Young Artist Inis Oirr Asano (pronounced “Aneesha”) has been inspiring students at St Alban’s primary school through our Music in Schools partnerships. Funded by The Musicians’ Company Future of Music Fund, The Musicians’ Company, and private donors, the project helps to improve access to music in London schools. We caught up with Inis Oirr to find out what she’s learnt from this and her other participation project at Lancelot School.

“Opportunity has shaped the course of my musical life. As a child, it was seeing someone play and talk about classical music and the viola that ignited my interest in the instrument. Likewise, the opportunities I had as an Academy student really helped me grow. Fast forward to 2023 and it was the chance to attend a Musicians’ Company course on music education led by Cat McDermid that sparked my desire to get involved in participation work. I wanted to help other young people access equal opportunities in life.

The St Alban’s project was my second school project. I’ve previously supported Young Artist Jack Holton in a Year 5 Carnival of the Animals project at Launcelot School. While that project involved introducing 20 9–10 year olds for 25 minutes to the joy of creating music, this project was aimed at 14 students aged 7-8 across nine 50-minute sessions. My project partner was pianist Alexia Eleftheriadou who I perform with as Clio Duo.

After learning so much from Jack on our previous project, Alexia and I decided to stick with the animal theme. Animals, with their diverse range of sounds and behaviours, serve as an ideal tool for introducing children to basic concepts around melody and rhythm. We decided our end goal would be a concert delivered in three parts.

Our first music session began with introducing the pupils to a toy elephant accompanied by Camille Saint-Saëns ‘The Elephant’ which Cat chose. The pupils joyfully stomped and clapped along to the beat. Next, we introduced a mouse and the idea of writing a song about it using the ‘pass the story’ storytelling technique. This collaborative game allows each person to contribute a few words or a sentence to a developing story. Going round in a circle starting with the teaching assistant’s line ‘Once upon a time there was a mouse,’ I wrote down everyone’s contributions, weaving them into a cohesive narrative.

Over the next few weeks, we crafted a melody, dividing the story into four verses, each with four lines. We also introduced music elements such as major and minor keys, linking them to the animals’ traits. For example, low sounds mirror the elephant’s leisurely movements; high sounds reflect the skittishness of the mouse. To help the pupils take ownership of the process, Alexia presented different sound options on the piano, then invited the pupils to vote on which sound they felt best suited each verse.

I know when I have a lesson or masterclass, I get a real kick from learning something new and it was clear from the pupils’ faces they felt the same. A large part of this project’s success was having such a brilliant team that included Emily, the class teacher, and Company volunteer, Richard Sheldon. Richard had a talent for reading the room and relaying to us when the pupils really enjoyed something or if our communication needed more clarity. When you’re taking the lead on a project, it’s impossible to gauge everyone’s reaction.

Our final sessions before the performance delved into snakes and soundscapes, something I’d done previously with Jack. Using the school’s percussion instruments, we gave lessons six and seven over to exploring the different sounds instruments can make and their role in shaping musical atmosphere. Giving the pupils more hands-on time allowed them to explore instruments they might otherwise overlook.

The performance was great fun. Parents, teachers and the headteacher came to watch, and because every pupil had participated in crafting the music, there was a real sense of camaraderie, excitement and pride. It was especially heartwarming to have one of the SEND pupils who had been unable to attend workshops since the first session, join us for the final performance. We also ran a Q&A session, giving parents and pupils the chance to find out more about our instruments and the music opportunities that might be available to them. The pupils left rightly proud of what they’d achieved.

It’s wonderful to see the children get so much from these kinds of projects. Since joining the Young Artist programme I personally feel my own life has changed so much. I didn’t know if I could teach or even if I’d like it, but being given the opportunity to try has shown me just how fulfilling and rewarding it can be.”

Interview by Suzy Willmott

Suzy is freelance copywriter who works with the Musicians’ Company