Musical Groups and Opportunities

Advanced String Players Day

Somerset Music runs an Advanced Strings Players Day twice a year, in March and October. You need to be a player of violin, viola, cello or bass and aspiring Grade 5 to Grade 8+

Instrument(s)

Strings

B Sharp

B Sharp is a music and enterprise charity based in Lyme Regis with over 12 years’ experience delivering workshops, training, performance and gigs across the district and beyond.

Where	Lyme Regis and surrounding areas
Who	Early Years up to adults (beginners and up)

Dorset Youth Jazz Orchestra

Dorset Youth Jazz Orchestra (DYJO) is an intermediate to advanced youth jazz orchestra led by renowned local jazz musician Terry Quinney.

Where	Charlton Marshall, near Blandford Forum
Who	Aimed at musicians of approximately Grade 4 standard and above

Guildhall Young Artists Taunton

Unleash your creativity in a fun and supportive environment with Guildhall Young Artists (GYA) Taunton, a Saturday performing arts centre offering a range of classes and performance opportunities for 5 – 18-year-olds in music and drama.

Jackdaws Music Education Trust

Jackdaws is dedicated to improving participation in and enjoyment of music through Music Courses, Education projects, a Young Artists Programme and Performances.

Age

All ages

Kilve Residential Weekend for Young String Players

Somerset Music runs a residential weekend at Kilve Court each year for String Players for students from pre-Grade 1 up to Grade 6+ with matching reading skills, aged between 8 and 16. The String Players play in groups suitable for their ability and age. As well as rehearsing over the course of the weekend and giving a concert at the end of the weekend they also get the chance to take part in outdoor activities at the centre, such as Archery and Climbing.

Instrument(s)

Strings

National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO)

The National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) is a pioneering inclusive orchestra where brilliant 11-25 year-old disabled and non-disabled musicians rehearse and perform together. It promotes inclusion by performing exciting music written and arranged for a diverse group of musicians and instruments. It also works with venues to produce accessible concerts. The orchestra changes every year, with up to twenty young musicians coming together to present a broad programme of contemporary classical music. All come through the ranks of five Regional NOYO Ensembles run in London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Birmingham and Cardiff in partnership with leading arts organisations.  

Pop Club

A fantastic opportunity for young people to discover and experience live music performance. Pop Club members get the chance to engage in a wide variety of musical workshops and perform using a sound system.

Where	The Corn Exchange, Dorchester
Who	Ages 9 – 18

Purbeck Youth Music

Purbeck Youth Music coordinates individual and group lessons, ensembles and instrument loans in the Purbeck area.

Where	Purbeck
Who	School age young people from beginners and up

SingingWorx

SingingWorx offer a range of inspiring term-time and holiday workshops for keen and talented singers from aged 8 to 16 (and beyond), offering insights into a broad ranges of genres and singing styles, vocal and breathing technique and performance skills. They put on exciting large scale performance opportunities for participants, in collaboration with professional musicians and orchestras, and other local music groups. They also run bespoke projects, long and short term, and workshops within schools.

Somerset Youth Concert Band

Formed in 1973, the Somerset Youth Concert Band is made up of approximately 50 of some of the most talented young musicians from across the county. With its large range of woodwind and brass instruments and exciting percussion section, this award winning band presents a diverse and challenging repertoire of original concert band music, hits from the West End shows, classical repertoire and swing.

Instrument(s)

Brass, Percussion, Woodwind

Somerset Youth Orchestra

Since its formation in 1973 the SYO has been offering high quality orchestral playing to young musicians from all over Somerset. A large number of the students who have played in this group have been inspired by their musical experiences to pursue the subject to a very high level. Countless numbers of our members have studied, or are studying music at university or music college. Many have become professional musicians working as performers or teachers.

South West Music School

South West Music School is a charity working with talented young instrumentalists, singers and composers aged 8 – 20 years in the South West of England. Due to the geographical nature of the South West, they are not building based but are a ‘virtual’ school working with young people on an individual basis in their local area. In addition, their students come together on a regular basis to collaborate, create, learn new skills and perform together.

Wessex Music (formerly DASP)

Wessex Music coordinates instrumental lessons and provides support for schools across the Dorchester Area Schools' Partnership pyramid. They also provide a range of musical ensembles open to all young people in the local area.

Where	Dorchester
Who	5 – 18 year olds from beginners and up

Wessex Youth Music

Wessex Youth Music provides high quality ensemble training and music theory classes for young musicians.

Where	Lytchett Minster School, Lytchett Minster
Who	Young musicians from beginners and up