We have some excellent examples of good practise in the East Midlands. Sound52, the Lincolnshire Youth Music Action Zone offers high quality workshops to an extraordinary amount of children. It has also hosted a national Early Years music making conference and is often asked to speak at Early Years events and conferences including the PLA conference in London this year. The Derbyshire Libraries Service, funded by Youth Music, has worked with Sure Start Librarians to empower them to include rhythm and rhyme sessions at local libraries.
Early Years news stories
Early Years case studies

Additionally to our YMAZ Early Years programmes we have invested in 11 projects specifically for children 0-5.  The figures for Early Years investment are low and I have been lobbying SureStart Centres and Early Years and Childcare and development partnerships (EYDCPs) to inform them of the benefits of music to children under the age of 5.  As a result, the number of successful First Steps is increasing. Hand in hand with this problem of awareness goes the lack of experienced Early Years music specialists in certain areas of the region. To rectify this shortage in Leicester and Leicestershire, and in partnership with the Early Years Cluster training framework we are devising a pilot working with Leicester and Leicestershire Arts in Education Service and The Firebird Trust to offer an intensive training experience for 10 music service teachers and community musicians working in 10 Early Years settings across Leicester and Leicestershire. Work on this project will start before December 2007.
Read more about Youth Music Early Years Cluster Programme
Early Years research

There are a wealth of choral singing opportunities across the East Midlands with choirs and music services offering the chance for young people to sing together. However, non-western and informal singing opportunities are not so readily available and I am working with several organisations at the moment to develop singing activity. If you would like to talk to me about any singing ideas you may have, please do get in touch.

As part of Youth Music producing Sing Up, Sing Up Communities have been funded to help areas currently lacking in strong singing provision and to create exciting, sustainable singing projects in schools and out. Sing Up Lincolnshire, hosted by SoundLINCS will be starting soon. More details about what’s happening in your area, and how you can get involved, will be available soon on the Sing Up website.
Singing news
Singing case studies

Youth Music is targeting the transition period between primary and secondary school as this is the key time when young people give up on their music-making. Youth Music has observed that many children give up because the infrastructures and strategy needed to support music-making at this crucial stage is not always in place.  Music can also be used as a tool to ease the transfer from primary to much larger secondary schools.

A project at Toothill Arts and Business college in Bingham, Nottinghamshire is easing the transition period through a Make it Sound award.  Pupils from feeder primary schools have been attending the arts academy at Toothill once a week and have taken part in drumming and percussion workshops. Each session has had some peer mentors from Toothill involved. As well as familiarising themselves with staff and older pupils at Toothill, they have met and learnt from peers at other primary schools. Once they start attending Toothill, they will have the opportunity to develop their skills in music technology with workshops and equipment purchased with the Youth Music funding.

Transition news
Transition case studies
Youth Music's Transition policy and priorities

In the East Midlands, young people can be deemed at risk for a variety of geographical and social reasons, from issues of rural living to inner city deprivation. Youth Music is currently funding multiple Make it Sound programmes working to the ‘At Risk’ agenda in the East Midlands. Each project involves different client groups and uses music to re-engage young people.

In the last few years, Leicester Youth Offending Service and Leicester Special Needs Student Support Service have both been successful in gaining Youth Music support. They have worked with/are working with Soft Touch Arts who have empowered the services and given them greater ownership of their projects by supporting them in developing the applications.  Clifton Audio Project (CAP) based in Clifton, Nottingham has worked with young people from a Pupil Inclusion Centre and a SEN school. ‘Soundtracks’ is a composition project that inspires participants to set music to moving images. Young people taking part in the project work towards an entry level ‘Introduction to Music’ accreditation through OCN. It is hoped that some participants will access further training as a result of this project. Alex Evans from CAP says ‘47 young people have engaged with the project to-date, and they arrive every week full of enthusiasm and energy. It’s refreshing to see.’ The Stone Soup project, based in Derby and Nottingham, is delivering courses to 12 settings including YIPs, PRUs, youth centres and YOTs. The programme has raised positive interest and host settings are already engaging Stone Soup for future projects (an integral part of any sustainability plan!)

To find out more about these projects, please visit www.thestonesoupproject.com, www.cliftonaudio.com, www.soft-touch.org.uk

At Risk news items
At Risk case studies
Youth Music's Respect programme

Any Youth Music funded programme has to employ a paid trainee and offer professional development opportunities to strengthen and develop the workforce. There are examples in our region where a trainee on a previous project is now leading workshops as a fully fledged musicleader.

Through Youth Music’s Musicleader.net initiative, all music leaders across the UK have access to online information, advice and guidance. In addition to the online resource, the East Midlands will host a regional musicleader network. We have completed the extensive research phase of MusicLeader in the East Midlands and are pleased to have appointed a host organisation for MusicLeader East Midlands – Big About Music, the Northamptonshire YMAZ. We hope to have a Director in post by December 2007 and opportunities available to East Midlands MusicLeader members in the new year.

Workforce development news
Workforce development case studies