‘An orchestra is a representation of an effective society’, says Artistic Director Emma Oliver-Trend

From fugues to folk music, and everything in between, meet our new Artistic Director, Emma Oliver-Trend…

What’s your earliest musical memory?

I think that would have to be recorder lessons with my mum! My brother, sister and I were all home-schooled by our mum for a while as she was a school teacher and part of that involved learning how to play the recorder, so I think my earliest musical memory was standing in the lounge with them aged four playing lots of different tunes.

By the age of five I had joined Exeter Children’s Orchestra, so I can also remember meeting in a school with my sister and other young musicians for a two-hour rehearsal every Saturday morning and sitting on these little benches because we were all so tiny! 

I think that may have been some of the most valuable musical training for me – when I first started, I don't think I could play the recorder but very quickly you learn through doing.

Read more: Music podcast highlights need ‘to take meaningful action against inequality’ – here’s how to listen >

Artistic Director Emma Oliver-Trend plays the violin as a young girl

Tell us about yourself and your role at Orchestras for All.

I’m very proud to now be Artistic Director at Orchestras for All and my professional career has spanned well over two decades (can you believe?) in both the arts and education sectors.

I started out at the Welsh College of Music & Drama (now Royal) before completing my Master’s degree at Dartington College of Arts. Then I worked administratively at some amazing organisations, Music Theatre Wales, Welsh National Opera and Dartington Arts.

I also worked as a producer, collaborating with vocal animateurs – but because I was a practising musician, I wondered if maybe it was my calling to be the person leading rather than producing behind the scenes.

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Later on I trained to become a secondary school music teacher as I was keen to learn more about learning – and I come from a family of teachers, so I guess this area has always been my destiny!

By then, I had a good handle on education and decided to stretch my experience, so now I’m a freelance music practitioner and really love it here at Orchestras for All. I’ve created musical arrangements, conducted ensembles and worked with Marianna and the team on forming the artistic programme. 

Emma Oliver-Trend leads the way at a concert with National Orchestra for All

I enjoy focusing my thinking on the how. Choosing the right repertoire is key, but it’s what you do with it that counts. With every community project, you seek to improve the lives of the people you’re working with – it’s important to think about musical and social outcomes.

Has this influenced the development of National Orchestra for All’s Spring theme?

Definitely! Our new theme is ‘The way we see it’ and it’s all about youth voice. While that’s presented in our repertoire, the way we actually run our rehearsals and how we involve young people in our decision-making ties in with the theme too. For me, it’s about community and the relationship between music and society. 

To get that across, we’re using ‘The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’ – an amazing composition written by Benjamin Britten – as the springboard for this season with NOFA and I’m currently working on the arrangement.

Read more: A tribute to Lucy Hale, former Young Composer-in-Residence at National Orchestra for All >

It’s often heralded as the piece that teaches young people about instruments but it’s so much more than that; it presents many different textures. The famous opening theme (the ‘Rondo’) is presented with a unified orchestra that represents solidarity. 

As the piece goes on, you have four instrument families all speaking to each other and then the variations kick in, which allow each instrument to say something unique – there are some rather strong characters in there! Britten made lovely choices when supporting these instruments – for example pairing the oboe line with the violas and lower strings.

Of course, you also have that wonderful fugue where each instrument is heard with its own entry and you get real clarity. Unlike a lot of music that you hear which has a main melody on top, fugues take on an egalitarian form. Everyone is equal and has the same challenge, which I love – you can hear so many layers!

At the end of the piece, you have this amazing moment that always brings me close to tears. The main theme comes in with the bass instruments again… It gives me goosebumps just talking about it! It’s the perfect piece to help us present the idea that an orchestra can reflect society.

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You have solidarity where everyone speaks as one, individual voices can have their say, and a diverse group of people are supported by others who they didn’t expect to meet. There are even agreements and disagreements in this music, so it’s definitely a true representation of today’s society! I can’t think of a more suitable set of principles to explore through music today. 

Alongside Britten, we’re going to be creating two new pieces with NOFA – a bespoke digital project and a live creative work.

Emma Oliver-Trend conducts the National Orchestra for All

What do you enjoy the most about working with young people?

I love the energy they give you. If you want your young people to be energetic and responsive, you need to be energetic and responsive with them. It’s important to be authentic and nurture them in an environment that has a friendly, family-like vibe as I find they appreciate honesty and openness. Now more than ever, it’s important to give young people a voice.

Are inclusive ensembles the way forward?

Oh, absolutely – and inclusivity is central to our work here at Orchestras for All. We’re always looking for ways to improve and working with a wide range of partners to develop our practice.

It’s all about collaboration and we intend to stay at the forefront of those conversations, in the hope that we can inspire and empower even more young people throughout their lives and musical careers.

The former teacher shares her expert advice with aspiring young musicians

And finally, what piece of advice would you give to other young people who are interested in joining an orchestra?

My first piece of advice would be to join an orchestra that has a strong sense of community. Like I mentioned earlier, an orchestra is a representation of an effective society and that offers some real benefits, from boosting your confidence to developing your social and communication skills.

But I don’t mean just talking to people at break time – it’s all about the playing and special musical experiences where you are working really closely with your neighbour.

Since many rehearsals only take place once a week, my second bit of advice would be to play along with the music that you are learning at home. Try to get hold of a CD or recording of the piece and get used to hearing lots of different sounds while you practice your part.

Bring the ensemble into your home! When you all come together again, it’ll feel familiar and you’ll enjoy it much more as a result.

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Music podcast highlights need ‘to take meaningful action against inequality’ – here’s how to listen

Orchestras for All Trustee Beth White and Executive Director Nick Thorne join the presenters of Performative as special guests in a new podcast tackling diversity and inclusion in music.

The makers of British arts podcast, Performative, have released a new episode in a bid to highlight the growing need for diversity and inclusion across the music industry.

Hosted by percussionist Chris Pott and double bassist Tom Morgan, the weekly podcast unravels the thoughts and experiences of artists, performers and other creative minds – with previous episodes exploring famous classical composers, the fascinating career of jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and the work of conductor and organist, Tom Daggett.

In today’s episode, the duo discuss how to break down barriers to orchestral music making with Orchestras for All’s Executive Director, Nick Thorne, and former National Orchestras for All member and Trustee, Beth White.

Describing her personal experience of diversity and inclusion in music, Beth said: “When I joined Orchestras for All, I was 13 years old. Before then I’d only had access to brass bands, so for me it was a great opportunity to join an ensemble and meet people from different backgrounds from around the country. It was my only source of diversity growing up.

“That was a big barrier for me – in classical music, you can only play in an orchestra if you have the strings but you can’t do that with a wind band. Coming from a white mining town where there’s no diversity to then being part of a huge ensemble felt right.”

Read more: A tribute to Lucy Hale, National Orchestra for All's former Young Composer-in-Residence >

Beth White (pictured middle left) attends her first Trustee meeting with Orchestras for All

Beth continued: ”But Orchestras for All aren’t traditional. They have guitars, ukuleles and saxophones – far too big a range for me to name! It breaks down that barrier of people thinking you have to play a certain instrument or look a certain way – and no matter what standard of music you are, they’ll write you a part to play.

“Although they play a lot of classical music, they’ve also done pieces in the past that have been composed by members of the orchestra or included synthesisers and videos. I mean, how many people at the age of 14 can say they’ve played at Leeds’ First Direct Arena in an orchestra with lasers and smoke machines?”

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Speaking about the benefits of joining a diverse ensemble, Nick added: “We see musical, personal and social progression as the same thing. You can develop your personal and social skills through music – and you can develop your musical skills through being on podcasts and talking at conferences to boost your confidence!

“We dedicate so much time to our young people and have someone in the team who connects with their parents and guardians to ensure we develop a pathway that’s individual to them. For Beth, progression might mean going to University in Leeds and studying music but for someone else it might mean having the confidence to go to their music lesson.”

But it’s not just about the playing – Nick also highlights the importance of harnessing youth voice across the industry: “We want to get young musicians involved in our youth board and give them the opportunity to become role models for others facing the same challenges as them, so they can see what’s possible. It’s about belonging.”

And after carrying out research for her university course, Beth says that gender equality is still an issue: “I went to Birmingham Conservatoire and questioned a lot of the orchestra members about equality because in 2018, 69 per cent of the musicians in the world’s top 20 orchestras were male. Once I showed people my research, they started asking me, ‘well why shouldn’t more principal musicians be female?’ – it came as a shock.”

Discover how to run an inclusive ensemble session >

Performative’s new podcast comes after UK-based music education charity, Music Masters, selected 40 organisations to take part in its diversity and inclusion audit tool, I’M IN, late last year.

Rob Adediran, MM’s Executive Director at the time, told DiversityQ: “We were blown away by the response from the sector to the launch of I’M IN. Clearly, organisations ranging in size from small community outfits to our major symphony orchestras are recognising the need to go beyond issuing statements about diversity and start creating inclusive cultures.

“Change starts by taking a hard look at what we are getting wrong and what we are getting right – and I’M IN will help all of the organisations who signed up to do just that.”

National Orchestra for All members

Describing Orchestras for All’s involvement with the tool, Nick Thorne said: “We are proud to have been selected and know we have more work to do in identifying how to break down these barriers.

“We look forward to working with colleagues across the sector to understand how we can better equip ourselves to take meaningful action against inequality through our work.”

Listen to Performative’s new podcast episode via Spotify >

OFA Founder Marianna Hay awarded an MBE

"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

From us all at Orchestras for All, congratulations Marianna! We are so proud of you and thank you for all you have done to support young people facing barriers to music making throughout the UK.

Welcome to our new Trustees - NOFA alumni Beth and Joelle!

Orchestras for All believes in the power and importance of young people’s voices. We know that young people have great ideas and important opinions to share about decisions that affect them. Our ambition is to ensure their voices lead the organisation forward, supercharging its future.

National Orchestra for All members already co-create new music that enables their collective voice to be heard throughout NOFA performances, both in style and content. We also have Young Leaders (members aged 16 - 18) and Ambassadors (alumni aged 18 - 20) who take on leadership roles across the year, offering fresh insights and perspectives to lead, motivate, inspire, champion and develop our work and practice.

Now, as the next step in this vital area, we’re excited to announce the appointment of our first Trustees recruited from NOFA alumni: Beth White and Joelle Sogunro.

Beth and Joelle will join our eight existing Trustees, supporting crucial discussions in the lead-up to the launch of a new five-year strategy in Spring 2021 that will continue our mission to break down barriers young people face to music making.

Having been part of Orchestras for All programmes in recent years, Joelle and Beth will bring their own unique experiences to the conversation.

“I’ve been part of Orchestras for All since 2016 and gained so much knowledge and musical appreciation from the charity, which I’m really grateful for. I’d like to take this opportunity to give back to OFA, an organisation that has given me so much.”

— Joelle Sogunro, Trustee

“I would like to bring the voice of the people that benefit from, or have benefitted from, the programmes at Orchestras for All. I’m excited to support OFA to launch its new strategy in Spring 2021 in the best way possible.”

— Beth White, Trustee

Over the coming year, we will be exploring the next evolution of our youth voice strategy, bringing together voices from our Modulo schools with those of National Orchestra for All members past and present in a Youth Advisory Board, chaired by Joelle and Beth.

We’re so excited for a future that integrates youth voice into all conversations; a future that provides a different insight, perspective and representation of our young people, that brings fresh perspectives and challenges our thinking, and which builds a network of advocates for the future.

Or, to think of it another way (and to paraphrase from the inspirational work of Contact, Manchester): If Orchestras for All was a stick of rock, wherever you break it you’d find young people leading - it’s at the core of everything we do.

Beth and Joelle at their first Trustee meeting

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Find out more about Beth and Joelle by clicking on their names below, and meet all of our Trustees here.

Meet Beth

"Being a music production student and trumpet player from Durham, I didn’t have access to any orchestral opportunities growing up - until Orchestras for All was founded. I played within OFA programmes for seven years and in recent years have undertaken volunteer roles. With experience in both classical and popular music, I’ve played in numerous notable venues and with numerous artists, such as Dave Stewart from Eurythmics. These are opportunities that I likely wouldn’t have been able to access without the confidence OFA has instilled in me.

My individual love for music has now developed into a love for sharing music, and giving young musicians the help that I was given, in order to give everyone a fair chance. Music has a strong power that can make us feel every emotion, and it’s this magic that keeps us coming back."

Meet Joelle

"Hello! I am Joelle and have been a part of Orchestras for All since 2016 as a National Orchestra for All member, then as an Ambassador, and now as a Trustee!

I started off in the NOFA trumpet section, but in 2017 started learning the cello aged 17, and so joined the string section for my final year despite being a complete beginner. One of the awesome things about NOFA is that it welcomes players of all abilities to join, and so coming to NOFA every year alone was a huge motivation for me to continue with music at all, especially as I am currently studying a STEM subject at university.

Being a part of NOFA has opened up many opportunities for me, including helping me to join a brass band and several orchestras over the years, so now I would really like to take this opportunity to give back to the charity as a Trustee, and do what I can to help OFA grow. I look forward to working with OFA over the coming year and seeing the impact we have on young people close-up, especially during these trying times."

Modulo goes online - Behind the scenes

Hi! I’m Harri, I’m 19 and I’m an Ambassador for the National Orchestra for All. I spent four years in the Orchestra, and I play trombone. I currently live near Durham, but spent most of my year at university in Lancaster.

Building on the success of NOFA’s online spring course (find out more here, from trumpeter Kate), Orchestras for All’s Modulo programme - designed for schools - went online as well. The programme provided a well-needed sense of normality for both members and tutors. This gave everyone a boost because it meant each person could see their friends and also meet new people. The Modulo programme was run on Zoom, so everyone could contribute and be seen via video. Each day started with an energetic warm-up from conductor Emma Oliver-Trend, helping everyone get set to to play their instruments properly.

Emma Oliver-Trend leads an action-packed warm-up session

Then, like a normal NOFA rehearsal, we were split into groups depending on instruments. In total, there were six different sessions going on simultaneously, ranging from traditional orchestral instruments to kitchen appliances as percussion. The piece being explored was Gospel Train as part of the current season’s topic, Roots. Everyone was wholly engaged in the sessions, whether it be working through the music or talking about their experiences at home during the past few months.

This practice was then taken into a full orchestra rehearsal, where further techniques and advice was given to complete the piece. Later on, each member was tasked with recording their part to the backing track to produce their own version of Gospel Train. Keep an eye out for its premiere performance online in the near future.

As usual, the music did not always take centre stage. Each Modulo member had sent in a short excerpt played on their instrument, and a composer - Daniel Bickerton - had drawn all the parts into one short track. The premiere viewing of this piece was shown within a composition webinar with Daniel. This session was potentially the most interesting and important for everyone because Daniel gave us many tips and tricks to think about when composing. This led to everyone jamming out to the created song, with many compliments to Daniel’s dancing!

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As part of his composition webinar, Dan shares his screen to show how the Modulo recordings have been overlaid to create Roots.

The final part of the day was left to orchestra games, where everyone got to mix together and relax before heading off to record their parts. I thought this was very useful as recording can be quite stressful and it gave everyone time to see others from their school or their sectionals.

It’s been a difficult time for everyone. Despite the fact that we need to be careful, it’s now incredibly important to have some social interactions with friends. I know I’m guilty of not organising things with anyone, but I’ve realised that there’s no match for human interaction. Stay Safe! :)