Published: 03 Nov 2022

Teenage Engineering – Pocket Operator 

Teenage Engineering’s modern handheld music gadgets are about to remodel  kids’s early music making experiences due to the Scottish Government’s backing of the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) by way of Creative Scotland.

Shetland primarily based musician and educator, David Boyter is establishing a brand new collection of enjoyable, free weekly music making classes for 11- to 16-year-olds to discover and get artistic studying to make use of Teenage Engineering’s ground-breaking ‘Pocket Operator’ music tech.

The calculator measurement transportable micro synthesisers and rhythm machines all produce totally different sounds. They can be utilized on their very own with the built-in speaker or headphones or can all be connected collectively to create a large group sound.

David stated: “Our 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.

“You don’t need to have previous experience of playing instruments, just a love of music – and to be willing to push some buttons! We’ll be learning how to program and play music, create beats, sounds, rhythm and melodies, replicating elements of the participants favourite songs and pieces.

“Together, we’ll explore about how musical pieces are constructed by connecting the devices, syncing them to each other and having fun performing with them.”

For extra details about the venture, and to register curiosity in participating, go to the SoundTech web site.

The weekly classes are amongst lots of of alternatives supported throughout the nation by way of the newest spherical of YMI funding which has seen £7.2m awarded to Local Authorities for school-based music making, and over £570,000 awarded to initiatives and infrastructure going down out with school time.

Culture Minister Neil Gray stated: “The Scottish Government is delighted to fund the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) which provides opportunities for young people across the country to take part in music-making and enjoy the well-being benefits as outlined in the latest evaluation.

“As YMI celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year, I’m pleased to see so many projects receiving funding so that our children and young people can continue to have the opportunity to engage with music in a variety of different ways.”

News of the newest initiatives to obtain funding was confirmed as the subsequent spherical of funding has been secured and functions for Access to Music Making and Strengthening Youth Music funds open, at the moment Thursday 3 November, with a deadline of 2pm, Thursday 8 December.

Today’s announcement additionally coincides with the publication of new research findings into the 2021-2022 YMI initiative which highlights the way it continues to handle inequality by forging and sustaining partnerships with third sector organisations to assist kids and younger individuals most in want. The report additionally presents overwhelming proof of the optimistic impression on younger individuals’s well being and wellbeing by providing alternatives that the assist the discount of stress, the prospect to attach with others. Stats contained within the report present that:

• Over 362,000 kids and younger individuals took half in additional than 80 initiatives (a rise of 80,000 from 2019-20)
• 1,100 jobs and over 5,600professional growth alternatives had been created

Morag Macdonald, Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Manager commented: “In its 20^th Anniversary year, YMI is continuing to create crucial opportunities to develop both individual and collaborative musical skills in young people, sparking creativity, friendships and increased self-confidence. Not only are these opportunities life changing for the young people involved, but they also provide crucial employment for arts professionals and freelancers across the country.”

Download the total listing of YMI Award recipients

Background

1. The Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI), which is run by Creative Scotland, creates entry to top quality music making alternatives, permits younger individuals to realize their potential in or by way of music and helps the event of the sector for the good thing about younger individuals.
2. You can entry Youth Music Initiative fund steerage and software types in Funding.

YMI has two distinct strands:

• School-based music-making: actions deliberate and delivered by Local Authorities. Local Authorities apply to the YMI Formula Fund for this exercise
• The casual sector: actions deliberate and delivered outwith faculty time.  There are two casual sector funding routes: Access to Music-Making and Strengthening Youth Music. Organisations and people can apply to those funding routes.

3. Creative Scotland is the general public physique that helps the humanities, display screen and inventive industries throughout all components of Scotland distributing funding offered by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further info at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn extra in regards to the worth of artwork and creativity in Scotland and take part at www.ourcreativevoice.scot #YMIScotland #YMusicIssues

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