On 15 January 2025 we held our first ever showcase, called ‘Why Music?’, to show pupils aged between 12-14 years old how studying music in school can lead to a variety of careers and opportunities. Nearly 350 secondary school children from across Gwynedd, Conwy and Anglesey joined us at Pontio, Bangor for a full day of workshops, discussions and performances – each one highlighting the pathways available into music, and also the power of music for health and wellbeing.
Partners, including Bangor University, National Youth Arts Wales (NYAW), yr Urdd, Charanga, Anthem Cymru, BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NoW), Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD), Gwasanaeth Cerdd Ysgolion Gwynedd a Môn, Gwasanaeth Cerdd Conwy Music Service, Coleg Menai and the Welsh Joint Education Council (WJEC), delivered workshops and presentations that aimed to inspire and inform.
Learning from others
We started the day with a performance by Ysgol Friars, Bangor’s Jazz band, before a film was shown to promote the fantastic recording and editing facilities and courses offered at Coleg Menai, the Bangor based further education college. Pupils were also introduced to the digital audio workstation (DAW), YuStudio, which they can access for free in their schools through Charanga Cymru.
See our picture gallery from the event
Our partners welcomed all the pupils into different breakout rooms during the day. BBC NoW and Bangor University took to the main stage to guide pupils through the process of studying classical music; National Youth Arts Wales and the Urdd came together to run a workshop to highlight how music is more than just a subject. In a bespoke session by the Welsh Joint Education Council, pupils learnt about the new Music GCSE, whilst Anthem Cymru showcased their Gateway, which allows young people in Wales who love music find out how they can get involved.
We were fortunate to have four fantastic musicians who work in the industry give the pupils an idea of the various routes into music by sharing their own stories. During a question and answer session, Welsh-Jamaican singer-songwriter and radio presenter Aleighcia Scott, producer and musician Nate Roberts, administrator with Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and viola player Carolyn Burton, and viola player and member of BBC NoW, Daire Roberts talked about their careers, what they’ve learnt, and how taking part in the various opportunities that they were given whilst in school and in their communities shaped their career pathways.
Access to the event, and transport, was free for schools funded by Gwynedd, Anglesey, and Conwy local authorities. There was a high demand for the event – over 800 pupils applied for 340 spaces. After attending the event, and following feedback from their pupils, teachers from the attending schools requested that it be held annually or biannually, such was the enjoyment and the effect on the pupils.
Our thanks to our partners, our panellists, and staff at the centre, for their co-operation in ensuring a jam packed, inspirational, day for all.