Get Involved
Current Opportunities
SOUND INVADERS
Wednesdays (during term time) | 6pm | FREE
Castle School, Taunton TA1 5AU
Sound Invaders – Taunton’s Youth Street Band – is a group for young musicians who play wind, brass and percussion. The group is run by Tim Hill and Julie Meikle and they meet up once a week during term time to learn and arrange tunes, improvise and generally have a lovely time!
The band made their debut performance at The Sound of the Streets festival 2022 and smashed it! Since then they’ve gone from strength to strength, performing at various local venues and have some exciting gigs planned for 2023. New Musicians are always welcome, so if you or someone you know is interested drop a message to tim@thesoundofthestreets.com to find out more.
You can also find out more about what Sound Invaders are up to on their facebook and instagram pages.
Past Opportunities
FESTIVAL 2023 WORKSHOPS
Get involved in this year’s festival! All workshops are free and in the Festival Marquee, Goodland Gardens.
Saturday 30th september
Family Workshop 10am – 12pm | Come and make a headdress, play kazoos & body percussion & join our street procession.
Body Percussion 2pm – 3pm | Workshop with Ollie Tumner for all ages. Ollie is the UK’s leading body Percussion tutor!
Sunday 1st October
Festival Band Workshop 10.30am – 12pm | With The Perhaps Contraption – create a big festival band! For all players of wind, brass and percussion.
The Big Sing 1:30pm to 2:15pm | Come and sing some great tunes with Chris Grabham and our house band. Words provided, all welcome.
For more info contact: tim@thesoundofthestreets.com
STREET DRUMMING DAY
12pm to 5pm | Sept 23rd | FREE
The Castle School Music Department, Taunton
Two of the country’s top youth drum group leaders are running this day for anyone interested in street drumming. You might want to develop your skills, learn how to drum, lead your own drumming group, want to start one or just find out more!
The day will look at how to create a contemporary drum ensemble out of modern drum grooves, hip hop, samba, bhangra and more. The day is for all ages, 12 upwards. Bring your own drums or use the drums and percussion provided.
Therese Johnston and Ben McCabe are two of the UK’s most experienced drum leaders. They both help run Honk! – Lancashire Music hub’s street band. Therese also runs Boom Dang, the drum group based in Cumbria and Ben works for More Music Morecombe, the pioneering community music organisation.
To book a place or for more information contact: tim@thesoundofthestreets.com
The day has been made possible with support from Arts Council England, Somerset Council, Sound Foundation Somerset and Taunton Town Council.
STREET BAND DAY
11am to 4pm | Sept 24th | FREE
Taunton Brewhouse.
Streets bands are a great way to make music and one of the musical wonders of the world. Music for brass, wind and drums full of grooves and life. This day is a free opportunity for all players of brass, wind and drums to come explore this exciting and inspiring sound, led by some of the leading music educators in the UK. We particuarly encorouage young musicians to come along.
Street bands are a great way to develop musical confidence, find out about music from all over the world, learn to play by ear, improvise and develop rhythmic and ensemble skills – all while exploring your instrument.
The workshop tutors include Helen Minshall from Brass Band England, Therese Johnston from the drum group, Boom Dang and Ben McCabe from More Music Morecome. Between them they run Honk! – the Lancashire youth street band. The day will also have tutors from The Sound of the Streets.
To book your place and for more information contact: tim@thesoundofthestreets.com
The day has been made possible with support from Arts Council England, Somerset Council, Sound Foundation Somerset and Taunton Town Council.
Joining in at the Sound of the Streets Festival 2022 | 8th – 10th July
There are lots of opportunities to join in, make music and sing at this year’s Sound of the Streets Festival:
Saturday 9th July
10am | Body Percussion with Ollie Tunmer | Festival Marquee, Goodland Gardens
This is an exciting chance to explore the wonderful world of body percussion with the UK’s leading expert! Ollie is a former STOMP cast member and director of Beat Goes On. Open to all ages.
11am | Family workshop | Festival Marquee, Goodland Gardens
The workshop fun continues with an open session from Ollie and Marcus from the Beat Goes On, Scotland’s innovative music education organisation. Marcus led 12 sousaphones in the ‘River of Hope’ section of the Jubilee Pageant. He and Ollie will lead a music session for everyone including families, using voice, body and percussion.
3.30pm | Street Jam | Festival Marquee, Goodland Gardens
An open session for everyone to join in. You could bring an instrument, use the percussion there, sing, dance or just listen. Led by festival organizer Tim Hill and street band experts Marcus Britton and Ollie Furness.
Sunday 10th july
10.30am | A Joyful Noise, Street Band workshop | Festival Marquee, Goodland Gardens
Come a join a street band! This is the festival slot for people to come together and make a street band for the morning. Anyone can join in, learn some tunes by ear and perform. You can bring an instrument or play the percussion provided and together we will create a band. All lead by the marvellous Marcus Britton from Oi Musica, one of the UK’s leading street band players and educators.
12 Noon | The Big Sing | Castle Green.
The Big Sing is a great chance for everyone to come together, sing, dance and celebrate outdoors. Led by the charismatic choir leader and singer Yvette Staelens, along with the band Tongues of Fire the session will include many well-known songs. These include Beatles songs, Bill Withers tunes like Lovely day, Happy and even a bit of Disney! This is something we all need after two years of Covid. Come on and make a lovely big noise!
CPD Day
Tuesday 28th June | 10.00am – 4.30pm | FREE The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1JL
A day exploring the potential of street bands in education, this CPD session brings together some of the leading practitioners using street music with children and young people.
Street bands are one of the musical wonders of the world and their music has unique potentials in formal and informal education. This is a music that builds musical skills and confidence, is engaging and empowering.
Taunton Youth Street Band
Wednesdays (during term time) | 6pm | FREE
Castle School, Taunton TA1 5AU
We’re always on the lookout for young musicians who play wind, brass and percussion join Taunton’s Youth Street Band! Rehearsals will be starting up again in September, Wednesday’s at 6pm at Castle School. The band made their debut performance at The Sound of the Streets festival 2022 and smashed it! The start of many performances to come. Drop a message to tim@thesoundofthestreets.com for more information.
Guildhall Young Artists Taunton Workshop
Saturday 9th July | AM | FREE
Richard Huish College, South Road, Taunton TA1 3DZ
This is an open workshop for young wind, brass and percussion players to work with tutors from the Kinetika Bloco – a London based performance group with an exuberant mix of young brass and woodwind players, drummers, steel pan and dynamic dancers. An opportunity not to be missed during festival weekend! Save the date and we’ll be adding more details soon.
