Create with Camerata: a primary songwriting project

If you have seen Tim Minchin’s Matilda the Musical, you will know that when primary students sing ‘we are revolting children’, they are referring to their plots of rebellion or defiance rather than being generally snotty or grubby. The passion and panache in young singers that this West End tune evokes did not go unnoticed by a group of professional musicians at the Manchester Camerata. Cleverly, they used this story as a starting point for a primary project that proved to be very successful – this year’s Create with Camerata programme.

Bringing to life the Roald Dahl story Matilda with the help of some primary-aged singer-songwriters, this project is truly inspirational for any music workshop leader. Led by Camerata musicians Andrea, Sarah W, Hannah and Sarah N, the sessions reached over 400 pupils from 15 different schools in Stafford, Stoke and Telford. Building up the confidence of its participants and encouraging them to think creatively, the programme culminated in some outstanding performances at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock. You can watch some stunning clips of the show at the link in the box at the end of this article.

Leading the project was composer and creative practitioner Andy Smith – a skilled musician who has worked with the Manchester Camerata on a number of different projects over the years. This specific programme was a collaboration with The Music Partnership and Entrust Education.

The project

At its core, the project involved children co-writing a song with professional musicians, based on the story of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. The project launched with teacher CPD sessions where the Camerata professionals introduced the story, outlined the project and gave the educators some lyric-writing activities that they could try out in the classroom. Following this, the musicians then visited each class for a two-hour workshop, where Smith and a Camerata musician worked with the children to create lyrics and music based on one particular moment in the story.

After visiting each school, Smith then arranged the songs so they could be played by a five-piece ensemble from the orchestra. These world-class musicians then accompanied the children singing their songs at a concert finale, featuring a professional actor who narrated an abridged version of the story in between the songs.

Why Matilda?

Matilda is a brilliant story for young students to relate to, for obvious reasons: it is largely based in school, tackles the angsty emotions that are all too common for rebellious primary students, and most students already know the story to begin with. Smith reinforces this point, highlighting that the figurative language used in the Roald Dahl books is particularly helpful when it comes to lyric writing and helps provide an alternative approach to literacy work with primary-aged children. ‘It’s also fun to create music to,’ he adds with a smile.

‘They own it’, says Smith, describing the attitude that young performers brought to the final performance of this iteration of Create with Camerata. ‘They sing with such confidence and energy because they helped create the lyrics and the melodies’, he adds.

Discussing the process, Smith emphasises that ‘the children are very much co-creators; it’s a true collaboration between the musicians, myself, the teachers and the children, which I think is a shift in usual classroom dynamics.’ He explains that the process of making these songs is very playful, without many restrictions or rules put in place. Everyone’s ideas can be included from the class, which brings a sense of teamwork and boosts the self-esteem of those involved. ‘We often hear from teachers that children who are usually less confident or struggle with more academic aspects of school, “come out of their shell” and “excel” in open and creative projects such as these’, Smith tells me.

Bringing in the professionals

For many of the students involved, this was their first time meeting a professional musician, let alone working with one. By all accounts, this had a huge impact on a selection of the young people, as Smith recounts: ‘It can be very inspirational for young children to see and hear these musicians and create something amazing with them! Children understand that this could be something they might want to do more of, or even have a career in.’ Students had the chance to see how music is constructed, and that it comes with a lot of perseverance, resilience and creativity. Smith adds: ‘They learn that there is a lot of work that goes behind a song you hear on Spotify, for example!’

It’s also valuable for the musicians to co-create with the children, and work in a much more playful way. ‘Moving away from the concert hall and experimenting with the musical ideas the children come up with can be freeing’, says Smith. It is good for them to communicate with younger audiences and connect with them in a way that’s not possible in a typical orchestral concert.

For teachers who want to run creative workshops inspired by this project, Smith urges you to give it a go! ‘Sometimes having these more open, creative sessions can be a little daunting because you don’t know what the outcome might be. But with clear communication and some simple frameworks to help the process along, you may be surprised with what the children come up with.’

Embedding projects like this in the school curriculum is great for encouraging creative thinking, as well as igniting a love for music in the next generation. The project has seen a lot of variations throughout the years, each time being focused on a different story and working with different school children. This leaves us wondering what story they will base the sessions on next time! Join me in watching the northern-based collective from afar with bated breath. We can all learn collectively from the imaginative prompts they suggest, year on year.

Watch a video of the project: tinyurl.com/yac8vz3jmanchestercamerata.co.uk/create-with-camerata