Together we can Make Music and Change Lives

Let's be clear – before Bromley Youth Music Trust (BYMT), my experience of music had been pretty average. My earliest recollection was the Beatles (‘Michelle’); my first ‘pop’ record was ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ (Ennio Morricone) and apart from piano lessons at school, (scraping through music exams) and the coveted position of playing the Triangle in the School Orchestra (they wouldn’t let me have the cymbals after clashing them in the wrong place), my experience of music was limited to the radio and nightclubs. Fast forward a few years and our son came home from junior school one day, at the age of 8, and told us that he was learning to play the trombone. Well, this was a little out of the blue, but we we shrugged our shoulders and thought it was a passing fancy. But he persevered (as did we) with early morning practice – scales at 7am are not a good start to the day –and started attending junior band rehearsals at the BYMT Music Centre. We braced ourselves for his first BYMT junior band concert but oh! ... how pleasantly surprised we were to hear a melody instead of scales. And then...we were blown away. In the second half of the concert, we were treated to a performance by the Bromley Youth Concert Band. We could not believe our ears – these young people – all school age children – were playing the most amazing music like professionals. The conductor of the band said to the young people in junior band: “you too could be playing in this band one day”.  And so it was...a few years later, our son had the privilege of joining this most prestigious, award-winning band, playing in some of the best venues all around the country – the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London to name just two – some of the best experiences of his life. Aside from the benefits of making music, he made friends for life and met his wife whilst playing in his University Jazz Band. He learned invaluable life skills – resourcefulness, discipline, punctuality, time management, to name but a few. 

Our children were so fortunate to have the opportunity to learn to play and perform music and as parents, music became a big part of our lives. We have enjoyed so many concerts performed by the young musicians at BYMT as well as further afield. We too made friends for life and music changed our lives for the better. But the real change to my life came when circumstances provided me with the opportunity to work at BYMT and see the other side to BYMT, as an ‘insider’ and how hard BYMT teachers, staff and volunteers work to continue to give the young people of Bromley the opportunity to learn music and acquire skills for life. I came to appreciate how young people benefitted from the transformative power of music, the confidence they gained from performances on a stage, the joy from playing and performing. I saw how young people could escape from their day-to-day trials and tribulations at school or at home just by coming along to band or orchestra practice or to choirs or Musical Theatre rehearsals at BYMT. But most important I saw the camaraderie and support from their fellow musicians and how pupils past and present come together to do good for others.  

This is how BYMT makes a dfifference. From the beginning when a young person tries out an instrument to many years later when our past students come together to celebrate their friendships and experiences at BYMT - music changes lives ...for the better. In September this year we held our annual Try An Instrument Day at BYMT - the beginnings of a fabulous music journey for some. In July this year, 100 plus BYMT Alumni came together to celebrate over 30 years of friendships and BYMT's Music Making, Thank you to our BYMT Alumni, parents, friends and families for supporting BYMT and helping raise funds towards providing its music services for the this generation and generations to come.

Links:

• BYMT Website
• BYMT Notes For Notes Project
• You Tube Video - Music Changes Lives