In this guest blog, Chloe Rigby, reflects on her journey with Orchestras Live. From student participant in our New Connections initiative to vocal lead on ENERGY with Sinfonia Viva.

She shares how mentorship and hands-on experience through New Connections has helped her build confidence and a growing toolkit as an early-career music leader.

My name is Chloe Rigby and I am writing about some of the projects I have been involved with through Orchestras Live as a student and now an early-career professional. 

I’m thrilled to share my experience working with Sinfonia Viva, Orchestras Live, and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council on a project called ENERGY.

As the vocal lead on ENERGY, I had the rewarding responsibility of visiting each participating school, leading workshops to teach the four core ENERGY songs composed by James Redwood, the project’s Music Leader.

All the children and teachers from the schools I visited then came together for the culmination performance to share their hard work and perform with a professional orchestra.

The performances turned out to be one of those career highlight kind of days, if you know what I mean! It was particularly special to collaborate with Orchestras Live and James again, as my first experience with both was through New Connections during my studies at Leeds Conservatoire. That project was my introduction to music leadership, and it’s been wonderful to come full circle, now in the capacity of an early-career professional.

Back on the New Connections project as a student at university, I felt both excited and nervous as it was my first experience in music leadership, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, or what would be expected of me, especially as this type of work was new to me.

I was eager to explore what leading music projects would involve, as the opportunity looked fantastic! I was keen to learn the skills required and how projects and workshop leading or supporting could contribute to shaping my portfolio career after graduation.

New Connections gave me the opportunity to work with and learn from established professionals like James Redwood and Amina Hussain. James has been an influential mentor for me when it comes to working in educational settings, shaping both my skills and confidence as a music leader. Working with him on both projects, I learned not only the technical musical aspects of leading outreach and co-creation workshops for young people but also how to engage and inspire them, ensuring the learning process is enjoyable and impactful.

During my training on New Connections, James encouraged me to build a toolkit of resources, games, and activities that I could adapt for different settings, which has given me flexibility and creativity as an educator, and my toolbox continues to grow with every session I am involved in. I left the New Connections experience with lots of tricks and tips up my sleeve, which I have used in ENERGY and beyond.

James’ mentorship helped me understand the importance of planning while also being adaptable, a balance that is crucial in music leadership. Most importantly, James and the New Connections experience showed me what it means to lead with clarity and assurance, and the support has been instrumental in developing my confidence to take on further roles in projects.

New Connections provided me with the essential skills and experience that laid the foundation for my continued work in music leadership as I transitioned into my career after graduation.

My role in ENERGY has been both challenging and rewarding. Through this experience, I have gained valuable insights that I will reflect on and apply to future projects as my approach continues to develop and evolve. I have continued to expand my toolkit and have had the opportunity to further develop my musicianship skills.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed visiting the participating schools, meeting many talented and enthusiastic children, and hearing their voices and confidence grow throughout the process.

A highlight of the project was the culmination performances, where it was truly inspiring to watch and hear everyone, including Sinfonia Viva, come together to share their music. This experience has reinforced my passion for music leadership and my commitment to continuing this work in the future.