Sustaining musical journeys

Our Connect programme helps musicians from the earliest stage in their musical journey. Formerly known as Furthering Talent, the programme is specifically designed to help young people from low income families sustain their musical learning after initial state-funded whole-class lessons end, so they can keep on progressing and playing music well into their teens and beyond.

The shape of Connect

Hub Partners

Connectors

YPPP

In review

The shape of Connect

In our Ambassador Hubs, the programme has four core elements for every student, for at least two years.

Click on the + icon to read more.

Music Lessons

Each young person receives up to 35 one-to-one or paired music lessons per year, weekly, during term time.

A personal bursary

Everyone selected for the programme receives a personal bursary of £50

3 Get Togethers per year

Every term, Connect students have the opportunity to meet with others to share a musical experience

We call these Get Togethers and they're typically a hands-on music making session lasting from a few hours to a whole day, or a trip to a performance with live music e.g. concerts, musicals, operas and pantomimes. These outings sometimes include a discussion with the professional musicians.

Family and friends are also invited to attend events as a way of creating a community of support around the young musician

Individual Learning Plan

Every student has an online Individual Learning Plan (ILP) recording three goals they have chosen for the term.

A student-led approach to teaching and learning is at the heart of Connect. Every student has an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) recording three goals they have chosen for the term. For a beginner with few points of musical reference, the ILP guides and prompts the student while allowing the teacher to tailor their lessons to an individual’s needs. Using this tool encourages a more personalised approach to progression

We’ve now developed an exciting online version, in partnership with Charanga. Click here to find out more about the online-ilp.

Additional opportunities

Joining regular music groups run by the Hub.
Taking part in programmes and projects run by national music organisations in their area.
Access to a Young Sounds Alumni Mentor.
Contributing to Young Sounds events, films and publications.

Hub Partners

Young Sounds Connect now comprises two programme types, operating across 22 Music Hubs in England.

Ambassador Hubs

Support the musical progression of up to 1,000 young people via a holistic programme designed to help them overcome barriers and keep learning.

Bradford
Central Bedfordshire
Greater Manchester
Manchester
Hull
Lewisham
Resonate (Liverpool)
Severn Arts (Worcestershire)
Sheffield
Southampton and Isle of Wight
Sunderland
The Music Partnership (North-West Midlands)

Connector Hubs

Focus on inclusion and access for ALL young people and families in their area, and beyond.

Cumbria
Berkshire
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Coventry
Devon and Torbay
Hertfordshire
Lincolnshire
Norfolk
North Tyneside
Waltham Forest

Connectors

We have established a network of experts across our Ambassador and Connector Hubs . We’re calling them ‘Connectors’ and their role is to connect young people and families with musical experiences in their local area. They exist to find appropriate opportunities and share valuable information on how best to support young people’s musical development.

Click here to find a connector

Young People's Programme Panel

The National Young People’s Programme Panel is; a group of young musicians from across the country on the Connect programme, who meet online twice a year. Chaired by Young Sounds mentors, this is a space for them to chat about their experiences on Connect and explore their ideas for how to make the programme even better.

We’ve now introduced regional panels in each of our partner Hubs, with the discussions being more locally focused.

All panel sessions are led by young people and are an opportunity for them to meet each other and make some important decisions about how Young Sounds and our Hub partners can develop our support for programme participants.

If you are or know a young musician on the Connect programme who’d like to participate please ask a parent or carer to contact [email protected]

In review

Described as ‘overwhelmingly successful’ by music education expert Richard Hallam, in his 2013 external evaluation of the first programme phase, Connect has received significant support from Youth Music since 2014 thanks to their funding from the National Lottery via Arts Council England.  We were also a founding member of the Alliance for a Musically Inclusive England. The programme is also supported as part of our NPO grant from Arts Council England and our NYMO support from the Department for Education.

You can read more about the programme, formerly known as Furthering Talent, in our 5-year review publication. You can also watch this short film about the programme which highlights some of our key learning from the most recent phase.