Our first commission as Mako Digital Arts CIC was awarded by Alfred Shaw Trust. We’re pleased to have been able to work with them as we aim to deliver positive social change within Merseyside.

Our Music Makers project gave young people in Runcorn and Widnes the opportunity to enjoy a fun and educational session on digital music making.

During this project, we encouraged getting young people working in teams, developing their communication skills and confidence through the activities we deliver, shown below.

What Our Project Covered

  • Cover Sampling

  • Mixing

  • Beat Making

  • Composing

  • Music Production

  • Creating Artwork

  • Creating Merchandise

The Digital Music Making project was aimed at those aged between 11-16 years old. Inside Grangeway Youth Club we held three sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. Our first session introduced the basic fundamentals of digital music making. Before allowing participants to indulge their creativity into producing their own songs and merchandise.

Using iPads young people were able to create their own musical projects through the use of; digital applications, microphones and headphones. As a result, everybody was able to take home a finished recording of their own work. 

Participants got to create music using loops with each song tailored towards the learners own style and musical preferences,  allowing for people express themselves creatively during the project. 

If desired, participants could also explore music production further through creating graphical advertisements such as a logo. A fun way to personalise their work with an artistic touch. This work was also completed on an iPad using digital applications.

To make merchandise using the digital graphics produced. We also gave participants the opportunity to use a badge making machine to get involved in making physical merchandise.

To ensure the project was available to everybody, the sessions were free of charge and all equipment was provided. No previous experience with technology or creating music was required.

Finished Results

Check out some of the examples of the work produced during the project. Young people returned each week to continue getting engaged with their own music making activities. Showing the success in our teachings and the enthusiasm created throughout this project. From being able to make their own music from scratch using technology, and craft their own physical representation. With both a digital and physical representation of music making, our project allows for full exposure into digital arts and crafts.

Final Thoughts

We would like to thank Alfred Shaw Trust for our first project as Mako Digital Arts CIC. 

The workshops we delivered were a success following feedback from our evaluations. There was lots of enthusiasm towards the music production. Later on, we also had the opportunity to reach out our digital music making workshop to a younger audience at Liverpool Central Library. 

We would like to thank Alfred Shaw Trust for giving us this opportunity to help young people to attend workshops and explore their own creativity through music. Our partnership worked to help raise the aspirations of young people living in Runcorn with particular interest in music and the arts. We also want to thank the participants for their efforts and commitment towards gaining the most out of their experiences from this project.