You are here:

4. Supporting musical potential

Have you identified young people with musical potential?

When you have identified young people in your group with musical potential there are three immediate things that you can do to assist in their musical development:

  • Assess how your own leading of that group can best help to develop and further that musical potential
  • Talk to the young person/s about their musical interests, experiences and ambitions
  • Explore what options outside your environment (whether it is school, youth club, music centre etc.) you can suggest and offer to them.

Leading

It is very important that you, as a music leader, are able to respond to musical potential that you observe emerging from the sessions you lead. Most people will exhibit some form of musical potential (if only in the fact that most people enjoy music) and the development of that potential is, partly, down to you, as a creative music leader.

If you have presented them with a starting point (whatever it may be) that has inspired and energised them to engage with music then it is incumbent on you to follow that up and to see where it might lead.

Some examples:
If you observe that it is through singing that individuals are demonstrating potential then explore further what songs you could do with the group e.g. ask them their favourite songs and make an arrangement of one - or write a song for, or with, the group. If their potential is being demonstrated through percussion playing then learn some samba rhythms/street band beats/dhol drum patterns to teach them. If it is through musical games that you are engaging them and discovering their interests, then learn some more or get the group to invent new musical games.

In this way you, as their musical leader will, hopefully, earn their respect, engage further with them as musicians and develop their musicality.

Talking

If you identify young people in your group who are displaying facets of musical potential it’s essential that, at some point, you to talk to them. Would they actually like to get involved in more music making and, if so, what might they might be interested in? They may be ambitious or they may not be. Some of the young people we interviewed for this project were content to continue with their existing provision within the class or group they were currently in, Clearly you can’t assume that a young person will want to pursue music, even if they’re displaying significant potential! 

Find out about any music making they might be involved in in other contexts that they might not have mentioned before. Also ask what kind of music they listen to as well, as this will give some helpful clues about how they might be supported. 

If they do seem enthusiastic to do more, start close to home first by investigating the musical opportunities already available in the environment in which you’ve identified them.  If you’re based in a school talk to the Music Co-ordinator or Head of Music about existing activities such as bands, choirs or orchestras.  If you think the young person might feel awkward or embarrassed about being singled out as having potential you might suggest that they and a friend try out an activity together.

Music Education Hubs

If you feel that the young person would benefit from opportunities outside the context in which you’ve identified them, regardless of your own development of their potential, then your first port of call for help and advice, if you’re based in England should be the lead organisation of your local Music Education Hub. Hubs are groups of partners working together in each region, which are funded by the state to deliver music to young people across settings within their locality. In most (but not all) cases the Hub lead organisation is the former local music service. The aim is to provide more joined up music education provision that’s based on local need. So far no Hub system has been established for Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales so if you’re based in these countries please contact your local music service as usual. Contact information for all Music Education Hubs in England can be found on the Music Mark website: www.musicmark.org.uk

Hub lead organisations and their musical partners will generally offer a range of music making opportunities to young people, both in and out of school, during the week and at the weekend. This includes individual and group tuition and a wide range of ensembles of various sizes and genres.  Although policies will obviously vary they will always do their utmost to provide subsidised rates for instrumental lessons and can often help with instrumental purchase too, or point you in the direction of local Trusts or sponsors who might be able to help fund an instrument.  Awards for Young Musicians can also help with funding and other queries and they’re just part of a huge network of musical resources and support.

Centres for advanced training

We’d also suggest you contact your local Centre for Advanced Training (or CAT), of which South West Music School, one of this programme’s partners, is one. A full list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/music-dance-scheme. These CATs exist to support young people with exceptional musical potential within their region, whatever kind of music they make, and they’ll be able to provide you with a wealth of expert advice and support.  They may also suggest that the young person you’ve identified audition for a place on one of their schemes, if this is what’s right for them. 

Other information sources

Many pages could be written about the support available to young musicians. Feel free to contact Awards for Young Musicians for a range of further suggestions that you or the young person you’ve identified might want to investigate. We’d also suggest you take a look at Ingredients to Create an Environment for Musical Progression and How national ensembles support musical ability, both of which are on the Youth Music Network.

There is plenty of help available for young people with musical potential available across the UK.  There are many organisations and programmes providing support in a range of ways to help young people progress on their musical journeys.  So please be assured that you’re not on your own!

Musical Progressions Round Table

Read about the Round Table and the skeleton strategy for musical progression here: https://www.a-y-m.org.uk/how-we-help/musical-progressions/