New and Old

Here at the Northamptonshire Music Education Hub (NMEH), our inclusion work with Looked-After-Children is entering a new and exciting direction.

When I first arrived at NMEH back at the end of 2012 to work on the Musical Inclusion programme, partnerships with a couple of local Looked-After-Children's groups, Children Rights and Kic.in2.Study, were already in place with both sets of young people rearing to get involved in some practical music activity. 

Over the first part of 2013 both groups tried their hands at a range of different musical genres and styles. This included getting to grips with covering pop songs (using electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals etc.), ukulele sessions, DJ-ing, studio techniques and song-writing.

But one thing kept emerging from session feedback... everyone wanted an opportunity to learn an instrument! 

So... drawing on the experience of Hub lead, Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT), we've just started a new phase of activity that will not only give these young people the opportunity to learn on instrument on a regular basis, but also, in many cases, the opportunity to have a free loan of an instrument covering the duration of the project.

We're very excited about this as it draws on a resources and teaching techniques ranging from inclusive participatory approaches through to the step-by-step, week-by-week, regular  progression really needed to get to grips with an instrument over the longterm. Also, it will give these young people the skills and experiences needed to get involved in the many Music Centres dotted across Northamptonshire on Saturday mornings and weekday evenings.