InsideOut Musician: new online community launched for musicians
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
The website will offer musical and personal development courses as well as an online performance space
InsideOut Musician is the brainchild of violist Sophie Renshaw, who felt moved to act after seeing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on musicians.
The new website will offer courses, resources and an online performance space, designed to encourage and support musicians to connect with each other and their audiences in new ways, with a focus on health and wellbeing.
Once a month the community will host an 'InsideOut Ceilidh' hosted by Mairi Campbell, which aims to bring musicians together in a virtual space to make music.
Courses currently available are:
- Modern and baroque violin playing with Lucy Russell
- Coaching and improvisation with Sophie Renshaw
- Holistic classes focusing on breath, meditation and yoga-inspired techniques with cellist Ruth Phillips
- Interplay, folk fiddle and slow sessions with Mairi Campbell
- Improvisation, basic audio skills and discussion groups with composer with Liz Dilnot Johnson
Founder Sophie Renshaw commented: ‘Musicians have been hit particularly hard by restrictions surrounding Covid-19; in some cases, the effects on mental health and well-being have been devastating.
'In fact, for a considerable time before the pandemic arrived, musicians have faced challenges brought about by a reduction in public funding and investment in the arts, and the rise of digital music platforms.
'Back in March 2020 as the world went online, I saw an opportunity to create an alternative platform for musicians to connect, be creative and share their work with new audiences.
'In the early days of the pandemic, I attended Mairi Campbell’s new ‘Campbell’s Ceilidh’, which brings lovers of music and art from around the world together online to connect and have fun. This became the inspiration for our own InsideOut Ceilidh, and our subsequent courses and sessions have grown out of research into innovative ways to work online with students and other musicians that we all undertook throughout this year.’
Sessions and courses start from £10, with bursaries available for students.
InsideOut Musician launches officially with a ceilidh on Thursday 28 January.