Music for Youth
Music for Youth is an educational charity with a worldwide reputation for its work in music education. It provides free access to educational and performance opportunities for all kinds of groups of young musicians and audiences through a nationwide series of festivals and concerts.
1.9 million children have taken part in Music for Youth events since 1971. 70,000 four to eighteen year-olds took part in 76 Music for Youth festivals and concerts in 2004, with 83% of these coming from state schools.
The Music for Youth year comprises three major events: the Regional Festival Series, the National Festival and the Schools Proms. Groups enter these events at the beginning of the academic year (September) and are then invited to take part in a local Regional Festival in the Spring. Up to 300 groups are then invited to perform at the National Festival in July. Following the National Festival, a further 30 groups are invited to appear at the Schools Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in November.
Martyn worked as a stage manager at Music for Youth events for several years during his time at University. He was a popular figure with the team running the National Festival of Music for Youth at London’s South Bank Centre and the Schools’ Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and enjoyed entertaining the troops with some impromptu piano-playing!
Regional festivals
Music for Youth holds Regional Festivals across the UK in Feb and March every year. School and youth music groups of any genre, standard and ability are able to perform at these events and there is no audition process. The young people taking part benefit from the experience of performing in public in the development of their self-confidence, discipline and communication skills. They can also enjoy watching their contemporaries perform and learning from each other.
MDMT sponsors the Regional Festival taking place in Birmingham, at the Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire. Around 20 varied groups perform at this event, all of whom receive a verbal adjudication and certificate to take away.
National Festival
MDMT sponsors several awards at the National Festival of Music for Youth, in the Jazz (Schools) and Senior Choirs categories. MDMT’s Outstanding Performance Award in Jazz has been presented to some wonderful young jazz bands.
2003: The Abraham Darby School Jazz Band, Telford, Shropshire
2004: St Aidan’s Swing Band
2005: Northampton School for Boys
2006: Mister Parson’s Project, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
Primary Proms
The Primary Proms provide primary school children with the opportunity to experience live music in a major concert hall and encourage their involvement in music.
Over 18,000 children, aged from four to eleven years, from schools in high social priority areas are treated to free concerts in London, Birmingham and Chester. For the majority it represents not only their first visit to a concert hall but also their first exposure to a range of music they would not normally have the opportunity to experience.
MDMT has been able to support the Primary Proms by offering travel subsidies to schools attending these fantastic events.