"I am thrilled and delighted to have been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to music education. However, this honour is certainly not for me alone. It reflects over ten years of extraordinary collective effort. I started out in 2007 as a nervous first year music teacher at Highbury Grove School, Islington as part of the Teach First scheme. I immediately had the good luck to find myself in a school led by an inspirational and supportive head, Truda White, who encouraged me to establish the school's first orchestral programme. Inspired by my students but also frustrated by the barriers they faced in accessing orchestral music-making outside school, I set up Orchestras for All (OFA) in 2011. We started with the National Orchestra for All (NOFA), an orchestra that is open to anyone whatever their circumstances, personal challenges or musical standard. With thanks to three founding partners - Teach First, Achievement for All and Music First - we ran our first course in 2011 for 35 exceptional young people, our founding members.
Since then OFA has grown into an organisation of which I am extremely proud, thanks to so many people who have each played a crucial role - the OFA staff team, trustees, tutors, volunteers, advisors, teachers, schools, partners, funders, guest artists, families, carers, alumni and of course our incredible young musicians. Over the past ten years, hundreds, if not thousands, of people have worked with OFA to open up the transformative experience of orchestral music-making to young people who might not otherwise had the chance. I am immensely grateful to everyone for all they have done and continue to do to make the OFA vision a reality.”
Marianna Hay
