YOUNG musicians have been shaking the shelves at Tavistock Library for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

Shake the Shelves, a name dreamed up by young people, is a collaborative project between library staff and Tavistock Youth Cafe (TYC), in which people are invited to play live music in Tavistock Library.

First assistant of the library, Denise Gatley, approached the Youth Cafe with the idea of working together knowing that their Zephyr music project, was already up and running.

The idea is to guarantee a slot for young people to play alongside more established artists from the area, such as Porkchop and The Tamar River Band. Youth Cafe staff say they have found it’s been a great platform for boosting confidence following the pandemic.

Young people also help out alongside staff and volunteers from both the library and TYC.

Due to the fundraising efforts of the library’s staff and volunteers the cafe were able to afford the equipment needed in order to host the event.

The Youth Cafe’s Zephyr Music Project has been going for more than ten years, with Shake the Shelves representing the first opportunity for young people to perform again since the beginning of the pandemic.

All proceeds from the evenings are split between the library and TYC. The next Shake the Shelves is on the March 31 from 7pm-9pm.

Ms Gatley said: ‘It is an absolute pleasure to be able to host this ground-breaking live music project at our library.

‘We are so impressed with the quality of music and commitment from Shaun Smith and the Zephyr project.

‘It’s also great to have young people from the Youth Cafe involved.  We love projects that open up new and creative opportunities for the Tavistock community and reflect libraries in the 21st Century.

Long time Zephyr Project attendee Milli Salisbury said: ‘Shake the Shelves is a brilliant way of slowly introducing young people to what performing at an event is like.

‘It showcases other brilliantly talented musicians and their abilities to engage with the audience and carry themselves during their performances, which is great for young people to take knowledge from and apply to their own performances at the same event. This is while they are in an environment where they feel safe with people they can trust.’