Talent unlimited

South West Music School (SWMS) work in a slightly different way to the other Centres of Advanced Training supported by the Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme. So that we can address the issues that are presented by the vast and predominantly rural nature of our region, we describe ourselves as a ‘Virtual School’, in that we have no one fixed base, working instead with young people in their own localities.

It is has been our experience that exceptional talent doesn’t normally fit into a traditional educational environment. Many of the young people we work with have not had constructive formal music experiences and we work with an above national average proportion of young people who come from home education, Pupil Referral Units or are not in formal education. The key to SWMS’ success in engaging with all of these young people has been to enable them to develop their confidence back into a more structured learning environment. This has been achieved through an individual learning approach. Each young person’s programme is totally bespoke – no two programmes look the same.

The young people on our core programme work through a package of one-to-one mentoring with an industry professional, receiving high quality tuition and as well as residential learning opportunities. By working with their mentor (mainly in their own homes) a young person sets clear goals and measurable targets for each year. Working through this process gives the young person ownership of their learning and their assessment of it, and consequently the ability to identify their future needs. From these goals, high quality tuition is programmed. In the case of young people who have not had positive educational experiences, it is crucial that we get their teachers right. They need to be individuals who can understand the young person’s point of reference quickly, can instil confidence from the offset (as any good teacher can) and also be a good personality match.

But these two elements are not delivered in isolation. The young person is at the centre of a network consisting of mentor, instrumental and composition teachers, parents/guardians, SWMS Chief Executive and Artistic Director, pastoral staff and a formal education provider (where appropriate). Everyone can work together in supporting a young person’s musical development.

Working residentially is also a large factor in developing young people. For many it is the first time that they can enter a multi-genre musical environment where they are stimulated, listened to and respected by their peers. The can feel ‘normal’ and just be themselves as others understand where they are coming from and where they want to go.

At SWMS we feel it is important not to focus on what can’t or hasn’t been done in the past, but on what can be achieved now. By working together we can enable young people to maximise on their potential and talents.