A new initiative funded by Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Council will provide young people aged between 11-16 with DJ and music tech workshops. The workshops, hosted by Fast Forward Music, last between six weeks to a year and are aimed at young people who have “faced exclusion or challenges in traditional mainstream education.” The aim of the workshops is to foster creativity and to give participants the confidence to explore their musical interests. An informative induction will be held throughout January 2024 as part of this new initiative.
According to Nottingham Insights, “Nottingham ranks 20th out of the 326 districts in England (1 is most deprived) and 22,000 (34.6%) city children live in poverty (locally defined as those who live in households dependent on out-of-work benefits).” Steve Lee, the Managing Director of Synthetic Pro Audio, which aims to bring the workshops to the young people, believes that the workshop has the potential to significantly impact the youth of the city. The Fast Forward Music initiative is paving the way for the development of a new generation of music enthusiasts, to fast forward their dreams and aspirations, he said.
A similar initiative was launched last year when Essex County Council announced free weekly music production classes for children. Funded by Essex Year of Numbers, the classes aimed to improve children’s numeracy skills. The Nottingham workshops will take place at Synthetic Pro Audio Studios and will take a blended theoretical and practical approach, covering audio production, recording techniques, and digital composition.
CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, Micheal Kill, discussed the importance of “embracing technology and contemporary musical trends” to “bridge generational gaps, and ensure music remains an accessible and relevant subject in schools” in an article for Mixmag last year. This sentiment has been echoed by Fast Forward Music with their initiative, highlighting the importance of nurturing young and inquisitive minds and giving them the necessary tools to explore their own creativity. Find out more about Fast Forward Music by clicking here.
Belle Richardson is Mixmag’s Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter
Read the full article from Mixmag here: Read More