‘Manchester revels in its daily life like a man singing in his bath, and the young people dance with astonishing verve.’ - Jean Bailhache
Hello from Olympias HQ!
I knew I said I’d write sooner, but my word have things been busy since I started at Olympias 8 months ago…
When we last spoke, I had just finished my first month here. Since then, we’ve had concerts, an open day, a triumphant return to Dean Trust Ardwick, sad farewells, joyous hellos, and (music &) mountains of wholesome content.
I've done some public speaking (terrifying when not strapped to a guitar) and met some incredible educators, musicians, and facilitators. We’ve welcomed over 30 new students into the Olympias family, enabling them to start walking a path only usually afforded to those who can afford it, started our new look composers’ club at the Royal Northern College of Music, and taken 8 plucky young adventurers to the outback of Wales for outdoor pursuits and music making.
I’m going to sum it all up with my five highlights of 2024…
1. The Summer Concert
This was my first taste of the full power Olympias family. We went to the Klondyke in Levenshulme (big ups Les and the team), and showcased our incredible young people to all and sundry. My prevailing memory of that evening is the inimitable Jed the recorder player absolutely slaying ‘Tango Zanjitas’ in front of about ONE HUNDRED people (pictured). At 7 years old (or any age for that matter), he showed nerves of steel and for that he has my admiration and respect. I also bought a recorder last year to complement my Dungeons & Dragons character (Carmino Burino, human bard, College of Glamour), so feel a camaraderie with him and all other proponents of the noble fipple flute.
We then all ate pizza, again handily provided for us by Les et al at the Klondyke. We see so much of the community of South Manchester, and it never fails to come through for us in truly magical and inspiring ways.
That was also the evening we said goodbye to Alice, our violin and singing teacher. A short professional relationship indeed between the two of us, but one I am grateful to have had and one I dearly hope to further foster in the future, as she left to take up her post as Head of Vocal Studies at Bolton Music Service. Alice has been succeeded by three new violin teachers: Henry, Parisa, and Yulia, and a new singing teacher, Ruth.
2. The Inventory/ The New Timetable/ Acquisitions/ being a programmes team
I can’t tell a lie (I’m a terrible actor), the timetable was a headache. HOWEVER, our meat and bread is our weekly lessons, and we moved venues and took on a load of new students, so with that came the timetable. Tamsin (Programmes & Finance Coordinator and all-round absolute legend) and I spent the whole of summer negotiating our way around the creation of our magnum opus: Autumn Term 2024.xls. That, along with the FIRST EVER Instrument Inventory.xls paved the way for our most successful term yet: 153 students all receiving 10 free 30 minute lessons each, provided by some of the finest musicians and teachers in Manchester. At least 30 more will join us in January, mostly on our Global Music Teacher initiative, which we are incredibly excited about!
We have also worked very hard constructing the good ship programmes team, and have had a very successful voyage thus far: the forecast is good, the seas calm, and the metaphors terrible.
3. Music & Mountains
If you were following our socials over summer, you would have seen the awesome time we had in the mountains of Wales. Over the course of 5 days, we made music, we hung out, we climbed, swam, canoed, saw goats and pigs, made music, and most importantly, created some unforgettable memories with 8 young people.
None of this could have been done without Richard and Mary, long time friends of the charity and teachers at the RNCM. They not only invited us into their home, they also lent us their expertise in music and outdoor pursuits, and we can’t thank them enough for their immeasurable contribution to Olympias.
And speaking of Music & Mountains…
4. ENO launch in Manchester/MCR Culture Awards
It’s hard to see the wider impact of what you’re a part of when you mainly spend time with the people in and around you. I see the impact we have on our students and their families on a day to day basis, and have received wonderful feedback from our community board, but to find myself in the same room as people like the English National Opera at their grand opening in the north was truly inspiring. I came so close to asking Gary Neville for an autograph and got goosebumps as Andy Burnham eulogised the late great John Prescott in his speech. I spoke to so many people as a peer, every single one of whom was excited to work with us on various projects we are working on, as we try to prepare our young people to not only be active as musicians but also to help put them in spaces like Aviva Studios, Manchester Jazz Festival, and the Bridgewater Hall.
The MCR Culture Awards was a chance to see the best and brightest our magnificently creative city has to offer. We mingled, we laughed, we ate ‘convention chicken’ to quote our host, Jenny Powell… The aforementioned Music & Mountains was up for the Promotion of Equality and Social Justice award, and although we didn’t win, I left inspired, full of joy, and steadfast in the belief that what we are doing here is truly unique, important, and most of all, sorely needed in the community.
5. The Christmas Concert
A fitting book end to this shelf of fulfilling memories, the Christmas concert was amazing. With a programme expertly put together by our Tamsin and featuring the talents of somewhere in the region of 60 young people, we all came together in the Living Worlds exhibit in Manchester Museum to watch our teachers and their students give showcase their talents. From the first-ever Olympias Cello Choir to a rousing Little Donkey from our woodwind Allstars via the Spice Girls, there was something for everyone to enjoy and it rounded off a term that saw us reach record numbers of young people reached and helped us get excited about what’s coming next. And speaking of which…
2025 will see us grow again, with more students, different instruments, and some really exciting projects we’re cooking up behind the scenes. On a personal level, this year has felt like a return to what I love doing best and championing music education. The added bonus is that I really do feel like we’re making a massive difference in these young people’s lives.
I promise I won’t take as long to write next time, but for now, Happy New Year and I hope 2025 brings you everything you deserve!
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