A full orchestra rehearsal of the National Orchestra for All
Written by Khadijah - NOFA member, 2025-26
NOFA creates an inclusive community where passion always matters more than background, taking us on a journey from playing with like-minded musicians to inspiring the younger generation. As a member since 2023, watching our musical family grow during the 2025-2026 season has been an incredible experience. Now that the curtains have closed, these are the highlights that stole my heart.
NOFA feels like a second home because members travel from all over the UK to meet in Birmingham, turning a group of strangers into a close family. The instant warmth, when we reunite and seeing familiar faces again brings us together like we never left. One of my favourite things is to see how quickly new members become part of the group, transforming from nervous newcomers into lifelong friends within a matter of hours.
For me, community isn’t just about sitting in the same orchestra; it’s about supporting each other through every note. Despite coming from different backgrounds, we are all united by our shared love and passion for music. As we join together for our first rehearsal, this collective energy blends beautifully into a single, unified orchestral voice.
Music is the heart of NOFA, which is the powerful thread that weaves our diverse community together. Rehearsing side-by-side helps everyone settle into the rhythm of the season, breaking down barriers through shared creativity. One piece that quickly became a favourite was ‘This is Berk’. It brought a thrilling cinematic energy, filling the entire orchestra with an excitement and joy that transported us straight into the heroic world of How to Train Your Dragon. It was exciting to hear an old NOFA favourite ‘A Keelie Makolay’, being brought back after many years.
Personally, this piece not only allowed orchestra members to showcase their musical talent through overlapping solo entries, but it also deeply reinforced our sense of community through the integrated BSL, dancing, and singing. An unforgettable musical moment was being trusted to play the clarinet solo in Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9. Among all the wonderful pieces we explored this season, having this specific moment to lead the melody allowed me to proudly showcase my musical growth and connect deeply with the full orchestra.
While the music we create is unforgettable, our journey doesn’t stop at the final note. NOFA isn’t just a place where young people come to play music; it’s a community where tutors don’t just teach you notes, they build your confidence, celebrate your identity and give you a voice. One thing that separates NOFA from many other musical opportunities is the care it shows for its musicians beyond the residential. For me, one of the most important aspects of NOFA is the way they recognise our emotions and lives outside of performance, helping us step back, reflect and feel truly supported.
In the same way, having opportunities to develop practical talents outside of our instruments is incredibly meaningful because it gives us tools, we can use in the real world. The creative workshops further enhance this experience, allowing us to explore different forms of creativity like improvisation, music technology or conducting. Ultimately, the confidence and support we gained from these sessions built the perfect foundation for our youth voice.
Another important part of this season was seeing young people take on leadership roles, helping run morning warm-ups and presenting the final concert, showing how deeply youth representation is embedded into everything we do. The Recital Evening was a perfect example of this community spirit, offering a platform where members could freely showcase their individual talent and diverse musical styles.
Having these opportunities to lead and contribute taught us that our voices, ideas and creativity genuinely matter in a professional musical environment. Spring Morning was particularly meaningful because, as a young musician, witnessing Christian’s NOFA alum piece come to life through the beautiful integration of music and visual arts was an incredibly inspiring experience.
Being part of OFA’s 15th anniversary celebrations made this season particularly special because every single NOFA member got the chance to truly feature in ‘Crystal Kingdom’ by sharing our own ideas on what it should include. Sitting in the orchestra at the very end of the season, hearing and seeing all our hard work come to life was an incredible feeling.
The moment was made even better when Christian received a massive, well-deserved round of applause from the entire room. Performing the final concert for our families and friends allowed them to see exactly what we achieved together, creating a beautiful conclusion to the season that reminded me that young musicians are not just the future of organisations like OFA; we are the heart of it right now.
Looking back on this season, I think it was special because it allowed us to grow not just as individual musicians, but as an entire creative family. It reminded me exactly why I keep coming back, combining amazing music, leadership opportunities and an unforgettable celebration of our shared community. As another season comes to an end, I’m excited to see what the next season brings.
About NOFA
NOFA is our inclusive, non-auditioned national youth orchestra. Each season it brings together 100 young people from all four corners of the UK. NOFA members come from all backgrounds, at any stage in their musical journey, playing any instrument they choose.
We want to make sure that cost isn’t a barrier to participating, so everything is covered when a young person joins NOFA, including their food, travel, accommodation and tuition.
Recruitment for our next NOFA season is now open!
