Arts / Music workshops with a difference for young people
A NEW series of free weekly music-making workshops for Shetland’s young people are set to be held over the coming weeks.
Shetland based freelance music educator David Boyter will use Teenage Engineering’s innovative ‘Pocket Operators’ – small, ultra-portable devices with “amazing sound making capabilities” that allow for music creation on the move.
Weekly sessions for 11-16 year olds will take place at the Scalloway Youth and Community Centre from the 28 November for the project In the Pocket!, which is part of the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI), administered by Creative Scotland.
Boyter, who has worked as a music instructor, said: “In the Pocket! sessions are all about finding fun ways of using technology to develop musical skills and understanding, and to get inspired through collaboration and shared creations.
“The project is aimed at anyone with a keen interest in making music, not just for those who already play an instrument.
“We’ll be learning how to program beats and sounds, exploring how pieces of music are made by connecting the devices together and having fun performing with them as a group.”
Meanwhile a second opportunity for young people called Operation Makey Music! will take place in Unst, Yell, Brae and Aith.
Starting on 30 November the free workshops give 11-16 year olds a chance to explore getting creative using a variety of music technology devices.
Participants will get to create music with synthesisers and drum machines from the Volca series by Korg as well as the Pocket Operators, and also by making electrical connections to create entirely new instruments using the popular Makey Makey invention kit.
This project is part of the Creative Islands Network, a Culture Collective programme funded by Creative Scotland and run by An Lanntair, Pier Arts Centre, Shetland Arts and Taigh Chearsabhagh.
“The emphasis of the Operation Makey Music! sessions will be to have fun exploring the various bits of technology, discovering their different sounds and capabilities and then finding different ways to connect things together to make music together in a group,” Boyter explained.
“You don’t need to have previous experience of playing an instrument to take part in these projects, just a keen interest in music – and you will need to be willing to push some buttons.”
For more details on how to take part visit this website.
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