AN award winning composer hopes to have dispelled the myth that his line of work is beyond the reach of young musicians.

John Kefala Kerr told a group of 11 to 14 year-olds that simply messing around with noises from raindrops to whistles can lead to the creation of a new piece of music.

He also told the pupils, from Greenfield Arts College, in Newton Aycliffe, how science, technology and history all inspired him with his multi-media opera Steamsong.

He was commissioned to create the opera by the National Railway Museum and BRASS to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of Mallard becoming the world’s fastest steam engine.

Mr Kefala Kerr said: “If they have an interest in music it should be nurtured I want them to know that it is not particularly difficult, it is about giving something a go.

“If you enjoy it and the sound then keep going until you have something you are happy with.”

Katy Milne, director of arts and creativity at Greenfield, said: “I wanted them to understand the process a composer goes through and to learn about the Steamsong project.

“They are all musician and I hope they have been inspired and hopefully by meeting a professional and talking to him they feel it could be achievable for them.”

Steamsong was performed at the museum earlier this year for The Great Goodbye, a hugely popular event which united Mallard and its five surviving A4 class sister engines, and as part of BRASS: Durham International Brass Festival.

The final stage of the Steamsong project is an online resource on which users can view clips from the performance and see the research and work that went into it, captured by filmmaker Alan Fentiman.

New iPad displays will soon be installed at Locomotion so museum visitors can access the resource.