October 2003

Music projects with young people are springing up all over the place. The pioneering work of Youth Music has encouraged many other agencies to consider the advantages of supporting musical activities. Some of these have little to do with music itself. Many are recent government initiatives with remits focusing variously on educational opportunities, welfare, training, young people at risk, urban regeneration, economic growth, etc.

It seemed like time to explore this quietly mushrooming field of music making opportunities. So Youth Music commissioned ‘All Together Now’, an exploration of multi-agency facilitated music making for young people in London. It soon became clear that much of the information gathered could potentially benefit many music organisations and freelance musicians working in the youth music sector. Hence a specially targeted version of the findings: Opportunities in Youth Music Making.

The report is addressed to musician practitioners, community/youth music organisations, music services, music teachers, schools, youth leaders and workers. Indeed, anyone who has an interest in delivering or hosting a music project with young people. By ‘young people’ we mean anyone from age 0 up to early twenties. Early years and pre-school activities at one end and vocational or professional training initiatives at the other.

All Together Now' is a piece of fact finding research undertaken primarily in the outer London Boroughs, but several sections (pages 20-41) have a relevance to people and organisations outside London.

Download Opportunities in Youth Music Making (497KB PDF)