The X Factor meets The Apprentice at Sherborne Girls

The challenge

Eat your heart out Simon Cowell…and Sir Alan Sugar! Sherborne Girls Lower Sixth is the first school in the country to undertake a new and exciting project created by Musikscool (www.musikscool.co.uk), in which the girls were tasked with not only writing and recording music for a five-track CD, but also marketing, fundraising and designing a cover all in one day.

The proceeds of the event have been donated to the charity Kids Company (www.kidsco.org.uk), founded by ex-Sherborne girl Camilla Batmanghelidjh, which offers practical, emotional and educational support for inner city children who have turned to drugs and crime.

On the day

The mysterious project was only revealed to the 73 pupils the night before. The atmosphere was pressurised and the girls were tireless at cold-calling and promoting their cause to local radio stations, newspapers and magazines; resulting in one pupil being live on BBC Somerset.

To create the CD, all of the pupils performed on at least one track. Working closely with Musikscool the girls recorded music ranging from folk to pop. The songs were written and practiced on the school field and recorded in the music department using Musikscool’s equipment and Sherborne’s musical instruments. They raised funds by selling the CD to parents and were sponsored by local companies.

The girls were excited and passionate about the challenge, as pupil Rachael Ellis explains: “The day was a great success filled with new and exciting music, not only was it good fun but also a good experience which I can use to my advantage in the future.”

Everyone taking part set very high standards throughout the day, often demanding several takes in the recording studio. The girls were supportive of each other and laughed at themselves listening back to recordings.

One pupil, Moradeke Olunogba, shone in singing and Richard Rogers from Musikscool claimed that even his mixing desk was smiling.

The marketing, PR and fundraising rooms were buzzing with excitement as large donations were pledged over the phone. Kate Nutland, spokesperson for Sherborne, was most impressed at the new found self-confidence the girls exhibited as a result of the experience, “One girl was very apprehensive at the beginning of the day about calling companies. At the end of the day she claimed she’d be very comfortable calling anybody.”

The CD was called Rhythm of Hope and this theme resonated throughout the project, reflecting the hope Kids Company gives to inner city children. 

By the end of the day, the Sherborne team had raised £3192 for Kids Company, and further donations were still to come. Kids Company spokeswoman Alice Davies says, “I was overcome by the incredible total reached of £3192.60, with the donations still rolling in. Such an amount of money could go a long way in taking a large group of disadvantaged children away from London and allowing them a much needed break.”

Pupil Chloe Scott, of the PR group, emphasised how much the Sherborne team had been inspired by their day: “We want to carry on the project to continue raising money for Kids Company. Speaking on behalf of the rest of my year, we really enjoyed the pressure of working with real money and deadlines and got far more than we were expecting from the day.”

Would Sir Alan and Cowell be proud?

The experience is about creating, writing and recording songs but that’s just the vehicle for the end product which allows children to communicate between themselves and with people from industry.
Richard Rogers, Musikscool

What they have accomplished will help them with every aspect at an interview, both for university and in industry. I truly believe each girl has gained more self-belief and faith in what can be achieved
Rowan MacNeary, director of Sixth Form, Sherborne Girls