Quietly, working in the background, there are services of enormous importance to leisure-time music groups: the organisations supplying sheet music. That includes music shops and music publishers, but also those unsung heroes, music libraries.
This usually refers to batches of sheet music held in public libraries and hired to music groups at a cost they can better afford than buying or hiring at commercial rates.
Peter Harrison of promoter member group Grayshott Concerts talks to us about the legacy of their group and how it culminated in being one of Queen Camilla's Coronation Champions.
Music creator Peter Falconer describes the beginning of his collaboration with the Band of the Surrey Yeomanry as part of Adopt a Music Creator 2023.
Researchers Carol Jacklin-Jarvis and Tot Foster present a webinar discussing their latest research into digitalisation for third sector organisations. They provide a toolkit and a competency framework designed to assist with maintaining digital skills. They also team up with Alisa Darroch, chair of Making Music member group Reigate and Redhill Choral Society, to discuss how their research can be applied to small voluntary organisations.
Music creator Robin Fiedler talks about preparing for their workshop with Regent Brass as part of Adopt a Music Creator 2023.
Pauline Waugh, Chair and co-founder of singing group Cheyne Gang, talks to us about a new free resource for people suffering from long covid.
As a group, the Cheyne Gang came to be because three practice nurses (myself, Anne Ritchie and Sarah Marshall) were researching singing as a self-management tool for people living with long-term respiratory conditions. So it came as no surprise when we started receiving enquiries from people living with covid for advice on breathlessness management.
In May, there are local elections in some parts of England (4 May), and in Northern Ireland (18 May). When your local candidates come knocking, you may want to talk to them about your music group.
Making Music members have told us about the issues that affect them at a local level, so below we have put together some asks you could pass on to your candidates if these issues are relevant to you, which you can adapt as necessary.
Learn to Play Day is back for another year! The annual event, organised by the Music for All charity, is a UK-wide day for lapsed or new musicians to take up playing an instrument and receive a free music lesson.
This year it will take place on 7 and 8 October 2023 at venues and music stores across the UK.
You can get involved in many ways - your music group could host a venue, you can encourage your music group members and your community to participate, or you yourself could learn a new instrument.
We’re delighted to announce a partnership with Brighton Early Music Festival for the newly expanded Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists scheme to bring wider opportunities to brilliant young musicians.
The Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists scheme (PDGYA) recognises some of the UK’s top young musical talents and provides Making Music groups with an affordable way of booking artists.
Charitable organisations are being targeted by scammers. Making Music provides guidance on how you can take protective measures.
It’s a sad truth that small community organisations are high on the target list for scammers and fraudsters. Technology makes it ever easier for criminals to target local organisations like music groups, and the people that run them in their thousands.
For all our updates and opportunities
