this project. They bring a wealth of experience of managing similar ACE funded projects, managing complex partnerships and budgets. They bring connections across schools, venues and artists in Gateshead.

Music Partnership North bring a wealth of experience in managing music education projects and ensembles. They have brass and wind tutors who will benefit from this project and bring connections to schools, venues and music ensembles in Newcastle.

Youthsayers are a successful music education organisation based in South London. They bring skills and knowledge around working in diverse communities supporting the uptake of brass and wind instruments through riff/groove based learning rooted in afro-beat and reggae music. They will act as consultants support CPD, curriculum design and inspiration moments.

The Glasshouse ICM is an incredible venue and leads on Make Music, a successful music education programme in Gateshead. They will be giving the project ‘in kind’ support in several areas of the project as a partner of the Music Hub.

Brass Bands England works to encourage, support and promote brass bands and associated education projects across England. They are giving us ‘in kind’ support with consultation and CPD and will promote our resources across their networks.

Dr Jason Holcomb is a trombonist, lecturer and musical director for Jambone - The Glasshouse’s Youth Jazz Ensemble. He is an expert in Second Line music leading the band NuSound Brass. He will be acting as a consultant supporting CPD and curriculum design.

Adam Wood graduated with MA Distinction in trumpet from the Royal Academy of Music. He has a wealth of orchestral brass experience and is currently principle trumpet for Royal Northern Sinfonia. He was an original member of Brassy B and demonstrates the success that different roots through music learning can have. He will act as a consultant on this project supporting CPD and curriculum design.

Dr Julia Partington is a lecturer and researcher at Newcastle University. She has a wealth of experience in music education having previously managed projects at the Glasshouse ICM and delivering work for organisations such as Opera North. She will support us with evaluation and connect us with students who would like placement opportunities.

Dr. Hannabiell Sanders is a trombonist, African & Latin hand percussionist, composer, producer, and activist. She is a charismatic performer and teacher who is committed to using her music and knowledge in service to social justice to break stereotypes and bring diverse communities together. She will support with CPD, inspiration moments and curriculum development.

What is T.U.B.A. ?

The Urban Brass Alliance is a project aimed at transforming the way brass and wind instruments are taught across the Northeast of England. Using the dynamic, heavy and funky sound brass and wind instruments have to offer, and by exploring a fusion of rock, pop, hip hop and funk, we will increase engagement and the take up of these instruments by children and young people.

Brassy B

The project builds on the success of Brassy B, a brass and wind project set up by the Glasshouse ICM (formally Sage Gateshead) as part of Juice Festival. Brassy B was set up for a group of young musicians who had expressed a frustration with the genres they were learning on their instruments, the social environment they were learning in, and were at the point of giving up.