I’m delighted to tell you about my latest project –  the NYMAZ Early Years Songbook: Songs for Modern Childhoods which is designed to celebrate the diverse lifestyles of children in contemporary Britain, and is accompanied by a CD featuring children from early years settings across North Yorkshire.

The new commissions mirror modern, everyday life: a long journey to see relatives becomes an adventure; festivals from Diwali to Chinese New Year are observed; a curiosity in exploring the great outdoors is fostered; cross-cultural friendships are celebrated; and the concept of a ‘family’ and its different forms is neatly explained.

I thoroughly enjoyed drafting the introductory copy for each of the twelve new, original songs and putting together a playful design brief. The end result has had a fantastic response from young children so far – and also provided rich content for social media and PR.

A series of CPD workshops for music practitioners will take place in November 2017 to demonstrate creative ways of engaging the under-fives with the songs. The songbook can also be purchased from Harrogate International Festivals’ web site. http://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/festival-events-2017/nymaz-songbook-workshop/