In autumn 2022 and spring 2023, we initiated a youth engagement research project aimed at addressing barriers, needs, and aspirations of young musicians through engagement with young people aged 13 years and above. The focus was on children and young people’s musical experiences and preferences, wanting to learn more about their participation trends, and informing us about how we can develop our provisions to represent their musical interests.
Music services from Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have teamed up to launch the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Music Hub from September 2024.
As part of an ambitious national programme to provide high-quality music education for all children and young people, the centre covers Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.
Congratulations to our Head of Music Services, Charlotte Payne, on her appointment as a trustee for Music Mark, the national association for music education.
This role reflects Charlotte's dedication and expertise, and we're thrilled to see one of our own influencing the future of music education across the UK.
We're excited to share highlights from our recent Battle of the Bands event held at The Stables MK. This annual showcase brought together talented students from across Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire for a night of incredible music and camaraderie. With standout performances and original songs, the evening was a testament to the amazing musical talent in our community.
We are excited to share the highlights from this year’s Beds Band Factory, held in partnership with Music for Bedford Borough. It was a fantastic evening showcasing the talents of students from schools across Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough. From their first nervous steps on stage to rocking out like pros, these young musicians delivered unforgettable performances.
In autumn 2022 and spring 2023, we initiated a youth engagement research project aimed at addressing barriers, needs, and aspirations of young musicians through engagement with young people aged 13 years and above. The focus was on children and young people’s musical experiences and preferences, wanting to learn more about their participation trends, and informing us about how we can develop our provisions to represent their musical interests.
Mini Music Makers piloted a child-led approach to music-making with the under 5s and their carers in an area of high disadvantage in Dunstable. This film offers a snapshot of what the project involved and its remarkable impact on the families that participated:
Mini Music Makers was Inspiring Music’s first Early Years community project, run during 2023 in collaboration with the CBC 0-12s Family Services and Sinfonia Verdi. It was made possible with the support of a Trailblazer grant from Youth Music. Delivery of the pilot project ended in July 2023 and the project evaluation was completed in November 2023.
Following a CPD programme led by early years creative arts specialists Magic Acorns, our team of three music leaders (two classical violinists and a beatboxer) delivered 35 sessions between February and July 2023. They were supported by the team of Family Support Workers based at Downside Children’s Centre. The sessions reached 83 children, of whom 38 were ‘core participants’, attending more than three times.
The structure of Mini Music Makers sessions combined a ‘sound garden’ with a short circle time. The sound garden provided an invitation to sound-based sensory exploration supported by attuned, sensitive adults. The sound garden was a mostly non-verbal and provided a ‘yes space’ so that children could play in the way that they wanted to. The circle time brought the group together in a short adult-led session to share songs and rhymes, explore instruments and other resources. The sessions provided an inclusive and accessible space for every child. In the pilot, sessions were led by professional and community musicians and supported by the Children’s Centre team who were able to get to know the children and families that participated.
We are proud of the depth and breadth of the impact this project had – on the families, on the music leaders and family support workers who supported the sessions, and the wider group of Early Years practitioners and musicians who participated in the CPD. The model for these sessions is also sustainable: we are delighted that the 0-12s Family Service has committed to continuing sessions at the Downside Children’s Centre, and other children’s centres have begun to roll out similar sessions. Inspiring Music continues its involvement with these sessions by providing musicians on a monthly basis and delivering CPD to the children’s centre staff.
Inspiring Music’s next step is to consider how this child-led approach to music-making can be incorporated into our wider early years provision.
You can read the full Mini Music Makers evaluation report (PDF) and watch the longer documentary film:
Music services from Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have teamed up to launch the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Music Hub from September 2024.
As part of an ambitious national programme to provide high-quality music education for all children and young people, the centre covers Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.
Dive into a year of musical magic with our highlights reel for 2023 🙂
🎶 Relive the best moments, from concerts, projects to collaborations.
Watch the full video on our YouTube channel.
We want to share the joy of music and will be opening the doors of our Music Centres for a free open day on 4 February 2023. Our three centres in Ampthill, Biggleswade and Leighton-Linslade will be open to children and adults, both beginners and musical pros, to come along and have a go for free. Come along and join us for a morning of musical fun.
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