School music community comes together for virtual celebration

Music has been a key focus for many young people across the county, with celebrations taking place online as schools closed for the summer.

 

Ordinarily schools would have celebrated the achievements of  young musicians and performers through a variety of summer concerts and end of term celebrations. This has not been the case for 2020, with the arts and music community coming together online instead.

 

Councillor Wayne Daley, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Children’s Services said: “It is ‘music to my ears’ to hear that our young people have found other ways to share their talents.

 

“Turning their focus on something they enjoy, and not losing sight of that must have really helped them during this difficult time, and I am glad that they have been able to celebrate their talents through this online network.”

 

Social media played a key part in the celebrations with schools, parents and children sharing photos and videos of their work, compositions and performances.

 

Jacky Craig, Music Partnership North’s Lead Officer said: “”It has been great to see how people have shared their musical learning online.

 

“We worked with our colleagues across the region and encouraged people to share their musical achievements using the hashtag #NEMusicEd on social media. We know that music has been especially important to people during these challenging times. It’s not quite the same thing as a live end-of-term concert, but it’s been possible for people to enjoy each other’s performances from all over the region in a way that’s never really been done before.”

 

The Music Partnership North team created a variety of resources for children and families to access at home, with lots more to do during the summer break. You can access those resources online here.

 

Cath McEvoy-Carr, Executive Director for Adult and Children’s Services said: “Music can be great for both the mind and soul, and it was important that this service continued throughout lockdown. It has helped so many through this challenging time, and I am pleased to hear that celebrations were able to take place, albeit in a different way.”