Cornish beauty spot, Trelissick Gardens was transformed by sounds recently as 13 young composers from schools across Cornwall took part in a week long project led by composer Adrian Freedman to write exciting new music for traditional Japanese instruments which culminated in a showcase performance and the world premiers of each piece.

Cornwall Youth Music Action Zone (CYMAZ) co-funded the audioworks project in partnership with The National Trust, Creative Partnerships, Plymouth Music Zone and the Cornwall Music Service.

Composer Adrian Freedman, who led the weeklong project, is an expert player of the Shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese bamboo flute that originated over 1,000 years ago. He was assisted by three other professional musicians – Melissa Holding (Koto and Shamisen), Gemma Harries (Oboe and Cor Anglais) and Rebecca McGlade (Cello).

The week began with demonstrations of all the instruments, which the Shakuhachi, the classical Koto - the 13-stringed Japanese harp, oboe, cello, Cor Anglais and the Shamisen - a three-stringed Japanese banjo. Special focus was given to the evocative and ethereal sounds these instruments can make, and the students spent the rest of the week creating their own music and refining and developing their ideas whilst guided and encouraged by the musicians.

The young composers also constructed appropriate titles for their pieces in Japanese; such as ‘Gin no Ame’ (Silver Rain), and Aki No Hana (Autumn Flower). Silver Weller of School commented: “I attended audioworks because I thought it would help with my GCSEs and it sounded different. The thing that inspired me was the sound of these instruments and I called it Silver Rain as it had been raining all week and the Japanese name their pieces after the weather, nature etc.”

Kearney Wash from Callington Community College who wrote ‘Aki No Hana’ explained further, “A lot of the sounds we heard and learnt on the Japanese Koto, Shamisen and Shakuhachi, classical oboe and cello I used in my piece. I used three different Japanese modes based on pentatonic scales – kumoi, hira and zukoso”.

At the end of the performance all the young composers joined the musicians for the final piece playing a variety of their own instruments from Saxophone to Flute and Double Bass in a composition called ‘Donpan Bushi’.

For Further Information contact: Cheryl Brendish
PR and Marketing Officer, CYMAZ
T: 07789 692246 / 01872 264255
E: cheryl@brendish.com

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^{Editor’s Notes:}

^{1. Youth Music funds and facilitates music-making for young people up to the age of 18, particularly those living in areas of social and economic need. By 2010, Youth Music aims to have reached 3 million children and young people in a nationwide strategy to support youth music-making. More information is available at www.youthmusic.org.uk}

^{2. CYMAZ is one of 24 Youth Music Action Zones set up by Youth Music in England and Wales, providing music-making activities to young people who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Since December 2000, the Zones have been made up of established organisations from the public, voluntary and private sector. They cover all genres of music and deliver a wide range of activities including workshops, rehearsals, performances, one-to-one, teaching and mentoring. More information is available at www.youthmusic.org.uk}

^{3. CYMAZ was established by Youth Music in January 2001 with an award of £466,000 with match funding of £46,000 underwritten by the LEA. In the first programme they worked with over 2,000 young people.  A second award of £419,000 followed two years later and a third award totalling £400,000 has just been award for work up until 2007. Using a pool of approximately 30 part time community musicians, they deliver a range of music projects, activities and programmes for children and young people aged from 0 to 18 mainly in out of school settings. CYMAZ offer all genres of music including African drumming, rock, pop, and singing in a broad range of styles, song writing, digital music and DJing. Their mission is simple - To enhance the personal, social and musical development of young people through music making. For more information go to www.cymaz.co.uk}