Young Sounds UK and The National Youth Orchestra partner on new mentoring project

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Young Sounds UK and The National Youth Orchestra (NYO) are partnering on a unique role-modelling experience to empower musical mentors to support young musicians across the country.

NYO musicians will become role models for young people who are part of the Young Sounds Connect programme, an initiative designed to help pupils from low-income families sustain their musical learning beyond whole-class lessons in schools, so they can keep developing their music making.

As part of this opportunity, NYO musicians will receive access to a bank of specialised resources and role-modelling training, which will draw on Young Sounds’ acclaimed work with the BBC Orchestras and their Arts Council England funded Talent to Talent project.

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They will put the training into practice, attending musical events in their regional music hub to support young people on Young Sounds’ Connect programme. Working in partnership with the Department for Education and Arts Council England’s Music Hub network, the programme is now supporting nearly 1000 young people across the country to sustain their music education. NYO’s teenage musicians will be acting as musical mentors at upcoming events in Manchester, Yorkshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Young Sounds Programme Director Neil Phillips recently attended an NYO Residency to share more information about this exciting opportunity and answer questions from musicians. He said:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with NYO on this exciting project. Role modelling and mentoring are central to both organisations’ approaches and this is a chance to share good practice and learn from each other, whilst also providing new experiences for the young musicians from Young Sounds and NYO.”

Rachel Long, Head of NYO Inspire said: “We’re so excited to be partnering with Young Sounds on this mentoring programme. This partnership gives our musicians another chance to make a tangible difference and to be the kind of musical role models they may have once needed themselves.”

“I attended one of these music-making events in Liverpool. I got so much out of acting as a role model for other young musicians. I enjoyed setting an example of where learning and playing a musical instrument can take you and the opportunities that music can bring. I hope I inspired them to take music forward in some way in their lives.” Erin, 16, Viola, NYO Mentor

This project is part of the Department for Education’s Music Opportunities Pilot. Click here to find out more.

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