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Our learning projects at the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Scottish Symphony Orchestra start with what we do – music. Building around this powerful artform, our activities are about connection, creativity and making unique memories with those around you.

And over the past couple of years, I’ve led musical workshops all over Scotland; from Shetland to Saltcoats, Glasgow to Campbeltown, and many more cities and towns! We focus on three areas – young children and their family unit, schools and criminal justice settings.

For our recent Tunes for Tots tour we explored ‘Under The Sea’ with little ones under the age of five. In these child-led sessions the music of Joseph Bologne was perfect for welcoming us to the ocean floor. We slept under a starfish with the relaxing sounds of Amy Beach, and we waltzed in the seaweed with the help of Tchaikovsky’s mesmerising ballet music (of course!).

“It was amazing for my son to get to see the instruments up close. Rik the viola player asked what my son’s favourite song was before the session started and he then played it on his viola which was amazing.” Greenock

One of my favourite recent memories of working in schools is when we were doing a composition workshop with young people in an Additional Support Needs setting. Section Principal Trumpet Mark O’Keeffe was given the challenge of playing his instrument with only one hand, while walking around his group and waving a survival blanket… the young people were writing a piece about the cold! It was so joyful to watch.

After our projects, I frequently get told by teachers that they were surprised about a young person’s input or concentration. But that’s the magical thing about music. It allows different pathways into learning and it encourages individuals to explore essential skills like teamwork, collaboration and listening to others.

“Respect is really important. When everybody has the opportunity to share an idea, it leads to magical moments.” Luke Russell, Flute

We’ve delivered a series of music workshops in HMP Low Moss, where music and storytelling are used to create meaningful memories. Seeing dads, grandads and the family unit connect through music-making was a really wonderful thing. And hearing each family’s ‘star song’ on the chime bars, as we ventured into outer space, will stay with me for a very long time. I believe that this work is valuable for all the different communities we engage with, and that everyone should have access to music. But I also believe it’s essential for our musicians, who regularly tell me that our learning projects enrich and compliment their work as orchestral players. This work is also important for their creativity, their connection, and their commitment to what they do, music.