New Making Tracks release! New Friends Old Enemies

November 19, 2021Leave a comment

In October 2021 a group of young people from East London took part in Making Tracks, formed a band and together created a set of songs written from their own perspectives and life experiences titled ‘New Friends Old Enemies’, as well as producing their own podcasts ‘Creepy Pasta of London’ and ‘The Life and Times of Charles Stuart’ – an in-depth interview by Radu and Conrad with ITT musician Charles!

This project was run in partnership with The Prince’s Trust’s Get Started programme and supported by Youth Music.

Featuring young artists: Arry Moss, AH, Cash ARB, Conrad James, J. Marden, Lesser Compact, Abraham, Mathew, Radu

Supported by ITT Musicians: Charles Stuart, Emma Williams, Tom Wright-Goss

CD artwork by Keir Cooper

Making Tracks · New Friend Old Enemies

Black Lives Matter international collaboration

November 26, 2020November 10, 2021Leave a comment

We are proud to present these new pieces created as part of an international collaboration between the Irene Taylor Trust and Civic Orchestra of Chicago to explore themes around the Black Lives Matter movement.

ITT Music · Black Lives Matter: Twisted Passion/New Era

ITT Music · Black Lives Matter: Back in the Day & All Lives Will Matter When Black Lives Matter

ITT Music · Black Lives Matter: Melanin Skin & Black and I’m Proud

In response to not being able to work together in person, ITT and our partners in Chicago devised an ambitious online project, utilising the skills of 23 people including the ITT project team, young musicians from the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and a number of lyricists and vocalists who have benefitted from ITT’s prison and community programmes, including former Making Tracks participants.

The driving force behind the project was the desire to respond in a creative way to the events surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, and to create a set of 6 new songs focusing on past events, the present day and our hopes for the future. Groups met online to devise musical and lyrical ideas and structures, worked offline to create and record their individual parts and then came back together online to hone the ideas and shape each song into its final form. The result was 6 very different but extraordinary songs, all beautifully crafted and unique in content.

The project was supported by

The Leche Trust

Charles Hayward Foundation

Making Tracks in Lewisham 2019

July 7, 2019August 7, 2019Leave a comment

Check out the fantastic new music created by young people from Lewisham on Making Tracks:

Making Tracks: North West- music from Trafford & Oldham projects

May 7, 2019May 7, 2019Leave a comment

Making Tracks started out as a London-based programme, but recently we’ve been working with talented young musicians in the North West, with projects in Oldham and Trafford in partnership with TiPP, and another to come soon in Salford.

We’re delighted to share the music created on Making Tracks: North West to date:

New release day! Making Tracks in Newham

October 23, 2018October 23, 2018Leave a comment

Drum roll please… the latest album made by young people in Newham on the Making Tracks programme is ready for your listening pleasure!!

For this project there were two groups, which formed the bands ‘Golden Jets’ and ‘Drillers’.

As well as creating, performing & recording original tracks, each group produced their own radio shows, which are included on the playlist below.

This project was supported by National Foundation for Youth Music, Charles Haywood Foundation and Newham YOT.

Presenting ‘Best of Me’ by The Late 8ights

August 9, 2018Leave a comment

We’re excited to present the latest album made by young people on Making Tracks; listen below to ‘Best of Me’ by The Late 8ights – a new band formed on a project in June in partnership with The Prince’s Trust Get Started at their Morgan Stanley Centre in Poplar.

As well as writing some brilliant original music together – they spent a day learning about how to create their own radio show! They called the station ‘Woody Radio’ and the show ‘The Tea’ – it’s track 5 below.

Making Tracks: new album ‘Moments’

April 27, 2018Leave a comment

In March 2018 a group of young people took part in Making Tracks, formed the band ‘Trustees’ and together created a set of songs written from their own perspectives and life experiences for the album ‘Moments’, as well as producing their own radio show ‘New Era on UA Radio’.

This album includes live recordings from the performance at Croydon Hive.

Making Tracks is a programme developed by the Irene Taylor Trust to positively engage young people in the community by providing enriching creative opportunities. This project was run in partnership with The Prince’s Trust’s Get Started programme.

More info about The Prince’s Trust’s Get Started programme is here.