The Easter holidays are done and dusted, and as the team at Bandit 36 wave goodbye (for now) to another group of young musicians, Stroud Times reflects on the success of this year’s sell-out gig at The Sub Rooms.
Bandit is a songwriter and band project based in Stroud, aimed at children between 7 and 17. This year, over 60 children enrolled from 24 different schools from around Gloucestershire. With Maidenhill School as its base, children come together to form bands and compose and rehearse their own, original music. This is all done under professional supervision from industry experts like Kevin Howlett and the team, and six work experience music students.
Walter Sprenger, 11, took part in Bandit 36: “Day one – everyone’s excited. Day two- there are sometimes arguments! By day three- everyone’s forgotten the troubles from day 2, and we get a lot done! On performance night, everyone really enjoyed it and had loads of fun performing their songs on stage.”
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By the end of the week, sixteen bands performed at The Sub Rooms in front of a live audience. This year was a sell-out concert, as mums, dads, carers and grandparents enjoyed music written along the theme of ‘ephemera’, meaning things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time.
Drummer and singer Isa Reynolds, 10, loves how the project opens up new experiences, she said: “I like how Bandit creates friendships with people outside of school. I also like how it encourages kids to be creative, so I’m not spending my holidays in front of a screen. We have to learn to collaborate, negotiate and be creative when we are writing songs in a group. Performing at the Subs on Thursday night was amazing! My family was in the audience and it was so fun! All the teachers are really nice and I can’t wait till the next Bandit.”
The project meets just twice a year usually; spring and the autumn, but the organisers have just revealed they’ll be adding a third date to the Bandit diary.
A Summer Bandit will be held on the last weekend in July, taking over the whole of Woodchester Mansion, culminating with live performances across two stages.
For more information: http://www.banditmusicprojects.co.uk
Watch the final performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ly_8tnek_s&feature=youtu.be
