Mardi Gras Songwriting and Vocal Workshops Summer Term 2024

Mardi Gras Songwriting Project, Summer Term 2024, Mardi Gras Vocal Workshop, Summer term in Partnership with The New Carnival Company

We are continuing our collaboration with The New Carnival Company to create and write with young people a new anthem to perform at Mardi Gras linked to their theme for this year. 

Schools signed up will receive a free creative workshop from the hub in the summer term to learn the chorus and create their own musical theme to sing, stomp, chant or play before the parade heads off on the day in July 2024!

You can hear the chorus for the new theme here and have a look at the music below.

Hold The Drama Stripes & Spark Tour 10th - 15th June 2024

Hold The Drama tour 10th – 15th June 2024 in partnership with Hold The Drama KS2, KS3, KS4 SEND

Hold the Drama are a collective of 6 classically trained musicians who work together to create inclusive performances that use music to help audiences to make sense of thoughts, feelings and emotions that are not easy to put into words.  The group will be touring their schools' shows Stripes (suitable for KS2 and lower KS3) on the Isle of Wight (all SEND suitable too) in June.  Every show, which tells a story completely non-verbally, leaves space for a Q&A with young people to help draw out emotional learning articulating what they think the plot is and why. Shows can also be tailored to address a particular wellbeing or behaviour need in your setting e.g. bullying, racism, anxiety or mental health concerns. 

We are able to subsidise the cost of the performance for up to 11 schools on the island during this week and there will be performances available at the following times (roughly) but we can adjust these to fit your school day and depending on proximity.  If you are able to host another school to watch a performance in your setting please indicate this on the form too.  The performances can be for a class of 30 or up to a whole year group or keystage cohort if the hall space is large enough for the 6 performers and the audience.

We are also looking for a school to host a Saturday morning performance for families to attend from your school community on Saturday 15th June so please let me know if you would be interested in doing this nia.collins@iowmusichub.org Please register your interest quickly using the button below.

Approximate timings:

School 1

8am-8.30am Get in/set up

9am - 10am Performance 

School 2

10.30am - 11am Get in/set up

11am - 12noon Performance 

School 3

12.15 - 1.15pm Get in/set up

1.30pm - 2.30pm Performance

Songwriters Den with Island Music Makers

Age: 8-16 yr olds
Location: Newport parish centre
Date / Time: Every Wednesday from 4.00pm til 5.00pm (Term time only - October to July)

*Support to write lyrics and share ideas
*Learn different song writing techniques and approaches 
*Create chord progressions and compose music
*Explore instruments and live performance equipment
*Opportunities to perform songs at festivals and local community venues
*Option to work towards elements of GCSE and BTEC Music

PRICE: The club is paid for by standing order at the price of £28 / month. For young people referred by Barnardo’s the cost is £14 / month.

For more information, please email Maria at islandmusicmakers@gmail.com 

Our club members wrote a Christmas song last year!

“What Christmas Means to Me '' was written by our regular club members Tilly & Bede. The lyrics and music are full of nostalgia and heart and the result of great teamwork and collaboration. Both members joined the club having attended several songwriting and recording workshops during the summer and have shown great enthusiasm for making music. Bede started out as a bit of a shy young man, but he has now taken up guitar lessons, joined our monthly club and even performed his song at a songwriters showcase! Tilly has also come along leaps and bounds since joining us and has grown in confidence and ability, particularly with her singing - what a voice!

Charlotte goes from strength to strength!

Charlotte joined us for a one-to-one song writing and recording workshop in the spring half term. Initially Charlotte lacked confidence and struggled to decide what to write about in her song. When we asked if she had any school experiences that she wanted to write about it soon became apparent that Charlotte had been having a really difficult time. She wanted to explore her thoughts and feelings about this in her song.  “Hey You” tells the story of a girl who had been treated badly by her peers, but who was determined not to let it affect her self-esteem.  Since having her song played on the radio and highlighted at school as a personal achievement, Charlotte has gone on to become a one-to-one guitar student with us, joined her school choir and signed up to Platform One for their Saturday Rock School. Her confidence has improved so much since she began making music with Songwriters Den and we couldn't be more proud of how much she has progressed!