Connect to reconnect - Digital Music at YMCA North Tyneside

YMCA North Tyneside is delivering a project called Standing Upright. The project works with young people who have experienced anxiety or difficulties, particularly where it comes to performance. We deliver a weekly session split into two age groups, where young people get to explore different music making techniques and support each other through peer mentoring activities. The weekly group takes place in our dedicated digital studio - STEAM. STEAM provides opportunities for young people to engage in all forms of art, with an emphasis on music and digital creativity. Each week we get up to 25 young people attending the sessions. We provide regular activities to gain performance experience and young people organise their own celebration evenings. These 'showcases' have helped many of our young people to perform in front of other people for the first time and is really helping them to increase confidence and reduce anxiety. 

One of the areas of music tuition that young people have particularly engaged with is digital music. Young people have been able to write and record their own songs using our professional recording studio. They have been shown how to use Sibelius to compose their own music and how to use Garage Band and Logic Pro X in order to take a recording of their own music and master the output so they are confident to share it with others. Young people have composed music through midi creation and are learning the process of step recording; they record their progress, receive help and support from our lead music development worker through a digital app called SeeSaw, which is an educational social media programme allowing young people to share their performances, support each other and invite them to take part in performance opportunities. 

As a result of the success of this programme, we are now looking at increasing digital methods within our other youth programmes, as a means to allow young people to 'connect to re-connect'!