Helping Young Musicians Succeed

The music industry can be a challenging field to break into, but one project is helping young musicians in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to develop their skills and create a music scene in the area. Play Produces Promote (PPP) is an initiative that works with young people to develop their talents and provide them with the opportunity to learn about the music industry.

What is Play Produces Promote?

Play Produces Promote is an off-shoot of Freshly Greated, a project that aims to develop the music scene in Great Yarmouth. The project provides young musicians with the opportunity to learn about the music industry, develop their skills, and create a music scene in the area. The program director, Jacqui Mackay, said: "I am 53 years old, and when I decided to produce a musical night, I didn’t think many young people would be there, so it’s about music for young people."

The Benefits of Play Produces Promote

The project has been beneficial for many young musicians in the area. Brothers Harry (15) and Rupert (11) have been participating in the project and have developed their skills as musicians. Harry said: "It was incredible. I love the crowd; I love everyone here. Most of my friends are in PPP, and it combines everything in the most amazing way." Rupert added: "I like the atmosphere here because everyone is respectful and friendly together and appreciates how talented we are mutually."

Overcoming Challenges

For some young musicians, Play Produces Promote has been a lifeline. Harry, who has eczema and autism, said: "Bullying; I had to live with it since I was younger, but music gave me a way to climb over it." His brother Rupert added: "It helped both of us. Harry and I were always the quirky, strange children at school, and games helped us to find the people we fit in with."

Success Stories

The project has also been successful in helping young musicians to develop their careers. Dan (15) and his bandmates in Niche have been able to develop their skills and learn how to promote their work to attract an audience. Dan’s father, Shaun, said: "It’s fantastic. It’s something I dabbled with when I was a teenager, but he’s taken it to a whole new level." Dan added: "I appear in two bands: one, The Pumpkins, and the other, Kuiper. I also come here to see other people playing."

The Importance of Young People

The program director, Jacqui Mackay, emphasized the importance of young people in the project. She said: "I don’t know what music young people want to create, I don’t know what skills they need to make the music they want to hear. It is therefore absolutely important to us that young people program events and decide which bands are heard by other young people." Play Produces Promote is all about developing the music scene in Great Yarmouth, starting to invest in young people, and giving them the opportunity to find out what is involved in playing music, producing music, and promoting music.