Youth Music programmes are evaluated by external evaluators and summaries, or in some cases the full evaluation, is made available on the web.

Evaluation determines the effectiveness and quality of the programme. It uses the systematic collection of information during the project to measure how aims and ojectives have been met.

Evaluation is of benefit to all the partners in a programme from musicians and managers to the participants and funders.

Endangered Species Evaluation Survey 2006
January 2007

The Endangered Species programme provided funding to 89 Music Services in support of projects commencing in May 2004.  £1.2m has been invested by Youth Music in over 2,000 Endangered Species instruments and 1,346 gig bags.  Despite the programme’s evident success, problems over instrument supply meant that a significant number of Music Services projects were still at a relatively early stage of implementation when the programme was evaluated in 2005.  In the light of this Youth Music decided to commission this follow-up survey to provide an end of programme assessment.

This survey confirms the success of the Endangered Species programme identified in the 2005 survey and adds further evidence that the programme is a successful and continuing initiative with the numbers of young people taking part increasing year on year as the programme rolls out.  This survey not only endorses the findings of the previous survey in 2005, it suggests that in some areas the expectations of the scheme are being surpassed and that the commitment to Endangered Species instrument teaching and playing remains a priority for Music Services across the country.

Download Endangered Species Evaluation
2006 Survey Report (Word 445KB)

Endangered Species Evaluation Phase 2 Report
October 2005

This Phase 2 evaluation report of the Endangered Species programme analyses the effectiveness of the implementation of the programme and its impact on Music Services, the young people and others involved.  The report is based on three elements of research: a postal survey of all Music Services taking part with some telephone consultation linked to the survey; case studies of three Services; and analysis of Youth Music programme information.

Download Endangered Species Evaluation
Phase 2 Report (Word 1.1MB)
Download Endangered Species Evaluation
Phase 2 Report (PDF 886KB)

Singing Communities Evaluation Report
September 2005

In 2003 Youth Music, using its Lottery resources, awarded national organisation Youngchoirs.net £620,000 to run a Singing Communities project in association with ContinYou. The project ran for two years and covered six locations all with significant, and contrasting, degrees of deprivation: Cumbria, Hartlepool, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Derby and Sandwell. The project reached over 14,000 children and provided training opportunities for 862 teachers and singing leaders.

Download Singing Communities Evaluation (823KB PDF)

Find out more about Singing Communities

Plug into Music
April 2004

Youth Music’s Plug into Music (PIM) Open Programme has supported children and young people to use music technology to express themselves musically. Launched early in 2001, it aimed to provide a focus for those organisations using technology creatively to deliver music-making projects to children and young people, and to support the emerging practices and projects that Youth Music had seen developing through its other funding programmes.

Download Plug into Music evaluation (PDF 380KB)

Singing Challenge 3
November 2003

The focus of the Youth Music Singing Challenge 3 initiative was to encourage music making through singing: ‘to see more singing by children and young people in more places (and) to encourage leadership in singing'. It developed from two previous initiatives, Singing Challenges 1 and 2, and sought to build on the enthusiasm and
activity generated.

Download Singing Challenge 3 evaluation (PDF 2.4MB)

Dynamo
August 2003

Dynamo was a Youth Music funding programme, designed to respond to demand from organisations for an Award scheme which addressed their plans for development, change, and research on future work.

Download evaluation (PDF 371KB)

Music Maker
July 2003

The Music Maker Open programme supports high-quality activity across all music styles. The aim of this evaluation was to provide an objective assessment and perspective of the programme within the overall mission objectives for Youth Music.

Download Music Maker evaluation (PDF 299KB)

First Steps
February 2003

The First Steps Open programme supports music-making activities for 0-5 year olds.

Download First Steps evaluation (PDF 365KB)
Download First Steps case studies (PDF7 40KB)

Singing Challenge 1 and 2
September 2001

Singing Challenge aims to get more 5-18 year olds involved in singing. It is one of Youth Music's four Open programmes.

Download Singing Challenge 1 and 2 evaluation summary (PDF 103KB)