Thick-Skinned Productions
Thick-Skinned Productions
Recording project
Jazz project
Conclusion
Thick-Skinned Productions were awarded funding from the Youth Music Initiative's Informal Sector Small Grant Fund towards two short projects.
| Thick-Skinned Productions offer creative services to musicians, educators, venues and arts organisations. Specialising in jazz and improvised music, they provide a comprehensive service for large and small-scale projects, workshops, recording and concert performance. |
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In late 2007, Thick-Skinned were awarded two small grants from the Youth Music Initative (YMI)'s Informal Sector fund for two very different, but equally successful projects in the Edinburgh area.
| This pilot project offered teenagers the opportunity to gain practical experience in the music industry. Three bands from three different Edinburgh schools learned about studio techniques and the recording process, before rehearsing their own material, and recording and mixing their songs at The Sound Cafe in Penicuik. |
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The project ended with a performance at North Edinburgh Arts Centre on Friday 13 June.
Three trainee sound engineers also gained valuable experience by working with music industry professionals on the project.
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Enthusiasm for the project was high as these comments by participating teachers show:
"I can say without doubt that the process motivated the students! It has been an absolutely fantastic experience for them."
"There is now a constant stream of bands coming into the department to practice and share their ideas." |
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"They [the band] are suddenly well known by the whole school...and I have noticed how much more confident they have become."
Central to the Jazz project was the need to develop skills in jazz tuition and therefore the project began with a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) day for the tutors involved.
36 young musicians from Edinburgh took part in the project, working on basic jazz composition, improvisation, listening and ensemble techniques. They had the opportunity to experience a live jazz performance by professional musicians as well as take part in their own end-of-project concert. This concert included a selection of the best compositions as well as a mass jam session.
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One of the tutors commented:
"It was useful for the students to learn that improvisation could be firmly based on a knowledge of chords, scales, rhythmic and melodic development and that it was possible to learn how to do this. Students gained in confidence through the weeks in all areas of performing and inventing." |
The Informal Sector Fund small grant scheme is for awards under £5,000. These projects have demonstrated how a small-scale project can make a real difference to young people's experience of music.
| For more information about Thick-Skinned Productions, contact Cathie Rae. Thick-Skinned Productions would like to thank music leaders Stuart Wilson and Chris Grieve for their work on these projects. | |