Young people perform and share their perspectives at Music Mark Conference
On Tuesday 28 November 2023, four young people from Southampton took to the main stage in the ballroom at the Ageas Bowl to share music and a presentation at the national Music Mark Conference for music educators.
Lorenza opened the conference with a performance of an original song she wrote and produced, and was followed by rapper Tommy T.
To explore the theme of “Who’s music education is it anyway?” Lorenza was joined by Carla and Sukhi in a panel discussion with Matt Brombley (Development and Inclusion Manager for Southampton and IOW Music Hub) and Sarah Mcwyatt (NYMAZ). The presentation also included a special video appearance from Ben (a young music journalist from NYMAZ) who answered questions from Carla.
The panel got to explore a range of themes, including:
the importance of giving young people more choice
making music education more relevant, reflective and representative
empowering young people with a wide range of skills and experiences
The session was part of our Youth Voice Network project, kindly funded by Youth Music.
Later on in the day, Nia Collins (Southampton and IOW Music Hub) and rap artist Rob Bradley also go to share the impact of the Rap and Literacy project, kindly funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Alongside a panel of other innovative rap and hip hop initiatives such as Spit Game, Future Music Makers and Kenny Baraka a discussion about the importance of relevency and authenticity in the music curriculum and as a progression pathway for young people is so important.