In my own teaching practice, I often use analogies to turn a theoretical idea into that of a visual one which a pupil can remember from one week to another. So, I am starting here with an analogy: comparing the idea of a seed being planted and taking root to that of a seed which is scattered. A seed which takes root may be like a pupil in a class taking instruction from a teacher. The lessons learnt from that teacher will take root, and the pupil will hopefully gain knowledge and will grow with that knowledge. This image recalls the traditional instruction that a pupil may have in an instrumental or classroom lesson, where they learn to replicate what the teacher has taught, practise it, and, with nurture, get better at what they do.
However, imagine now that the seeds are not planted, but scattered. This has a much more far-reaching effect. This is what I felt when reading about the work of the Multi-Story Orchestra, what they have achieved over the past 10 years, and their impact on young musicians in South East London.
Initially set up by artistic directors Kate Whitley and Christopher Stark, the Multi-Story Orchestra is a community of professional musicians and young musicians in the local area who come together to create music in unique and unexpected places. The orchestra responds quickly to local and environmental issues and addresses these through music using predominately improvised workshops, eventually developing these into a performance. While these young musicians are inspired by working with the professionals in the orchestra, they are also allowed to lead the way. Each student is empowered to be as involved in the decision making as the musical director in every performance. I was invited to observe a rehearsal and performance of Stay on It, the second of their three projects taking place during their 10th anniversary season.
Power to change
Stay on It was written by Julius Eastman (1940–1990) in 1973. A piece of minimalist music lending itself to improvisation, the work by the openly gay Black American composer has been performed in many ways by the Multi-Story Orchestra. Each performance may be different, depending on the instruments and performers available, the venue, and possibly even the audience response.
The performance will include students from three local schools: Kingsdale Foundation School, Harris Academy Peckham, and St Thomas the Apostle School. The pupils have been working alongside the professional musicians during the week leading up to the performance to develop a thematic idea into something that will be unique to them. They share ideas during the workshop, and I observe how the students are all given roles of authority to convey to the others when a passage or dynamic needs to change or move on. These moments may seem collaborative, but they are also incredibly empowering, giving the students confidence that their actions can make changes.
The event starts with the orchestra divided into three areas of the Bold Tendencies car park in Peckham: now a well-used concert venue – possibly the only car park with a Steinway Piano – and open views reaching across the London skyline. Not only that, but it's perfect for current times when social distancing and ventilation are at the forefront of any musical director's mind.
In their groups, the performers introduce the music to the audience. This is called ‘Living Programme Notes' and is carried out through a combination of instruction and engaging with the audience using body percussion and spoken word. As the audience moves around the groups, the performers move on to the stage and then their performance begins. The students, who may not have as much experience as the professional musicians, are encouraged to lead the way, learning how to take control, communicate with conviction and encourage the audience.
© Ambra Vernuccio
New ambitions
After the rehearsal, I speak to a few of the pupils involved. Prince, a Year 12 percussionist who has been involved with Multi-Story Orchestra projects since he was in Year 8, says that he has grown in confidence and learnt skills which he would never otherwise have gained. He wants to become a composer, and in between workshops with Multi-Story this summer, he has spent his time at home composing.
Yeray says he loves listening to Bach, and has enjoyed talking to the professional musicians he's met in the workshops. He tells me that they've given him guidance on how to write his own pieces of four-part harmony. Anthony, a 17-year-old cellist has his own music production studio and is already on his way to developing that with a professional career in sight.
Jabari wants to be an engineer but knows that having a musical background will help him stand out from others and will show that he is dedicated about something alongside his engineering skills. Finally, violinist Adedayo says that working with the short, repeated themes of Eastman's piece made him want to learn more about Bach's Chaconne, and now it's his ambition to learn it.
Listen up
The first of this season's performances involved only the pupils from Harris Academy Peckham. The musicians, led by the school's director of music Kerry Rogers, had been working on a piece of spoken word and rap on a subject that had affected each one of them: knife crime. They had first put the piece together in the winter of 2019/2020, but when the lockdowns happened, it gave them a chance to reflect on this and, in their words, ‘improve it’ to turn it into a performance piece they could be proud to perform with the Multi-Story Orchestra in July.
The piece, entitled The ENDZ, was written by the pupils: ‘We created this project because we wanted to let people know what our reality is, as there is not enough awareness. As young people, we are told that we have the power to change things, but people are still not listening to us. Nothing changes. This is our way of spreading the word and we hope people will listen,’ says Nathaniel, a Year 10 student. The performance brings together spoken word, rap, and song to show how gang violence is affecting each of these young people. Their words are accompanied by the musicians of the Multi-Story Orchestra.
True collaboration
The pandemic also gave the Multi-Story Orchestra time to reflect and to work out how, as an arts organisation, they can best serve their communities. ‘We recognise great potential in what people can bring to us as an orchestra as opposed to just what we can take to them. We have had loads of internal meetings about how we do this, and personally I think this is one of the best things about working with the orchestra,’ says Linton Stephens, Multi-Story audience development officer. ‘There is no hierarchy in those discussions, we all have a seat at the table. We decided that our job as an orchestra in Peckham is to develop ways to create, perform and put on high-quality music that includes and values absolutely everybody's contribution – and at this time particularly, those who have been historically excluded. Ultimately, [we aim] to impact real change by showing that people of all backgrounds are necessary to making our best musical experiences as good as they can be. With the end result being better art and greater social equality, inclusivity and empathy.’
I can see that this is absolutely evident in the rehearsal process of Stay on It. The orchestra's September performance focuses on climate change and the youth movements associated with it. Our Future in Your Hands, written by composer Kate Whitely and poet Laura Attridge will be performed on 14 and 15 September at Bold Tendencies in Peckham. Let's hope that the Multi-Story Orchestra continues to scatter the seeds of change among these students, and see this empowerment go on to spread far and wide.
