Attuned to Engagement Paper 2: The effects of a music mentoring programme on the agency and musical ability of children and young people

This paper presents final quantitative findings from phase two of the Youth Music Mentors (YMM) Programme.

Evaluation tools were embedded in the programme and participants were asked to complete self-assessment scales of musical ability, knowledge of music opportunities and three measures of agency (feeling respected, able, and in control) at the beginning and end of the project.

Paired sample tests indicated a significant increase across all scales, with particularly strong effects observed for increased musical ability, knowledge of musical opportunities and a combined measure of agency. All results are considered in the context of the theoretical design of the programme, (i.e. increasing agency and encouraging greater levels of active citizenship amongst disengaged children and young people through music mentoring).

These findings suggest the aims of the programme were convincingly achieved, whilst reiterating the need for continued research investigating the effects of mentoring programmes, and music mentoring specifically. This quantitative based paper is intended to complement the full qualitative external evaluation conducted by Deane et al. and published by Youth Music in May 2011.