The Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s education and outreach department, SCO Connect, has started a new initiative, SCO VIBE, an exciting fusion orchestra open to young musicians aged 11-18 years old living in Edinburgh.
Influenced by the group members and the musical styles that they love, SCO VIBE opens up what a conventional orchestra looks like, providing a forum where young people can engage in collaborative music-making, and inspiring them to have a life-long relationship with music.
Participation is free and open to all abilities and instruments, but centres around young people who may not traditionally engage with the work of the SCO or who may not have had opportunities to take part in other musical ensembles offered in the city.
Meeting during school holidays throughout the year, young people will write and perform their own music with the help of SCO players, Instrumental Music Instructors from the City of Edinburgh Council and students from Napier University and Edinburgh College.
The current summer course is taking place 23 – 25 July and will involve 70 primary and secondary pupils from schools across the city including, Tynecastle, Drummond, Broughton, Trinity, Forrester, Leith, Wester Hailes Education Centre and Holy Rood clusters as well as Craigmount, Firhill and Currie clusters.
Lucy Forde, SCO Connect Director said: “SCO Connect is thrilled to be providing young people of all backgrounds and abilities in Edinburgh with the opportunity to experience the excitement of making and performing music together. We welcome all instruments at SCO VIBE from clarinets to keyboards, cellos to sitars, clarsachs to bass guitars and vocals.”
SCO VIBE is delivered in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and is supported by CashBack for Creativity with an award of £30,000. Creative Scotland’s CashBack for Creativity programme re-invests the monies seized from criminals back into cultural activities for young people across Scotland. The programme is supported by the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities Initiative. The project has also received £15,500 from the Young Start Programme run by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland.