MORE than 80 young musicians from Big Noise programmes across the central belt have spent their October holiday club on a ‘Little Tour’ of each other’s centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Stirling.
Over the course of three days, 82 P6 and P7 pupils took part in the first ‘Big Noise Little Tour’, which brought together children from the organisation’s centres to play music together and create new friendships.
It took the young people on a journey from Raploch in Stirling to Govanhill in Glasgow, as they prepared for a special concert at Big Noise Wester Hailes in Edinburgh to perform a programme of favourites.
The tour was one of the first opportunities that this group of young people have had to meet Big Noise participants from other cities, and gave them an experience of what it is like to perform as part of an orchestra made up of peers from around the country.
All Big Noise young musicians across Scotland who advance to high school can take part in the Big Noise United Orchestra, a fully inclusive, non-auditioned orchestra which is free for those aged 12 and above.
Andreea, 11, a member of Big Noise Govanhill, was playing violin in the Little Tour. She said:
“This week we’ve been getting to visit other Big Noise centres, and I’ve really enjoyed meeting new people, learning new songs together, and playing my instrument.”
Stewart Wilson, head of centre at Big Noise Wester Hailes, said:
“The Big Noise Little Tour has been a fantastic success, and it was amazing to see so many new friendships being made between our young people from different centres.
“The concert was a brilliant opportunity to bring our community members in Raploch, Govanhill, and Wester Hailes together – and for our young people to get a taste of what they can look forward to when they join Big Noise United Orchestra.”
Big Noise is a high-quality music education and social change programme, which launched in Scotland in 2008, with its first centre in Raploch, Stirling.
The programme sees children and young people learn music after school and go on to take part in an orchestra, which supports them to gain vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity, and aspiration.
There are now six Big Noise centres supporting almost 4,200 children and young people across Scotland, including Govanhill in Glasgow, Torry in Aberdeen, Douglas in Dundee and Wester Hailes in Edinburgh, as well as Raploch and Fallin in Stirling.
