LEYMN Emerging Music Leaders for 2024 announced

We’re delighted to welcome our LEYMN emerging music leaders for 2024; Becca, Catherine, Noah and Sherae!

This scheme is for anyone aged 16-25 who is keen to develop their music leading practice with young children aged 0-5.  As part of this programme, emerging music leaders will have the chance to shadow experienced early years music practitioners working on Sound Communities, a project run by Creative Futures. The project takes place in nurseries, and emerging leaders will have the chance to experience all the different types of musicking that happen in the daily life of a nursery – group singing and instrument playing, as well as exploring listening to a wide range of genres, and the spontaneous music that goes along with stories, dancing, painting, sand and much more!

The emerging music leaders are also offered mentoring sessions to help them reflect on the sessions they shadow. They’ll be thinking about questions around what different experiences mean for children and reflecting on their responses, what they might be learning and how we know. They’ll also be reflecting with their mentors to think about why they interacted in the way they did. What are the theories of learning and development underpinning their action and their pedagogical approaches?

You’ll be able to hear more from the LEYMN emerging music leaders and what they’ve discovered through the scheme at our conference  Inclusive Practice In Action 2024: A Seat At The Table.

Becca Marr (she/her)

Becca Marr is an American violist currently based in London. She is pursuing her Bachelors of Music in Viola Performance at the Royal College of Music under the tutelage of Bryony Gibson-Cornish, Simon Rowland-Jones, and Pablo de Pedro Cano. In addition to performing, Becca is also interested in music education and regularly does events, workshops, and trainings with the RCM Sparks programme at the College.

Catherine Alsey (she/her)

Catherine Alsey is a 21 year old British violinist from Kent, currently in her final year of undergraduate studies at the Royal College of Music, studying with Professor Ani Schnarch. She attended the Royal College of Music Junior Department (2018-2020) and during this time she was a finalist in the Peter Morrison Concerto Competition and won the Angela Bull Competition. Catherine is a dedicated orchestral musician and in 2023 was awarded a place in the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. During her time in the orchestra she was fortunate enough to work with conductors Daniele Gatti, Daniel Harding and Jakub Hrusa, and played concerts including at the Musikverein (Vienna), Teatro alla Scala (Milan), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), Kulturpalast (Dresden), and Salzburg Festival (Salzburg). In her teenage years, Catherine was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO) from 2018 – 2021 and was Principal Second Violin in their performance at the BBC Proms in Summer 2021. Catherine also went on tour to Pore in August 2022 as part of the British – Croatian Festival Orchestra, and attended the New Virtuosi International Violin Mastercourse (2021), as well as winning a scholarship to attend the Bowdoin International Music Festival in the USA (2022).

Catherine is particularly passionate about music education, which began from her work in RCM’s Sparks programme, and now is a Creative Learning and Instrumental Ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation, and works on the NYO Creative Music Team, devising and delivering workshops for teenagers across the UK. Catherine is an educator for Mini Mozart (early years group music classes), Enhui Music School and Chelsea Quavers Music School, and for the first time this year (2023) joined the Faculty of the New Virtuosi International Mastercourse and is looking forward to returning in 2024.

@catherinealsey

Noah Blythe

My name is Noah Blythe, a 20-year-old Cornet/Trumpet Player from Suffolk, and I’m currently studying at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. I spent most of my early days in the local music school and youth music ensembles around West Suffolk before volunteering in the more beginner ensembles as an associate tutor, alongside playing in many local orchestras and brass bands. I am looking forward to working with Sound Connections to develop my skills as a teacher to help inspire the next generation of young musicians!

@noah_blythe_TPT 

Sherae Callum

My name is Sherae, I’m 17 and I am an aspiring medical student. From a young age I have always been interested in the Arts, starting a professional choir at the age of 9. I believe that music shapes the soul and I am so thankful for the opportunities I have to express myself through song. Outside of my studies I do Opera, Pop, Musical Theatre and Gospel singing as well as choral conducting at my local choir. I also enjoy the sciences, baking and spending time with my younger sisters.

@s_official_xo