Shakira and Yasmine reflect on their time during the Wired4Music Associates programme

Meet Shakira and Yasmine, Wired4Music’s first ever Associates. As alumni of our Wired4Music community, both Shakira and Yasmine were exploring their next steps when they became the first participants in Sound Connections’ new Wired4Music Associates programme at the beginning of this year. The programme was created through a desire to retain the exceptional talent and insight of young people within our Wired4Music community, and to bridge the gap for alumni aged 24-30, enabling them to return and contribute to the programme for new members.

Over the past six months, Shakira and Yasmine have immersed themselves in Sound Connections’ sector support and consultancy work, learning the ropes of what we do and co-delivering consultancy projects, training and events alongside the team, under the mentorship of Liz, our Consultancy Programme Manager.

As their training nears completion, we caught up with Shakira and Yasmine about their experiences in the new programme. Here they share their highlights, offer advice to young people considering applying, and discuss their next steps as they transition into fully-fledged junior members of Sound Connections’ Associate Consultant pool.

Hi Shakira and Yasmine! Please could you introduce yourself briefly?

Shakira: I’m Shakira Alleyne, I’m a writer, musician and Wired4Music Associate consultant from London.

Yasmine: Hi, I’m Yasmine Dankwah and I’m a Wired4Music Associate at Sound Connections. Outside of work, I am a spoken word poet, writer and more recently a sound designer for theatre and live performance.

As you know, you are the first young people to participate in Sound Connections’ new Wired4Music Associates programme. What was it that drew you to the programme in the first place?

Shakira: I liked that it offered real-life hands on work experience alongside the training with the chance to co-produce and co-deliver projects because often I feel like I learn a lot on programmes but don’t get the chance to put that knowledge into practice and truly develop my skills. Also the fact that it was a paid opportunity made me feel like I would be valued for my time and effort.

Yasmine: What drew me to the programme was my relationship to Sound Connections and Wired4Music. I had been part of the Training and Professional Development Programme for the Inclusive Practice In Action (IPIA) conference a couple of years back, and it was genuinely one of the nicest experiences I’ve had with an organisation. So, when the opportunity arose and I saw that I fit the criteria it was a no-brainer. It was also just the explicit opportunity to learn, work and be mentored, that I don’t think I had come across in other job applications. It is rare that organisations insinuate there being a safe space to fail and try again. Looking back, I didn’t realise how important this was to me and how crucial it has been in my development as an Associate consultant but also as a person.

The Associates programme has taken place over the course of roughly six months. How have you found this process and what are some of the things you’ve been involved in?

Shakira: I’ve found the process informative, fun, challenging at times, but ultimately incredibly rewarding. We’ve done so much in that time! We received lots of training around areas like research and evaluation, worked on consultancy projects, co-produced Inclusive Practice in Action, and began working on our own research projects.

Yasmine: The process has been a really special one! This is a pilot programme and so it’s been really collaborative. In a recent training programme, I kind of compared the experience to Shakira, Liz and I being co-cartographers – consulting each other and outlining a sort of map to envision what the journey is for us and what the final destination or end goal for us together as well as individually could be.

As part of that journey, Shakira and I have done quite a bit! We’ve undergone some training with each of Sound Connections team members to get an insight into what they do and their process, we helped to co-produce the Inclusive Practice in Action Conference 2024 alongside the Wired4Music Producer at the time, karmokar, and even shadowed and co-led some consultancy sessions with organisations throughout the UK.

What new learning, skills, or thinking do you feel like you are equipped with now, that you may not have been before joining the programme?

Shakira: When I look back from the start of the programme to now I can really see how much I’ve grown both personally and professionally. The most valuable thing I have learned is to trust in myself and the process when working on projects. There were many times when I felt stuck because I was focusing on the ideal outcome but with help from the team I learned that things gradually come together which they did and I’ve been really proud of the outcomes! Another massive change for me is that I’ve learned how to work as part of a team and ask for help which is something that I used to shy away from before.

Yasmine: As part of the programme, we are also undertaking an independent project. I am currently working on a podcast, which I’ll get onto a bit later. Recently I was listening back to a conversation I had with Shakira as part of this, and it filled me with so much pride, just with regards to the amount of growth we’ve both had. I thought it was really special to have documented a little bit of our journey in that way.

But in terms of new learnings, I would say co-leading training sessions, leading panels and even curating my own. I never really imagined doing that before. I didn’t really think that was a possibility, until I’d been invited to do so by Alison, Wizdom and Liz on and beyond the programme. It’s really empowering to have people in senior positions trust your potential like that.

What has been your highlight of the Associates programme?

Shakira: There’s been a few! I’d say my top two moments have been co-producing Inclusive Practice In Action (IPIA), where I got the opportunity to create and host a panel on Neurodiversity in Music. Plus the first time Yasmine and I went on a consultancy trip alone because it showed how far we had come and developed during the programme.

Yasmine: Ahhhhhhh!!!! There are so many things. Generally, it’s been the ability to speak to people, whether it be in a training session, an introductory zoom with an organisation, during panel discussions or even interviewing for my independent project. When it comes to meeting people I can be very reserved, but in a role like this it’s made me just push myself out of my comfort zone a bit more.

As the final part of the programme, you have each pursued and individual, independent project. Could you please tell us a bit about your project?

Shakira: I chose to do a documentary on Neurodiversity in Music. It’s a deeper dive into what I covered on my panel looking at the challenges neurodivergent people face when trying to find work in the music industry/education sector, examples of best practice and what next steps can be taken in order to improve access.

I really wanted to do something around neurodiversity because it’s been a big part of my experience and journey into music. The idea of a documentary came to me randomly and felt like a complete pipe dream at first but I was so excited by it. I’d never created any kind of film content before so I started off with lots of research on what goes into a documentary, how to use equipment, scripting etc. Then I got in touch with a few people who I wanted to take part and filmed interviews with them. I’m now learning how to edit for the first time which I’m really enjoying.

I’ve always felt that creating more awareness around neurodiversity was important but speaking to all the participant really showed me that I’m not alone in my experiences. This documentary will help practitioners and organisations support neurodivergent people better and hopefully offer neurodivergent people validation and inspiration on their journeys into music.

Yasmine: Pathways is a podcast in which I talk to five young creatives from various fields about their experiences on creative training programmes. In this series, we look at their experiences, both positive and negative, and posit ways in which organisations are supporting or can better support young people getting into the creative industries after the programme ends.

What inspired this podcast was my experience of being on several programmes, with a little bit more to add on the CV or portfolio, sometimes some new friends, followed by a series of rejected applications! I felt like I was equipped but couldn’t get my foot in the door despite the support and I wanted to hear the thoughts of some of my peers and their experiences. Also, being part of the Wired4Music Associate programme which was aimed at those who were aging out or had aged out of the 16-25 bracket, I was curious as to why other organisations hadn’t considered implementing a strategy like this, especially after COVID.

The process has been really insightful, this is my first time bringing a podcast to life but I’m grateful to have the support of my friend for editing and challenging me to think about form playfully. It’s also just been a pleasure to talk to so many wise and talented people, that I get the pleasure of calling my peers, friends even. Although you won’t hear them in this series (wink, wink nudge nudge) I am also grateful to have spoken to organisational leads who were open and receptive to the idea and hopped on board to chat.

What advice would you give to other young people and Wired4Music members considering applying to the programme?

Shakira: Trust in the process!! Also don’t be afraid to ask for help because the team will be there to support you and to help you achieve your desired outcomes.

Yasmine: Firstly, DO IT! Secondly, say yes to the things that scare you because the opportunity for growth on this programme is crazy! Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The team are really supportive and are always on hand to help!

What’s next for you?

Shakira: I’ll be doing freelance work with Sound Connections and continuing to develop my consultancy skills. I’d also like to use what I’ve learned around producing and facilitation to do more public speaking/events around music access as well as neurodiversity. In the near future I’m hoping to apply for Arts Council England funding to set up music workshops for autistic people with a late diagnosis.

Yasmine: As we’re getting into the summer, I think I’m going to have more of a focus on my writing and perform some more spoken word poetry. Storytelling is something that I love to do, and since going to the last Wired Up event, I’ve been very inspired to pick up my pen and write and play again!

In terms of being an Associate, we’ve got a few more opportunities and visits in the pipeline! In addition to that, I’m finishing up my independent project. I am also helping on the Training and Professional Development Programme, about gathering information about young people’s experiences with music and how music educators, whether they be teachers, youth workers, facilitators etc. can better support young people on their pathway into music.

We’ve got a survey going around at the moment, so if you’re aged 16-25 or know of anyone that is, please share this survey with them. The hope is that from this information we can collaborate with responders to co-create and co-lead training sessions for music educators that help make music education more inclusive and accessible!