Learning progression
Nottingham Youth Orchestra is a natural progression for students to expand on the excellent work that happens in school music departments.
NYO values its educational links with schools and colleges and therefore has a policy where school music commitments take priority over NYO rehearsals. The youth orchestra draws students from some 65 schools in Nottinghamshire and beyond.
NYO offers students a further dimension to engage musically through exposure to a wide variety of music. Players are expected to work individually and collectively towards exciting performance goals and they are supported by a large team of professional instrumental tutors.
Benefits of NYO’s 3-tier orchestral system:
- Better players are stretched both technically and musically
- Less experienced players grow in confidence with music that is within their grasp
- Training Orchestra students learn group co-operation and how to follow a conductor
- Intermediate players gain ensemble awareness and develop communication skills
- Senior students work towards blending or projecting their sound and finding tonal balance
- All NYO youngsters have the opportunity to mix socially and learn from other young musicians.
NYO has a non-grade based set of music skills that we expect players to achieve at every level in order to help them progress through the NYO family of orchestras.
Educational Ticket Offers for Schools and Instrumental Teachers
If you would like your music students to be inspired by NYO’s orchestras in performance, NYO is able to offer schools (Year 5+) free child tickets plus additional tickets for supporting adults. If you are unable to form a group but have contact with parents/guardians, NYO can arrange special child and accompanying adult tickets. Please contact NYO for education ticket requests.
School Group Orchestral Taster Sessions
Schools and instrumental music teachers are welcome to bring groups of music students to experience a Taster session.
Can you help us find the missing pieces?
Youth orchestras nationwide are seeing fewer players of viola, double bass, oboe, bassoon, French horn, trombone, tuba and orchestral percussion. NYO is particularly interested in hearing from students who play one of these instruments. Teachers who would like to find out how NYO may be able to support youngsters who are interested in learning an ‘endangered’ instrument are asked to get in touch.
“Thank you for seven great years of NYO! My playing has really improved over the years and I will definitely take my skills to a new orchestra at university, but always remembering where my orchestral inspiration began.”
— Abigail, violinist