At the tender age of 14, Megan Crampsey and Emma Wyper, both pupils at St Luke's High School in Barrhead, would both consider themselves fairly experienced performers. Megan, who took up viola when she was in primary four, plays with a variety of quartets and orchestras, while drummer Emma loves performing samba, rock and blues numbers with her percussion group at school concerts and events.

Nonetheless, they admit the thought of their forthcoming performance with their school choir at the Glasgow Music Festival, in just over a week, has them feeling a bit jittery. It will be the second time the group, formed by music teacher Mari Bett four years ago, will take part in the city's annual event for amateur musicians.

But, says Megan, taking to the stage at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall - where they will perform a version of Happy Ending by Brit-winner Mika - is still more than enough to get the heart thumping. "It's different from a concert because of that element of competition," she says. "You really want to do your best. But once you get into it, it's really exciting."

Emma agrees. "Just before you go on it is really nerve-racking. But last year we won third place so afterwards it was a real buzz."

Not that the festival, which opens today and runs for two weeks, is just about winning. Dating back to 1911, it is one of the biggest of its kind, encompassing composition, public speaking, poetry recital and dancing, as well as instrumental and singing categories for both groups and ensembles. Each of the 7000 or so amateur performers taking part will receive a certificate evaluating their performance, regardless of their placing.

While many of its alumni, including conductor, soloist and artistic director of the Hebrides Ensemble William Conway, and British oboist Douglas Boyd, have graduated to stellar music careers, the emphasis, say organisers, is on having fun. For Emma and Megan, that is the main reason for taking part. "I really enjoy music," says Emma. "I get a real sense of achievement from playing the viola. And I also love singing so joining the choir has been a great thing to do.

"It's really sociable," adds Emma, who, like Megan, has made friends through musical ensembles. The girls enthuse about a trip to Paris to perform at a EuroDisney event under the Eiffel Tower, and a visit from an African choir who sang alongside them at a school concert.

While events such as the music festival might turn up the heat, they claim it helps to have a goal to aim for. Teacher Mari Bett agrees. "The Glasgow Music Festival is a great event because the choir don't get many opportunities to perform on a stage like the one in the Royal Concert Hall," she says. "Last year I don't think all of them realised what they were getting themselves into. When we arrived they could not believe they were going to be performing up there."

Yet, after it was over, their sense of accomplishment was clear to see, and the pride of having cleared the hurdle made it worthwhile.

Most of the pupils singing in this 40-strong group would not automatically be given the opportunity to get involved in musical activities. These are not generally the children of musically orientated families, says Bett.

"The main reason I set up the choir was that it suited this school. Because of the background of many of the children, not everyone has had the chance to learn musical instruments," she explains. "Orchestras and bands are great, but a choir encompasses everyone." There are no auditions - enthusiasm is the only prerequisite.

It's been a big success, attracting "a real mix" of pupils, and she has seen the confidence of her singers grow. "It's not just a group of shy voices. They really project now, and a lot of people have commented about how far they've come."

The need to provide access to all young people, regardless of their background, was the main motivating factor for the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) introduced by Jack McConnell's administration in 2003 and run by the Scottish Arts Council (SAC). With an initial budget of £37.5m until March 2008 - and a further three-year funding package now agreed by the Scottish Government - it set out to address the problems of patchy and sometimes non-existent music provision across Scotland. Key to the programme was a pledge that all children would receive a minimum of a year's free music tuition by primary six.

Though interpreted differently by each local authority, a 2007 evaluation found all 32 councils seemed to be hitting the mark, adopting a range of musical programmes in genres from traditional music to jazz and classical western to pop and rock, while several supplemented core requirements with additional projects for all ages. In Glasgow, 7440 primary and early years pupils have so far benefited from the adoption of the Kodaly method of teaching, an approach inspired by the philosophies of Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly, who believed musical literacy was the right of every human being. The method concentrates on singing from an early age, with musical games building awareness in pitch and rhythm. Lessons in simple instruments, such as xylophone and percussion, are often included. The National Youth Choir of Scotland has played a large role in the initiative, training teachers to use the technique as well as playing a hands-on part in the classroom.

So it should come as little surprise that the number of primary school choirs entering the Glasgow Music Festival is growing, with a number of first-time participants taking part this year. Robert MacDonald, chair of the Glasgow Music Festival, believes the trend could well be connected to the YMI. "It's difficult to be certain," he says. "But if schools have benefited from a music specialist coming in, that can often be the impetus for another teacher to start a choir or other ensemble group."

The festival, he says, also has an important role in encour- aging young people to have an ongoing participation in music. "It gives pupils a chance to perform outside of the normal school setting, which can be very valuable," he says.

"While the fact that it is a competition can make young people nervous, it adds an additional element of interest, and when the pupils win awards you can see the excitement on their faces. At school, the profile of music is raised and they are given their chance at a moment of glory."

It has certainly proved a useful focus point at St Mark's Primary in Shettleston, one of the most deprived areas in Glasgow's East End. Inspired by the increased profile of music in the curriculum, the school started a choir last year to mark its fortieth anniversary.

Now the group of primary four to seven children are preparing to make their music festival debut. It's not been easy, admits Carol McSherry, co-ordinator, who is full of admiration for the volunteer retired teacher who takes rehearsals.

"These are children who don't get the opportunity to go to any music classes outside school, and have very limited musical experiences," she explains. "But I think the fact that they give up their freedom, or a game of football, to come inside and sing speaks volumes in an area such as Shettleston."

The experience is broadening their horizons, she says. "Even the fact that they are all going along in their uniforms to perform on stage together is a big thing. It's very daunting but it will be so worth it. They have been working really hard towards this goal and they are now all really excited about it."

Many of the children have benefited from the Kodaly method, taught in primaries two and three at the school, which has helped address limiting self-conscious behaviours and break down classroom barriers.

At Kilbowie Primary in West Dunbartonshire, which is entering its brass ensemble for the first time, Aileen Rice, head teacher, has also noticed the difference that music can make. "It gives the children a real sense of achievement, increases their confidence because they are able to stand up and perform, and they also have a lot of fun," she says.

Always keen to develop a musical ethos in the school, she takes advantage of the many opportunities offered by the local authority. These include visiting strings, brass and woodwind teachers, other specialists to teach primary threes in rhythm, pitch and instruments such as xylophone and percussion, special sessions from "musical motivators" and occasional after-school music clubs. A group of the school's teachers have even been inspired to start guitar instruction.

This is exactly the type of development that David McDonald, youth music manager at the SAC, says the project aimed for when it started out more than four years ago. Prior to that, he says, the "fear factor" was a major hurdle for teachers, who didn't know where to start in terms of using music in the classroom. But while the benefits - from higher attainment levels in all subjects to increased confidence and esteem - are already apparent, he doesn't intend the reach of the YMI to stop there.

"Access is a fundamental goal but YMI should also be about creating pathways for young people that help to take them to the top level if that's where they want to go," he says. He's hoping to see more pupils opting to take music at certificate level as they come through into secondary, giving them the opportunity to reach higher attainment levels, while another strand of the programme aims to target young people working independently on their own music projects.

"There are plenty of people out there who are perhaps just practising in a mate's garage or making music in their bedroom," he explains. "We want to link into that so that while they continue to do their own thing, we also provide an infrastructure that is there to support them."

DF Concerts, the promoter of Glasgow's famous King Tut's venue, is now on board and will be working with YMI to further develop its Your Sound project, helping unsigned bands link up with music professionals. This September's Connect festival will see the additional of a Youth Music stage, giving young and inexperienced bands the chance to perform as well as allowing them to tap into a mentoring scheme involving industry experts. "In the same way that Asian Dub Foundation came out of community music project, we would like to think the next K T Tunstall or Snow Patrol could come from one of the youth music programmes," says McDonald.

Back at St Luke's, where the day's choir practice is over, Emma and Megan may have been too late to benefit from the YMI lessons at primary school, but they are making up for lost time by taking advantage of the musical extras that come their way. Both are adamant these are the type of opportunities should be available for all. "Everyone should get the chance to try out music," says Emma. "If it's not for them, that's fine. But they might just get an awful lot out of it."

The Glasgow Music Festival is an annual showcase for music, speech, drama and dance that runs until March 15 at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Woodside Halls and Renfield St Stephen's Church.

BEST OF THE FEST
Around 7000 competitors will be taking part, mostly young people.