Awards For Young Musicians: How to spot musical potential

What does potential look like? How can we identify it? How can we support it?

To tackle these questions, Awards for Young Musicians brought together partners Music Leader South West, Exeter and Bristol Universities and South West Music School, alongside Hugh Nankivell as lead facilitating musician and film maker Bob Lockwood.

The work developed in two major strands: an in-person training model and the development of a series of film resources. The approach centred around asking music leaders, and others working in music education, to analyse film footage of young people's musical activities for the observable facets of musical potential and ability. Then these facets were then distilled and means of supporting that potential and ability identified.

This resource pack offers practical guidance on how you can spot musical potential when working with groups of young people and how to support this potential once you have identified it. We hope you find it useful in your own work and welcome comments and feedback on your own experiences.