MUSIC students of all ages were inspired by the professionals as Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra musicians visited a Dorchester School.

More than 80 youngsters attended a workshop at Thomas Hardye School organised by DASP Music, a registered charity working to enhance the musical education of young people in the county town and beyond.

Throughout the day, four professional musicians and a conductor from the BSO led students, between the ages of six and 18, in learning and performing two pieces of classical music.

DASP Music coordinator Hanna Trevorrow said: “The great thing about the workshop is that it gets students of all ages working together. DASP works across all the schools in Dorchester encouraging children to learn an instrument and making music available to them so it really encompassed that message.

"The idea is that workshops like these gets children learning instruments, practicing their instruments, and joining ensembles in the future."

The workshop was open to children of all abilities currently taking music lessons across the Dorchester Area Schools Partnership.

Around 50 middle and upper school students attended for the entire day with an additional 30 lower school students joining for the afternoon session.

For many of the youngsters it was their first time working with professionals in the industry and in an orchestra environment accompanied by a large percussion.

Hanna said: "The advantage of playing alongside professional musicians is that, hopefully, it inspires the students to continue playing their instruments and shows them that there is more to playing than practicing alone in their bedrooms. Playing an instrument can help with children’s self-esteem, confidence, concentration and listening skills.

"With all the cuts that are being made to the arts in schools at the moment, this sort of opportunity, to work with high-level professionals, does not come about often. We are very fortunate that music is still thriving for our young people Dorchester."

Students mastered ‘A Night on the Bare Mountain’ by Mussorgsky and Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries’, both of which will be performed at the annual DASP summer concert at Weymouth Pavilion on Saturday.

Victor Aviat, BSO's Leverhulme Young Conductor in Association who led the workshop, said: "It is essential to build a strong bond between young people and music. Music is a very abstract form of art, however it can be created, experienced, and performed together.

"To play music together in an orchestra not only improves children’s social skills and self-assurance, but increases their consideration for one another. An important notion and decisive matter in today’s world."

Opportunities such as the BSO workshop are only possible due to sponsorship and fundraising. 

Those interested in sponsoring an event, or supporting the charity in the future, should get in touch via their website www.daspmusic.co.uk.