Big Noise

In the summer of 2008 the charity Sistema Scotland established its Big Noise orchestra in Raploch, Stirling. Big Noise isan orchestra programme that aims to transform children’s lives through music.The programme uses music-making to foster confidence, teamwork, pride andaspiration in the children taking part – and across their wider community.

Children in Raploch and at Castleview begin Big Noise in nursery, learning about their chosen instruments through makingpaper replicas. In P1 they move on to the real instrument and join the stringorchestra. The current generation of children will continue throughout primaryschool and into their teens.

A typical Big Noise child is with the orchestra for seven hours a week at after school club, up to 20 hours a week during holidays,attends up to six concerts a year, performs at six concerts a year, and has three ‘Take a Musician Home for Tea’ visits, when children play music indifferent households and often to other neighbours too.

Big Noise is now well established in Raploch. New babies grow up hearing music all around them and it won’t be long before theyare with Big Noise in nursery, making music throughout their childhood and beyond and learning the values of cooperating and supporting each other.