A new string to youngsters’ bow

Benedetti Foundation holds residency and workshops for Ayrshire pupils

TALENTED young musicians from across Ayrshire took part in a ‘string residency’ recently with the Benedetti Foundation.

The event saw 80 intermediate-standard string players from across South, North and East Ayrshire spend a day receiving tuition from the foundation’s expert teachers.

A spokesperson for the South Ayrshire instrumental music service, which hosted the event with financial support from Creative Scotland, said: “Thanks to colleagues, staff and pupils from across all the Ayrshire’s who helped make this a very special day.

“Huge shout out to all the young musicians who proved, once again, that music making is alive and well.”

A ‘mass strings day’ at Ayr Town Hall on the third day of the residency was followed by a day of workshops with pupils from 14 primary schools featuring singing, body percussion, composing, conducting and lots of rhythm challenges.

A spokesperson for the Benedetti Foundation added: “As well as working with the young people, we also had the total pleasure of spending time with their teachers talking all things strings.

The positivity, energy and love for their young people was magical. Thank you for welcoming us into your local authority.

“We want to say a huge thank you to all involved in making these residency sessions possible: our workshop leaders, tutors and ambassadors; three dedicated music service managers, Shonagh, Julie and Ronan; all your admin staff and teachers; Creative Scotland; and of course the nearly 2,000 young people we met during the week.

“We have loved working with you.”

Set up by Ayrshire’s own Nicola Benedetti, who is still the organisation’s artistic director as well as being one of its trustees, the foundation aims to grow participation in music at all levels, ages and stages, to model and deliver high quality music education, and to be a voice of advocacy for music education.

Launched in January 2020, in its first 18 months more than 25,000 participants in 102 countries, aged from two to 92, took part in sessions organised by the foundation, which also produced more than 750 live and pre-recorded violin lessons – as well as more than 600 Zoom sessions to help musicians through the Covid lockdowns.

To find out more about its work, visit benedetti foundation.org.