Young musicians prepare to bash it out

Wednesday 26 November 2014

They only picked up their instruments nine weeks ago but 150 young musicians are now tuning them ready for their first big bash on stage.

Guitarists, drummers, string, brass and woodwind players will all be performing a solo at the concert at Le Rocquier School on Friday night before they come together for the finale – a rendition of Pickled Bunny Blues – a specially composed piece written by one of their music teachers.

The school pupils started having weekly lessons with the Jersey Music Service back in September after choosing their instruments at a special open evening earlier in the year.

Head of JMS Dr Graham Cox said: “All the young musicians are really excited about the concert. This is going to be immense fun. Just a few short weeks ago these young people had never played a musical instrument before, let alone played in public and at this concert they will play together in front of an audience for the first time.

“Being a musician is about performing and these young people have the opportunity to perform very early in their development as instrumentalists. Musicians must learn the technical elements of controlling their instrument and the sounds they make, but there are a whole set of skills and emotions that need to be mastered if they are to perform in public and providing opportunities like this at an early stage in their learning enables them to develop these skills in tandem with their developing instrumental skills. It will be an experience that they and the audience, will never forget.”

Tickets have already sold out for their first big gig.