NYMAZ Annual Review 2019-2020

annual review 2019/20 Championing the transformative potential of music for children and young people in North Yorkshire and across rural England

“It’s quite remarkable to see a year’s worth of activity written down on paper, as it really highlights just how much work NYMAZ has achieved, and with such a small team!

Your expertise in online delivery has proven invaluable over the last few months, not just to your participants but to grantholders across Youth Music’s portfolio.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on how swiftly you reacted to COVID-19 and thank you for your support in sharing online resources and webinars.”

Louise Henry, Grants Officer, Youth Music

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A note from the Chair & Director

The year 19/20 has been a big one!

We are still dealing with the ongoing impact of Covid-19 but the financial year closed in March 2020 with an immense surge in demand for our digital music expertise.

young people more opportunities to steer and develop music projects themselves. This direct input helps ensure our offer continues to be relevant and engaging to our key target audience.

With over six years’ track record of championing online music tuition, we were perfectly placed to help music teachers, Hubs and schools alike to make the switch from face to face.

For families who were homeschooling or seeking entertainment, we launched a Facebook group offering online music activities and also put plans in place to screen our series of live music broadcasts ahead of schedule. Strange times indeed, but helping online music lessons and concerts to become ‘the norm’ has been hugely fulfilling.

In parallel, we have kept innovating – from meaningful new partnerships to refining the ways we collect and analyse data – so that we can better demonstrate the impact of our work.

Prior to the pandemic, we focused on advancing our commitment to increasing youth voice. Two young trustees were recruited and are now regularly sharing their insights and ideas. We also overhauled our Ambassadors programme, giving

Whatever the situation, changing lives is at the very core of everything we do. Through music we improve the musical, social and personal outcomes for our young participants.

And, ultimately, that is the most exciting aspect of reviewing the year and moving forward into the next.

Eleanor Gill, Chair, NYMAZ Board of Trustees Sarah McWatt, Director, NYMAZ

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Making an impact Our music projects are targeted at the under-25s living in North Yorkshire in challenging circumstances, from economic deprivation to rural isolation. Delivered by our in-house team and specialist local partners, our projects are designed to improve the participants’ musical, social and personal skills. The end goal is to make a positive impact on their life opportunities.

MUSICAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & CREATIVE EXPRESSION

71%

of participants agreed they had increased skills in playing an instrument and/or singing

PROJECT QUALITY

80%

of participants agreed that the music activity kept them interested 4

EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

SOCIAL SKILLS

88%

85%

of participants agreed that our music projects made them feel happy

88%

said they felt calm and relaxed after the activity

PROJECT QUALITY

83%

said that they left feeling inspired

of participants said they had improved how they shared opinions and ideas with others

73%

said they were better at listening without interrupting

Our year in numbers FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

3234

379

children & young people engaged

32

music sessions delivered

performances held

49

2

young ambassadors engaged

young trustees appointed

FOR PROFESSIONALS

3519 1195 41 individuals accessed training

network members connected

music leaders employed

36

CPD opportunities offered

FOR DIGITAL MUSIC EDUCATION

73,939 3367 11

views & downloads of online music concerts and resources

professionals received training via 4 webinars

Music Education Hubs engaged

6

livestream concerts produced

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Embedding youth voice Young people are at the heart of all our activities.

So, who better to help shape what we do and how we do it? This year, we’ve made huge strides in the way we involve young people in our decision-making.

MEET OUR YOUNG TRUSTEES

INTRODUCING HARRY

In summer 2019 NYMAZ appointed its first young trustees. Only 0.8% of trustees in the UK are aged under 25: we felt it was time to challenge this by recruiting young people with a fresh perspective.

At 19, Harry Twohig is starting his second year at university. His impressive volunteer record includes acting as a Youth Voice Board Member for London charity, The Mix, as well as a Youth Council Member for the North Riding County Football Association.

INTRODUCING SOPHIE Sophie Rudge, aged 25, is a law graduate and works for Forestry England as well as being a piano and trumpet teacher.

She is a former Musical Director of The University of York Big Band and plays in a folk band.

Most listened to album: Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience – it’s just so groovy.

Most memorable music experience: A big band I played trumpet for featured one of my jazz idols, Dennis Rollins, in a concert – he laughed at one of my jokes during rehearsal!

Favourite podcast: The Offside Rule: WSL Edition.

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Most listened to track: Make Your Own Kind of Music, Paloma Faith.

Name of favourite playlist: Spotify’s Acoustic Hits: Oldies but Goodies.

Best music app: Bandcamp – an ethical music streaming service.

A YEAR IN REVIEW After a year in post, here’s the young trustees’ take on their first 12 months.

How would you describe your first 12 months in just three words?

Sophie: Informative, inspiring, challenging.

Harry: Energising, educational and inspiring.

What has been your personal highlight?

Sophie: Enjoying an early years concert in Whitby - it was inspiring to see the kids engaging so happily with the musicians.

Harry: Watching the incredible group of Young Ambassadors planning to create Rural Fest for Make Music Day 2020, using the power of technology to make music happen despite Covid-19.

Why is it important for you to be a Young Trustee of NYMAZ? Sophie: It’s wonderful to be a part of NYMAZ’s commitment to youth voice, and to be involved in conversations around how we can constantly improve our impact on a diverse range of people.

Harry: I’ve seen first hand the transformational power of music, and I want to help NYMAZ deliver this for as many young people as possible, by listening to their voices and equipping them with the skills that they need to be the music leaders not just of tomorrow but of today.

REINVENTING THE AMBASSADORS SCHEME Another focus was rethinking the Ambassadors scheme in order to engage more participants across a broader age range.

The new Ambassadors scheme now offers programmes for two distinct age groups: 11 to 16 year olds and 17 to 25 year olds.

For the younger ones, the focus is on developing individual skills, offering careers advice and providing the chance to shape future music projects.

For the older Ambassadors, we launched NYMAZ PODS, short for professional opportunities and developments. Each POD offers a fourweek mini course in a specific music industry career, followed by a handson opportunity to put this learning into action, whilst being mentored by an industry professional.

Our first POD focused on music journalism with participants learning from Dave Simpson who writes on music and culture for The Guardian.

Active membership of Ambassadors increased from 20 to 42 members with 29% of them identifying as black or minority ethnic origin (N.B. the county population of BAME people is only 5.2%).

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For young people We create music-making opportunities for children and young people in challenging circumstances across North Yorkshire.

Sounding out Selby closed with an explosive performance!

Meeting the Hallé and their instruments

WHAT DO WE DO?

Our highlights in 2019/20 include:

Through music we make a difference to the life opportunities of young people aged 0 to 25 living in challenging circumstances, from rural isolation to economic deprivation.

Engaging early years

Delivered by our in-house team and trusted partners, our music projects range from taster sessions exploring different genres to longerterm programmes that develop musical talent. They all enable our young participants to improve their musical, social, personal skills, such as self-confidence, team working and youth leadership.

We also develop progression routes for those wishing to explore music as an option for education or employment.

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Alongside our weekly music-making sessions for parents/carers and their little ones, we have introduced the under-fives to orchestral music. They have enjoyed dedicated performances from the Hallé and Sinfonia Viva, whilst the concert from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was livestreamed nationwide to nurseries and homes.

Honing brass talent Three full-day workshops have attracted brass players aged 10 to 18 from across the county with the amazing opportunity to learn from and play with the likes of Black Dyke Band’s Katrina Marzella, funk ensemble Flat Cap Brass, the Band of the Royal Armoured Corps and the brass quintet from the Hallé.

“The nurture, encouragement, opportunity and care offered to the young musicians is a delight to behold.”

Teacher

A masterclass on the decks at our Music Industry Unmasked event Sounding Out

Highlighting career paths

Our regular music projects have offered jazz and musical theatre in Richmondshire as well as songwriting in the North York Moors and Scarborough.

Meanwhile, our music residencies introduced the sounds of Latin America, folk and jazz to children in the Skipton, Helmsley and Selby areas. In Whitby, art and music workshops culminated in Musicport Festival’s Big Parade.

NYMAZ hosted a Music Industry Unmasked event in January, with 5 schools attending, totaling 114 participants. A broad range of professionals led workshops and talks, from industry areas including DJing, journalism, performance, record label and event management, and education.

Inclusive music-making

NYMAZ will continue delivering music activities under the Play it Loud programme which is supported by Youth Music Fund C and other commissions.

Activities ranged from a monthly musicmaking club for families and one-to-one immersive, sensory sessions using iMuse technology, through to weekly sessions at a Special School and a singing and signing choir for disabled and nondisabled children.

What’s next?

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For professionals We strengthen the skills of musicians, practitioners and support staff in order to boost the quality of music projects locally and nationally.

Learning together at the NYMAZ Early Years Music Network Conference

Attending a SEND workshop

WHAT DO WE DO?

Our highlights in 2019/20 include:

We support music leaders and others in the music education sector at all stages of their career. Our aim is to equip them with the latest ideas, guidance and best practice so that they can deliver first-class musicmaking opportunities to young people.

Responding to Covid-19

Our professional networks focus on our key areas of expertise: early years, special educational needs and disabilities, plus remote music learning.

Each network offers training, resources and networking.

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As the tail end of the financial year approached, the country was facing lockdown. Our digital expertise, gained through the Connect: Resound programme, was suddenly very much in demand!

We engaged 3367 professionals in four training webinars as individual teachers, schools and Music Education Hubs sought to switch to online methods of instrumental tuition. Our webinars included ‘An Introduction to Online Teaching’ and ‘Hardware Options for Online Music Lessons’, both of which are still available via our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

“A huge thank you for the online music tuition webinar and all the resources. It’s really heartening to know we’re all in this together and that there’s support and guidance out there.”

Music teacher attending CPD Sharing best practice and new ideas with peers Enhancing skills

Offering employment

We offered 36 CPD and networking opportunities across the year to our membership of over 1000 music education professionals. The biennial NYMAZ Early Years Music Network Conference was a day of inspiration.

Topics included the launch of our newly commissioned resource called Five A Day in collaboration with our partner Flash Company Arts, musical literacy with Kodály method, and wellbeing for parents in music sessions.

Over the year we created 41 employment opportunities for music leaders, from running long-term projects to sharing expertise at CPD events.

Developing careers

What’s next?

NYMAZ will continue to support the sector by offering a practical, inspiring CPD programme, alongside new resources and bursary support.

A selection of these CPD webinars and resources are now available at connectresound.org.uk/resources

We continued to increase the number of early years music specialists in the region through our bursary scheme.

We enabled four participants to take the Certificate for Music Educators: Early Childhood.

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Championing digital music education Pioneering digital music education to enable more children to make music.

Showcasing music by developing artists who identify as disabled or D/deaf with our DaDaFest livestream, featuring composer Ben Lunn

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment took little ones on a musical journey through the seasons in our first livestream for the under-fives

WHAT DO WE DO?

Our highlights in 2019/20 include:

Connect: Resound is our flagship project, centred on using digital technology to increase access to instrumental lessons and live music experiences. Over the past six years we have worked with schools, Music Education Hubs and arts organisations all over the country.

Livestreaming performances

Initially we concentrated on overcoming the challenge of rural isolation.

However, our remit has extended as it became increasingly clear that online approaches could help surmount other barriers to access too.

We produced six livestreamed performances which engaged an estimated 73,354 viewers! Our broadcasts included a folk gig from Tappy Lappy Quartet; a showcase of developing artists who are D/deaf and disabled with DaDaFest; and our first dedicated livestream for the under-fives from Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. We also worked on special commissions for clients such as the Norfolk Virtual Big Sing.

Many of our live broadcasts are still available to watch at connectresound.live/cr-player

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Photo credit: Roger King, with thanks to Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

“The children experienced something they wouldn’t normally experience, particularly the instruments, in the comfort of their familiar class.”

Early Years setting viewing livestream Introducing folk music with our livestreamed gig from Tappy Lappy Quartet Exploring new contexts

Upskilling the sector

We started to explore the ways online music activities could benefit young people with various challenges which made it difficult to access mainstream services, such as mental health issues, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

At the start of the Covid-19 outbreak we quickly took action to help music professionals get on the digital track.

3367 participants tuned in to our series of webinars with UCanPlay, MusicTutors and Your Space Music Lessons. In addition, we helped 11 Music Education Hubs explore online music tuition over the year, giving face-to-face training to 120 members of staff.

Sound Connections conducted an action research evaluation which revealed high levels of commitment, concentration and focus by the participating young people that their teachers found “astounding”.

What’s next?

We will recruit our next cohort of Music Education Hub partners, produce a new programme of livestream concerts and plan a conference focused on online music learning.

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Strategic advocacy Advocating for music for everyone, regardless of their location of circumstances.

WHAT DO WE DO? We want all children and young people to have the opportunity to make music as we know it can make a tangible difference to their life opportunities. As such, we are a founding member of the Alliance for a Musically Inclusive England, committed to promoting equity in music education.

Currently too many young people are missing out on music-making because of who they are, where they live, what they are going through or a lack of diverse opportunities. We champion musically inclusive ways of working and influence policy so that no young person misses out.

Our highlights in 2019/20 include: Spotlighting rural creativity Once again we were thrilled to lead the rural strand of Make Music Day UK. Over 17,000 people took part, sharing their music-making from remote locations and watching our live broadcast from the Eden Valley.

Making our voice heard We continued to reinforce our industry profile by speaking at key events such as Music Mark Annual Conference and securing 55 pieces of media coverage in relevant titles such as Arts Professional, Music Teacher Magazine and Nursery World. Our digital expertise even resulted in mentions in The

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Independent and The Express during the coronavirus outbreak.

Delivering inclusive projects Through our funding from Potterspury Lodge Trust we have continued to enable local delivery partners to offer more music projects which target young people living in rural isolation.

Creating collaborations In addition to our representation on national and county-wide steering groups, such as Arts Council England’s Rural Stakeholder Group and North Yorkshire Music Hub Strategy Board, we developed creative collaborations with partners such as Orchestras Live, Brass Bands England, Jazz North, DaDaFest, Orchestra of the Age of Enlighenment and English Folk Dance and Song Society.

Building skills We teamed up with local universities to develop their students’ workforce skills, including hosting a paid internship for a University of Hull student.

What’s next?

We will continue to focus on musically inclusive projects, with a view to brokering and supporting strategic partnerships across North Yorkshire and beyond.

In your words “The best thing about the day was having inspirational people lead it.”

Project participant “My little one enjoyed the session so much she was asking ‘again’ to sing more songs.”

Parent “Freya the Musical was an amazing project that benefited me in many ways. I was lucky enough to take on a musical and acting role which helped me in confidence and other skills. Truly a valuable experience.”

Project participant

“I really want to be a songwriter now. It’s my thing.”

Project participant “We all get a lot out of the group and learn things we wouldn’t have had the chance to do otherwise, such as sign language. The kids picked it up so quickly and now use it in most songs.”

Parent “The workshop introduced me to new styles of music and was fun.”

Project participant

“Your sessions add value to our school music provision and the pupils’ experience by giving all Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils access to top quality live music in a region that is not well served. Time and travel costs prohibit access to orchestras and concerts that we would have if we were in or nearer to places such as York, Leeds and Newcastle.”

Teacher, Special School 15

“It has been absolutely amazing to have the opportunity to play with professional musicians.�

Project participant

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Finance Extract from independently examined accounts, 2019/20 Income

Expenditure

Earned Income and Other 2%

Accounting and legal 3%

Match Funding 13.5% Arts Council England 3.5% Other Public Funding/ Commissioned Work 5.5% Potterspury Lodge Trust 10%

Youth Music 45.5%

Paul Hamlyn Foundation 20%

Music workshops, training and consultancy 4%

Staffing and overheads 22%

Youth Music project delivery 39%

Arts Council project delivery 7%

Potterspury Lodge Trust project delivery 8% Connect: Resound project delivery 17%

Youth Music

£154,963

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

£68,250

Potterspury Lodge Trust

£34,000

Youth Music project delivery

£136,409

Connect: Resound project delivery (Paul Hamlyn Foundation) £59,765 Potterspury Lodge Trust project delivery

£28,362

£19,205

Arts Council project delivery

£23,909

Arts Council England

£12,364

Match Funding

£46,249

Music workshops, training and consultancy

£16,127

Staffing and overheads

£78,158*

Other Public Funding/ Commissioned Work (North Yorkshire County Council)

Earned Income and Other Total

£6,556 £341,587

Restricted Funds

£89,443

Unrestricted Funds

£43,464

Total Charity Funds

£132,907

Accounting and legal Total

£10,003 £352,733

* Includes project delivery

Extract from Reserves Policy As NYMAZ’s operations are sustained through a combination of multi-year and single year grants [...] the Trustees also feel that it is prudent to maintain a sufficient amount in reserves to allow time to consider other options to raise money or cover operational costs [...] should sufficient funding no longer be available after that date.

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Our Partners We work with trusted partners to deliver our music projects:

We have also worked with the following partners on Connect: Resound:

Accessible Arts & Media Army Welfare Service Blue Boxt Productions Brass Bands England Create Flash Company Arts HallĂŠ Orchestra Harrogate International Festivals Jazz North Live Music Now Make Music Day Musicport Festival North Yorkshire County Council Orchestras Live SELFA Sinfonia Viva

Cornwall Music Education Hub Croydon Music Education Hub Cumbria Music Hub DaDaFest Durham & Darlington Music Education Hub East Riding of Yorkshire Music Education Hub East Sussex Music Education Hub English Folk Dance and Song Society Leicestershire Music Hub Lincolnshire Music Education Hub MusicTutors Norfolk Music Hub North Yorkshire Music Hub Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Somerset Music Hub Sound Connections Surrey Music Hub Take Art UCan Play Your Space Music Lessons

Our Team Staff team

Trustees

Sarah McWatt, Director Millie Raw Mackenzie (until July 2019) Grace McNeill, Programme & Networks Manager Alysha Smith-Bednall, Coordinator Emily Penn, Digital Project Manager Abigail D’Amore, Digital Associate Elizabeth Parbutt, Marketing Consultant Vanessa Hart, Bookkeeper Stephanie Halsey, Intern from University of Hull

Eleanor Gill (Chair) Sarah Baumann Kathryn Belton Helen Dawson Rebecca Denniff Sarah Derbyshire (now retired) Missy Mills (now retired) Nigel Mochrie (now retired) Sophie Rudge Chris Strong Harry Twohig

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“My children love the session and I’ve made friends here that I would never have met – I just don’t feel as lonely as I did before.”

Parent

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With warm thanks to our funders & supporters Principal Funder The National Foundation for Youth Music Music-making is life-changing. Youth Music believes every child should be given the chance to make music. www.youthmusic.org.uk Funders 2019/20 Paul Hamlyn Foundation: Education and Learning Through The Arts Fund Arts Council England Make Music Day Mayfield Valley Trust North Yorkshire County Council Potterspury Lodge Trust PRS for Music Foundation Music for All

NYMAZ Clements Hall Nunthorpe Road York YO23 1BW 01904 543382 info@nymaz.org.uk W www.nymaz.org.uk T

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@NYMAZmusic www.facebook.com/nymaz nymazmusic

NYMAZ is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, No. 7035894. Registered charity No. 1134287