Welcome to our first annual review. This is a chance for us to share some of the highlights this year across our team. Our aim is to provide sustainable music-making opportunities for young people, whatever their level of study so they may discover, explore, develop and pursue their talents and interests in all kinds of music. This is just some of the things we have been doing this year. Thank you for your continued support for music in Cambridgeshire.
Matthew Gunn, Head of Cambridgeshire Music.
With 248 events, 6373 participants and 15938 audience members, we have a thriving musical life. New partnerships were founded with Sing Up and Vocal Force, National
Youth Jazz Collective, Britten Sinfonia, Music for Youth and Birmingham
Conservatoire.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Youth Orchestra enjoyed a tour to Prague and the
Cambridgeshire Youth Wind Orchestra held their Residential Course at Oundle
School. Peterborough Cathedral was the venue for our Gala Concert featuring our
County Groups and Peterborough Young Singers.
“My daughter had a truly wonderful time in Prague and a high quality cultural experience. She loved every minute, the excursions, the concerts, the experience of being on the road with an orchestra and especially the trips outside Prague and the cheerful and relaxed attitude of all the adults (perhaps you were not feeling this but that is how she saw it!). The organisation and communication beforehand was faultless and we sincerely thank you and all involved.”
Singing training for potential singing leaders was offered through our Vocal Force project and in July the internationally renowned Ken Burton led workshops for children from our schools in our Gospel Singing Sensation.
Our unique extravaganzas for young percussionists (awarded a 2012 Inspire Mark) continued with Striking Together for Bronze at Cambridge Corn Exchange, and an invitation to perform at Birmingham Conservatoire.
A two month composition project based on Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saens too place in Primary Schools followed by performances in schools of the piece. The culmination of the project was a concert at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge, featuring student compositions, Carnival of Animals and Peter and the Wolf as part of the Cambridge Music Festival.
As always our teaching teams and area academy staff were busy around Christmas with the annual Wood Green Carols involving our young musicians alongside a huge number of school, academy and community concerts and events. Small-scale projects for specific instrument groups occurred throughout the year : Piano Party,
Flute morning and Flutastics concert, Brass Carol Concert, a Double Bass and Viola day introducing ‘rare breeds’ together with Britten Sinfonia and Manor Community
College.

“My daughter enjoys piano very much and has progressed extremely well. As a family we had a fantastic time at the
Piano Party.”
A new project was started called “Octave and the Orchestra” supported by
Cambridgeshire Culture. This forged a link with Huntingdon Nursery School. to introduce nursery children to the violin at the age of 2 and 3 years old, track the development of their skills, and how they progress generally whilst learning the violin.
A successful bid to Youth Music has enabled the project to expand in 2010-11.
CPB was launched in summer 2010 within Cambridges hire Music’s Area Academy structure. Cambridge Area Academy, Long Road Sixth Form College plays host to an intermediate level brass ensemble (Grade 4+).
CPB focus's on playing skills as well as how good communication and good ensemble skills play an essential part in a great performance which will result in students becoming leaders and role models for their fellow students in their own school environment. Through CPB students are accessing opportunities to perform challenging repertoire with other likeminded instrumentalists whilst enhancing their playing and life skills. Now underway and over a three year period to the end of summer term 2013 the CPB project will begin to involve every pupil who is learning a brass instrument in Cambridgeshire Schools.
The latest in the Inspire Mark awarded percussion projects. Featuring 100
Cambridge Music percussionists, professional musicians and community musicians this was one of the stand-out performances of 2010. With music composed specifically for the event by Mark Aldous promoting inclusion and diversity through broadening percussion playing skills. http://www.cambridgeshiremusic.org/admin/index.php?page_id=74&pt=page
“I think we should be congratulating you on a superb effort. I know that conditions were difficult, but you did a magnificent job of pulling the concert together and it was an excellent occasion. Thank you for giving our children the opportunity to perform a great programme in an inspiring venue. They are very lucky to have you!”

Cambridgeshire Music provides music therapy services in
Children’s Centres to support the Early Years Intervention programme and address a gap in provision for families in
Ely and Soham.
Referrals come from health care and education professionals at the child development centre, nurseries and pre-schools and also from parents. Therapists have seen a three fold increase in referrals in both centres since the work commenced a year ago (eg. from 5 to 18 in Ely). The numbers of children being seen have also increased (eg. from 3 to 10 in Ely).
Parental engagement in feedback has been very successful and there have been many positive comments about the children’s ability to engage and respond;
 ‘It has been very beneficial for A, as her language is now improving - she interacted more and gave more expressions in music therapy.’
 ‘Sessions were very supportive; he seemed to instinctively know how to play some of the instruments; a hidden talent?!’
 ‘The music helped her to interact more with other children.’
 ‘He seemed to expand on his sentences and talk more about his home life.’
 ‘..all of the techniques used in sessions to help C to listen’
 ‘He was able to do it
[engage and interact] in this small group…he loved it and is quite cross it has finished.’
Training included a series of music education workshops through the Trinity Guildhall programme, and an Aldeburgh Young Musicians Professional Development Day, where there were workshops on Conducting, Improvising and Composing.
We have established excellent communication mechanisms with families of County academy players. The assisted purchase scheme has run smoothly including a last minute guitar purchase for a parent looking for an emergency Christmas present.
Our focus during this year was to embed efficient processes within the organisation to improve customer satisfaction.
Our invoicing processes have significantly improved in 2009/2010 through better communication with other departments in Shire Hall. Invoices are reviewed at two points before sending to customers to improve accuracy. These new checking mechanisms applied to the invoicing process reduced queries by 40% from
2008/2009.