Inclusive music-making through improvisation, storytelling and humour.
We Travel to YOUR school!
Every child is welcome.
The Urkestra builds community.
The Urkestra shows kindness, respect and JOY!
About the Urkestra
What is the Joyful Urkestra?
The Joyful Urkestra is essentially an inclusive music-making project based on a new, research-based approach. The Joyful Urkestra uses music improvisation, storytelling, humour and other original elements to encourage children to explore their imagination through music, to experience the freedom of playing music without restrictions and discover new sounds, new instruments and to create music fearlessly with their classmates.
How did this idea come about?
The idea of the Joyful Urkestra came about after an extensive period of research and practice carried out by double bass player Roberto Cassani.
Roberto is constantly developing the idea of the Joyful Urkestra through years of joyful, fearless music making, alongside proper academic research.
It all began as Roberto, reflecting on his own professional practice, realised that improvising music in a group allowed him to experience a sense of freedom and harmony with himself and others, as well as a sense of belonging to a community. Roberto went on to observe that improvising music together teaches people to respect everyone and to truly understand that all people are equally wonderful and equally important.
These emotional and social benefits combined are exactly the features that, according to positive psychology, identify JOY!!
Having discovered joy through music, Roberto thought it would be a very good idea to allow other people to do so, especially children. Making music together for the purpose of joy can have such a beneficial impact on young minds, allowing them to experience the features of a healthy community, through the safe space of music-making.
Who is Roberto Cassani?
Roberto is a professional creative musician born in Italy, who moved to Perthshire, Scotland as a young man. Roberto plays double bass and has had the good fortune of being mentored by legendary double bassist Danny Thompson, whilst establishing himself as an original in-demand musicians in several styles. Roberto is particularly active as an improviser. He has recorded albums available through well known international record labels of jazz and experimental music, and he continues to perform internationally with some of the most exciting players in the field. Roberto’s style often includes humour and always exudes his pure joy of making music in the moment.
Roberto’s career as an educator has developed alongside his interest in research. The work to develop his educational model of “music for the purpose of Joy” has earned Roberto a Master of Research, and he is currently continuing his original creative research at PhD level.
What happens during a session of the Joyful Urkestra?
Every session of the Joyful Urkestra welcomes EVERY child**
No prior musical knowledge is required, whilst every level of skill is very welcome.
Each child plays a small acoustic instrument; all instruments are provided and researched to fit the Urkestra and the age group. (If children want to bring their own instruments, they are welcome to do so too, as long as it still allows everyone else to be heard).
Roberto facilitates the session and plays double bass.
The music-making is led by the children imagination and storytelling, which makes every session different and hilarious.
Each child gets the chance to play all the available instrument and also to “conduct” the Urkestra.
The Joyful Urkestra aims to allow ALL children to interact with music, because the skills and joy they derive from doing so are exactly what we need to grow into kind, respectful and positive members of our communities, even if we decide not to become professional musicians.
**EVERY child is welcome means EVERY child is welcome: all needs and circumstances can be accommodated with a bit of planning, and the inclusion of support staff and equipment as required is indeed very welcome too.
Why improvisation instead of regular music lessons?
“Regular” music lessons are based on the western-classical approach to music, which values the “genius” of the composer, but cares very little for the personalities and circumstances of the people who play the music. When we are learning to play an instrument “properly” and reproduce written music, we necessarily focus on our own struggle to play our part “correctly”, missing not only the fun of playing, but also failing to notice those around us.
Improvising allows us instead to become super-aware of others, to listen selflessly, to negotiate common ground, and to find our place in what goes on around us.
Improvising Music creatively requires the development of a different kind of “virtuoso”: not one who can play their instruments with technical brilliance, but one who understands the value of listening, of teamwork, of valuing everyone’s contribution.
What kind of “virtuoso” do YOU think our society needs the most?…
By the way…When children learn to engage with music with joy, altruism and respect, the results are astoundingly musical too!
How much does it cost?
Probably a lot less than you think. The Joyful Urkestra is not a capitalist endeavour and Roberto’s price plans are based on transparent rates agreed by the relevant trade unions.
Primary 4 Pupil
“You learn that you can work in a team with all the different instruments, and that when you all play together, well, the music sounds good!”
Primary 5 Pupil
“I definitely got confidence from it and some better music skills…and it made me happy…When I was playing music, it just made me happy and excited”
Primary 4 Pupil
“When the music session was done and finished for the week, the whole thing I’d look forward to for the whole week, was the next music session. I felt free”
Primary School Teacher Survey