Growing Music was a programme in partnership with our friends at The WOMAD Foundation developed by Annie Mentor and Mauricio Velezserra with the concept of making music from bamboo.

Plant Bamboo. Grow Bamboo. Harvest Bamboo. Make Panpipes from Bamboo. Compose music on the panpipes. Performance.

The first project was at Dungannon Primary School where by default we created Northern Ireland's first Bamboo Orchestra. Video Link

The second project was with Waverley & Ballykeel Youth Clubs, Ballymena  Video Link

The third project was with a seniors group at Community Relations Forum, Glengormley

There were so many extra layers to this project and it need two groups who would make panpipes with two different tunings. For a composition chromatic scale it requires both sets of panpipes to work together. Also the education about bamboo, its uses and we also aligned the messaging about being resilient and pliable like bamboo.

"I remember the teachers faces in the primary school when Mauricio, after giving the instructions, gave the children hacksaws and stanley knives and told them to get on with it. They understood that responsibility, worked in pairs and took care of each others safety. That moment informed much of how we approached future children projects" Darren - Beyond Skin