Berkshire Maestros’ Charity Single for Berkshire Youth

28 July 2022

Berkshire Maestros have released an original song, created by young people across Berkshire, to raise funds for Berkshire Youth.

Students came together to write, perform, and record the track during a number of workshops. It features contributions from the Berkshire Youth Choir, Berkshire Youth Symphony Orchestra and Reading Soundstage, and others. The song explores the use of music to help get through difficulty.

Dawn Wren, CEO of Berkshire Maestros, said: “I am incredibly proud of what our students have achieved with this single. It is a testament to each and every one of them and the fact that they have been so involved in the creating of this song only enhances the messaging that the song contains. I am also proud to support our friends at Berkshire Youth who do such amazing work with young people.”

A Berkshire Maestros student involved in the project said: “Creating my own music is a means of expression through which I get to tell my own story and emotions that I feel which would have been caged or stuck inside of me otherwise.”

Another said: “I’ve always enjoyed listening to music and interested in how it comes together to tell peoples stories, and I started writing my own songs. I think it might be one of the best things ever because you can put so much of yourself behind a project and it’s an amazing creative tool. It’s the best feeling to have a project and make it come alive.”

The project looks to increase awareness of Berkshire Youth’s work and raise funds, which will go towards the provision of accessible music activities at Waterside Centre. The Music Lounge, based in Waterside Centre, offers a safe space for young people to explore and develop creativity through music, and can be booked as rehearsal or studio space.

Joe McCormack, Berkshire Maestros Teacher, said: “As an ex-Maestros student myself, even from an early age I had been really interested in learning about the process of creating original recorded music. I knew that there would be many students in our network that are also passionate about this kind of music making, so I felt I had to put together a project where we could provide our young musicians the opportunity that I never had.”

The single is available via Spotify, BandCamp, or your preferred music streaming service. To download the charity single or to donate, please visit www.beacons.ai/comealive.