Feedback on Aberdeenshire Youth Music Sessions (AYMS) 2024/25 Evaluation

In our survey we asked:

• Which school you attended.
• Which year group you were in.
• What instrument you play.
• Did you attend any of the AYMS projects?
• What AYMS project you attended.
• Did you get what you expected from the project?
• For your thoughts on AYMS.
• Did you attend as a Young Leader?
• For comments from the Young Leaders.
• Are you likely to attend Aberdeenshire Youth Music Sessions in the future?
• If there are any other types of ensembles you would like.
• If raising the fees would affect you/your child’s ability to participate.

You told us:

• Pupils from 14 Academies and 48 Primary Schools participated.

The table below shows the number of pupils in each year group:

The table below shows the instruments played:

• 22.1% of respondents had attended at least one project and 77.9% had not attended.

Concert Band at Mackie Academy

• 53.1% of AYMS participants attended Concert Band at Mackie Academy.
  • 88.9% felt the number of sessions was just right, 11.1% would like more sessions offered in future.
  • 94.4% felt the music provided was suitable, 5.6% felt it was unsuitable.
    • The respondent felt the music was far higher than they could play which put them off.

    
    

What you learnt from the Concert Band sessions:

How to play as part of a band and helping younger, less experienced children.

• Cooperate with other players.
• Working in a group setting and loads of other things.
• Widened skills, and how to play alongside other instruments.
• New ways to play notes.
• How to play as part of an orchestra.
• Fantastic experience playing in a larger group.
• Group playing and with a Conductor.
• Playing harder parts in an ensemble.
• How magical it is to be part of an orchestra.
• New songs and confidence.
• Learned new music.
• Teamwork, discipline, concentration.
• She enjoyed being part of the Orchestra and would like to give it a go again when she’s more capable at the tenor horn.
• As a young helper, I'm gaining experience with helping younger players which is a good experience for me to use for University Applications.
• Improved speed and fluency playing with a group.

Junior Strings Orchestra at Mackie Academy

• 40.6% of AYMS participants attended the Junior Strings Orchestra at Mackie Academy.
  • 64.3% felt the number of sessions was just right, 35.7% would like more sessions offered in future.
  • 100% felt the music provided was suitable.

What you learnt from the Mackie Junior Strings Orchestra sessions:

• How to play as part of a group, new songs, enjoyment of music.
• Loads.
• It was my daughter’s first time taking part in this and she loved it. She was supported to feel comfortable and enjoyed the performance.
• Learned how to play new music and learned to play with other string instruments and follow the conductor.
• How fun it is to be part of an orchestra.
• It’s good to have more sessions for practice.
• New songs and it felt fun.
• How to play in big group.
• I improved my ability to help people less advanced than I am.
• they helped me to play the cello. it was nice to learn how to perform along other people. nice to see where the cello fits in the string section/orchestra.
• Leadership Skills.
• Improved my playing skills, learned more about marking up my music, learned to play with and listen for others.
• How to play in a group and how to play a part when other people were playing different parts.
• Commitment, dedication, teamwork, listening. Also further violin skills such as timing, rhythm, dynamics etc.

Junior Strings Orchestra at Inverurie Academy

• 21.9% of AYMS participants attended the Junior Strings Orchestra at Inverurie Academy.
  • 42.9% felt the number of sessions was just right, 57.1% would like more sessions offered in future.
  • 100% felt the music provided was suitable.

What you learnt from the Inverurie Junior Strings Orchestra sessions:

• Loads.
• My love of music is something special.
• Finger placement and fine motor skills.
• Improved skills of playing in a group.
• I improved my ability to help people less advance than I am.
• To play different pieces of music.

Your Project Expectations:

• 71.4% said that the project met expectations and 28.6% said the project exceeded expectations.

Thoughts from respondents:

• My daughter attended Stonehaven and Inverurie and both were incredible. Inverurie is way easier to get to for us but it’s been worth the travel.
• Love them.
• Would like to attend again soon.
• A fun, different way to spend your weekend.
• Really enjoyed it. Please do more if possible.
• A great opportunity for pupils who are learning to play an instrument to come together. Thanks.
• Absolutely delightful and hope they continue to happen.
• Would like to have weekly one session as in Aberdeen city council.
• They are fun and have helped my daughter’s confidence grow.
• Would like more sessions.
• I enjoyed it.
• Good initiative. Keep the good work going.
• Don’t have any other thoughts.
• I really enjoy them.
• They are great and hope they continue. Please bring a QR code with link to payment for donations as keep forgetting to bring cash to concerts.
• I really enjoy it and the instructor is GREAT!
• Great idea and a lovely experience for the children.
• The instructors are exceptional teachers with great dedication to their young pupils. All the teaching team are very good.
• This child attended in order to benefit from time with the AYMS teachers as she is not able to receive lessons at school due to lack of tutors. She does learn privately but these are online and remote.
• Very good quality. Dedicated staff.
• I really enjoyed it. I would like to do more in future.
• Mostly excellent, however some thoughts about the final concert. There should be a fair balance of time given in the concerts between orchestra and concert band, and also no sing-along tunes - the audience want to hear the musicians, not sing themselves.

Young Leaders

• 9.4% of respondents were Young Leaders.

Thoughts from Young Leaders:

• I enjoyed being a young leader and improving my communication skills with others to help them improve their musical skills.
• Having young leaders is good because it helps support the junior attendees with simple tasks while the teachers then have time to work on skills. I was given good responsibility and also saw the work that goes into preparing for the sessions.
• I enjoy helping not only as it gives me a different musical experience. It's also nice to help the instructor as she does so much to help me.

Future AYMS attendance:

• This survey was sent to all pupils receiving tuition with the IMS. 39.3% of respondents said they are not very likely to attend AYMS in the future, 36.6% said they likely would and 24.1% said very likely.

Musical ensembles you would like in the future:

• Scottish fiddle group.
• Something that offers appropriate wind opportunities in Inverurie! None of the ones here were suitable for my daughter and we couldn’t travel to where the concert ones were.
• Guitar.
• Pipe Bands, bagpipes are maybe treated a little differently?
• Traditional music sessions as well as classical.
• Brass band.
• Ones that do not have a required time of over 1hr to travelling.
• Maybe a choir?
• String quartet.
• Jazz.
• I can't think how you could include piano.
• Pipe band event.
• More information.
• None of them are really suitable for piano player.
• Not really just something closer to Alford.
• More of these events including brass instruments.
• Brass.
• Pipes and drums.
• Continue with chanter to progress to bagpipes and pipe bands.
• Concert band or orchestra in Inverurie.
• Traditional Scottish music/ fiddle etc.
• Already plays in a local concert band every week so isn’t looking to play in any other ensembles at the moment.
• Would like to have more ensemble/bands planned.
• Weekly sessions.
• I would like to see both groups together, Strings and the other ones.

Your thoughts on the fee increase:

• 6.2% said an increase in fees would affect their ability to participate and 93.8% said it would not.

Based on the data:

• We recognise that playing in an ensemble is valuable to you and will continue to organise projects.

• We will review the number of sessions on offer.

• We will match music with pupils’ level of ability and encourage pupils to voice any concerns with AYMS instructors regarding being over or under challenged.

• Young Leaders placed importance on leadership and mentoring to support younger musicians. The Young Leaders element of projects will remain and be developed.

• We will explore ways in which we can offer a greater range of ensembles across a wider geographical area.

• We will explore different ways for parents/carers/visitors to send donations to AYMS.

• Fees will increase in academic session 2025/26 in line with the Retail Price Index.