Past Achievements

What we’ve delivered for children and young people

Between April 2011 and October 2011 CYMAZ worked with around 400 children and young people across Cornwall. 75% of these participants experience challenging circumstances in their lives. This can range from rural isolation, poverty, family dysfunction, learning difficulties or behavioural problems. CYMAZ works with highly experienced and professional music leaders who can work empathetically with children and young people facing challenges in their lives.

Case study examples

CYMAZ is providing weekly structured music making sessions in Caradon Short Stay School. The aim is to increase musical, personal and social skills and also to support and complement other areas of the curriculum. Student ‘L’ could already play drums but his confidence was low. He would start playing then stop and quickly become frustrated with himself. As the sessions have gone on ‘L’ has grown in confidence. He now understands that it is ok to get things wrong when playing music, and that this should not stop him playing altogether. His playing is more self assured and he focuses on playing rather than self doubt. His time keeping and awareness of space as well as technique have also improved.

It is hoped that ‘L’ will record a song he has created in collaboration with his music leader, and in doing so will complete coursework for his OCR National Level 2 qualification in ICT. This will eventually lead to a qualification worth 2 GCSE’s grade C or above.

Music could prove to be a real life changing experience for ‘L’. It is hoped that the positive experiences that start here may help him to avoid problems out of school.

At Livewire, a young woman 17 years old with self harm issues and massive self confidence issues, had dropped out of school and dropped out of college, was encouraged to begin vocal lessons with another worker and her role within the band is backing vocals, since her time with ‘Cover up’ she has become far more confident about herself, her grandparents have commented on her rise in self esteem and that she currently no longer self harms, she has started a new course at Plymouth College of Art and is now doing well, this can all be attributed to her personal though Livewire and particularly the Progression sessions with Cover up supported by CYMAZ.

‘One young man on the Carefree project with a troubled past, had previously written some ideas for a rap. I worked with him closely and supported him so by the end of the week he was able to finish his writing and perform his rap live at a showcase event. The rap covered very emotional ground and referred to the ‘last time he felt his mother’s hand”.’

Between 2008-2010 CYMAZ has supported the delivery of nearly 3,500 music workshops to children and young people which involved over 10,000 participants, culminating in almost 250 performances being delivered to an audience total of over 10,000.

In 2008 – 2009 CYMAZ delivered:

• 908 music workshops to 3537 children and young people across Cornwall.
• Provided music leader training opportunities to 38 young people in the county.
• Helped 72 young people achieve accreditation and signposted over 150 others to further music-based opportunities.
• CYMAZ co-ordinates and delivers music workshops every week day of the year during term time in partnership and collaboration with statutory and non statutory agencies.
• Showcase events in a variety of settings to celebrate the work undertaken in various projects.