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...
Learn To Play Day, organised by the charity Music for All, is a free, nationwide initiative to get people of all ages and abilities playing a musical instrument. This year’s event will take place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March.
The event sees music shops, groups, teachers, venues and schools throughout the UK partner with leading musical instrument brands to offer thousands of free music lessons across the weekend.
Since its launch nine years ago, Learn to Play Day has inspired thousands of people to pick up and play a musical instrument, many of whom had never played before, while others played as a child but gave up. Held in partnership with the Musicians’ Union, the Take it away scheme and Making Music, the Learn to Play Day initiative has grown in popularity over the years, with a record 10,000 free lessons held during last year’s event.
As Patron of the Music for All charity, I’m delighted to lend my support to National Learn to Play Day on 28 and 29 March. It’s a pleasure to be able to share the joy of music, and this special day allows thousands to get involved as venues all over the country offer music lessons for free - Jools Holland OBE
Forsyths Manchester, Rachel Burt Photography
While we all may have different tastes and preferred genres, there is no doubt that music is something that is universally loved around the world. Our Learn to Play Day events are all about spreading the joy of playing a musical instrument and inspiring those of all ages to take up something that will not only have health benefits for the future, but that also brings so many people together - Paul McManus, CEO of Music for All
Why not hold your own Learn to Play Day event?
The purpose of Learn to Play Day is to offer free, short taster lessons to inspire new and lapsed musicians and welcome them to music making. You can be as creative as you like with how you do this, from holding a come and play event with your group to sending some of your group's musicians to a local music shop to hold lessons. There are already many leisure-time music groups involved, and the Music for All team would love to have more on board.
Music for All are on hand to help you to make your event a success. They’ll send you a pack of posters and flyers that you can put up in your local area to advertise your Learn to Play Day event, as well as balloons and other materials to use on the day. Your event will be displayed on the official Learn to Play Day map on the website which will be linked to in all press and PR, and they will use their public facing social media pages to share your posts and reach a wider audience.
Find out more about how your group can take part
