Our young Award holder & Pulse8 musician Angela was featured on BBC Solent Radio!

BBC Solent visited Beechwood Junior School where they spoke to our award holder Angela about classical music, sharing some of her favourite musical artists, talking about her learning of Grade 4 for Flute and playing in Pulse8.

The audio is embedded below so you can listen to the interview!

Pulse8

Find out more about Pulse8, our Intermediate Windband for Grades 3–5.

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PULSE8 SUMMER CONCERT

Find out more about Pulse8’s upcoming summer concert!

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The South Coast Music Partnership (SCMP) is delighted to announce the appointment of new Lead Schools in each of its four component areas.

Across England, the 43 music hubs nationally will be appointing lead schools, forming a new national network of music excellence in schools.  

The appointments follow a comprehensive application and school visit process, during which the SCMP Leadership Team was hugely inspired and impressed by the breadth, diversity, and quality of music-making as well as the enthusiasm from pupils and the support from staff and senior leaders.

The appointed lead schools are as follows:

• Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP): Baden-Powell & St Peter Junior, Longfleet CE Primary (joint leads - primary); The Bourne Academy and Twynham School (joint leads - secondary) and Linwood School (special)

• Isle of Wight: Lionheart School (special/AP) and Carisbrooke College (secondary)

• Portsmouth: Redwood Park Academy, (special) St Paul’s Catholic Primary and St Edmund’s Catholic School (secondary)

• Southampton: Kanes Hill Primary and Mount Pleasant Junior (joint leads - primary); Redbridge Community School and Upper Shirley High School (joint leads - secondary) and Great Oaks School (special).

The Lead Schools will take an active role in mentoring and supporting schools, working together with the music hub to shape, support and strengthen a regional programme of high-quality music education.

The exceptional strength and commitment to music education evident throughout the region led to the decision to establish a wider Network of Excellence, which will bring together the appointed Lead Schools and other outstanding schools with particular specialisms, across the partnership.

SCMP extends sincere thanks to all schools that submitted applications and welcomed Leadership Team visits. The process highlighted the remarkable energy, creativity, and dedication of music educators across the South Coast. 

South Coast Music Partnership (SCMP) is the Music Hub for: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP); Isle of Wight; Portsmouth; Southampton.

SCMP are a consortium led by three organisations: Portsmouth Music Hub; Soundstorm Music Education Agency ; Southampton & Isle of Wight Music

Together we lead a strong network of diverse local partnerships to deliver the National Plan for Music Education and provide high-quality music education for all children and young people across our region.

Our work on inclusion is underpinned by an understanding that:

Inclusion is a journey not a destination!

Our understanding of, and our ability to bring about, musical inclusion is always developing. This strategy builds upon the Hub’s needs analysis, and links to our other strategies, plans and policies.

You can read our Inclusion Strategy in full, find links to further resources and training and get in touch about working together via our website.

2025 - 2030 Inclusion Strategy

Download our Inclusion Strategy in full.

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2025 - 2030 Inclusion Strategy

Find out more via our website and access links to further resources and training around Inclusion.

Find Out More

Shanties at the Shipwreck Centre, Narration in the Nave, and Cavorting at the Coach House!

The Classic Boat Museum in Cowes and the Shipwreck and Maritime Centre in Arreton joined forces to present ‘Shanties and Hornpipes’ — part of the RNLI’s 200th Anniversary celebrations. But the partnerships didn’t stop there. Four local primary schools — Cowes, Holy Cross, Arreton, and Hunnyhill — all contributed to the more than 100 pupils who took part.

So what do you do with over 100 children? Once again, the answer was partnership:

• Miko Lisiak from the Isle of Wight Music Hub led the children in learning two new sea shanties…Down the Solent and The curse of Stokes Bay

• Michelle Hainsworth from Community Dance IOW taught them how to dance the hornpipe and guided them in creating their own dance based on the theme “How to Build a Boat.”

• Sue Bailey from But That’s Another Story brought lifeboat rescues to life through dramatic storytelling, including the moving tale of Joey Attrill’s heroic walk across the Downs to help rescue the crew of the Sirenia.

The partnerships continued into the evening performance, attended by over 40 parents. The celebrations extended from St George’s Church in Arreton to the Coach House Church Hall and finally to the White Lion pub, where landlords Julie and Ian provided food and drinks. The evening concluded with a lively performance by the famous Shalfleet Shanty Singers, whose rousing renditions of traditional sea shanties brought a joyful close to two exhausting but unforgettable days.

- Ian Vallance - Education officer

This week’s 10 Minute Sign & Sing teaches you the makaton signs, body percussion and lyrics to an original song written by our fantastic music hub composer Jo Downs.

‘The Wheel of The Year’ is about folklore and the different traditions within the British Isles that happen throughout each year and with the changing seasons, including May Pole Dancing and Equionox. It was written for the Mardi Gras, so it fuses folk music with some Latin rhythms!

You can find this 10 Minute Sign and Sing in our SongBank, along with many other songs and 5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme videos, via the button below and on our youtube channel!

The Wheel of The Year

Learn the Makaton signs and lyrics with Vicky and the body percussion with Tom!

10 Minute Sign & sing

First Encounters is the Royal Shakespeare Company’s touring production, designed to be the perfect introduction to Shakespeare.

Touring to schools and venues across the UK, it is aimed at 7- to 13-year-olds, but is also suitable for parents and members of the community who might be encountering Shakespeare for the first time.

The focus is very much on the storytelling, to bring the audience along with the narrative.

This 80-minute version of King Lear uses an edited version of the original play to create the perfect introduction for young people.

A king announces that he will divide his kingdom between his three daughters according to how much they love him. Lear thinks he will live out his old age with all of the comforts of kingship, and none of the responsibility. But the eldest two daughters, Goneril & Regan, have other ideas in mind – and he has given away all power to stop them. His vanity has devastating consequences for family, nation and climate.

First Encounters: King Lear makes Shakespeare’s play about family, power and betrayal relevant for a new generation of theatregoers.

When is it: 4 November 2025 at 1.30pm

Where is it: Mayflower Studios

How to attend: Tickets are £10. Schools can sign up to attend by contacing Mayflower Studios via this form.

The tour of First Encounters: King Lear is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, which makes it possible for the RSC to expand its tour to work in partnership with more places across England.

Get tickets for the gigs and concerts we have coming up next month with our wonderful young musicians taking centre stage!

🌟 The Stage Door: Rising Stars Open Mic Night

Tuesday 3 June 2025, 6 - 9pm at The Stage Door, Southampton

A monthly open mic night for young musicians in the city, each night will features a house band of local musicians with a wide variety of styles, genres and instruments who host and support young people to participate.  Come and support our incredibly talented emerging local artists!

🎷 Studio Band at The Concorde!

Monday 23 June 2025, 7 - 8:30 pm at Eastleigh Concorde Club

Studio Band (fka Jazz Workshop) is a 10 piece Jazz Band playing a selection of modern & classic jazz tunes! They will be joined by special guests from Southampton University: Nomad

🎻 Southampton Youth Strings & Elgar Strings: Summer Concert

Monday 30 June 2025, 7 - 8:30 pm at Cantell School

Our youth strings groups Soutampton Youth Strings and Elgar will be performing in a joint concert at Cantell School, come and celebrate their hard work & listen to their music!

Join this online sharing event and learn directly from early years staff and music practitioners on their experience of working collaboratively together over a period of ten weeks.

During this session you will gain insights into how music is recognised, valued and can be embedded in the everyday.

Staff from two early years settings, Hardmoor Early Years Centre and Mansel Park Nursery in Southampton share how they developed their Early Years music provision with the support of two early years music practitioners, Vicky Trevithick and Hayley McDonnell, as they took part in Take Art’s SoundWaves Network SW programme.

This event is for:

• EY practitioners / EYFS teachers

• Music teachers / Music practitioners / Music subject leads

• Childminders

• Students

• Anyone else with an interest in Early Childhood Music Education

We hope you can join us at this live event – it is interactive and you will get more from it by joining us in real time.  In case you just can’t make the time this event will be recorded. All those who book will receive a copy of the recording (for a limited time after the event) and a handout of the presentations.

How to attend:

This event will take place on Tuesday 20 May 2025 at 9.30 – 10.45 am, online via Zoom.

Ticket costs just £5 and are free for students. 

Ticket Options:

Option 1 - I am attending the zoom event on 20 May 2025.

Option 2 - I cannot attend the zoom event but would like to watch the recording & receive the handout

Closing date 5.00 pm Wednesday 14 May 2025.  No late bookings will be accepted.  Joining instructions will be sent out at least 24 hours before the event.

We very much hope that you are able to attend and see how these two projects have unfolded.

This online training event is part of SoundWaves Network SW Youth Music funded programme, hosted by Take Art in partnership with Southampton & IOW Music and SoCo Music.

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Aurora Classroom will be completely free to access from April 2025 as part of their 20th Anniversary Celebration!

Aurora Classroom offers top-quality music resources for primary schools and specialist SEND settings. Including fully planned 10-week units of work and the ability to build your own lessons from their library of hundreds of activities and audio excerpts. You can access all of this for FREE as of April 2025!

Online CPD: Introducing composition in the primary classroom:

Join Aurora for an interactive session exploring ways to introduce musical composition in the primary classroom. Click the button below.

Aurora Classroom Youtube:

Check out Aurora Classroom’s new yotube channel sharing classroom resources for YFS, KS1 and specialist SEND settings. Click the button below.

Introducing composition in the primary classroom

Online CPD session

Wednesday 19 March at 3.45 - 4.45pm

Book Now

Aurora Classroom youtube

Including 10-week schemes of work and extensive activity and audio libraries, created by Aurora Orchestra's team of specialist educators.

Watch Now

Our Soundwaves Network SW Partners Take Art are offering CPD training sessions for Early Years music education, including online and in-person events.

 Below is a list of their upcoming training events! These are all available to book now:

Nurturing Creativity in Early Years Conference with Devon Music Hub. Fri 21 March £55 in-person Exeter

Nurturing your Early Years Music Provision with Jane Parker.  Thurs 27 March Free, in-person in partnership with Yeovil College

Fact-checking in Music Education with Dr Susan Young.  Wed 30 April. £5/£10 Online

Movement Play for Early Years with Hannah Lefeuvre.  Thurs 1 May.  Free, in-person in partnership with Yeovil College

Music, communication, language and literacy with Kate Comberti.  Mon 19 May. £5/£10 Online

Early Years Music: Nurturing children and staff with Vicky Trevithick, Hayley McDonnell and staff from nurseries in Southampton.  Tues 20 May £5 Online

The Power of Music: Supporting Children’s Wellbeing with Rosie Walton and Jane Parker.  Wed 11 June £5/£10 Online

Fostering your Early Years Music with Rachel Crane, Shelley Wood and staff from reception classes in Bournemouth & Poole.  Thursday 26 June. £5 Online

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Registration is now open for The Music Teachers’ Association Conference happening in May 2025. This years theme is ‘Stronger Together’.

The Music Teachers’ Association Conference is is a annual flagship event, bringing together 250+ delegates from across the music education sector for a weekend of exceptional CPD sessions, inspiring keynotes, a lively trade fair, and plenty of networking opportunities.

 This year’s event encompasses the theme Stronger Together and will include a wide range of topics within over thirty CPD sessions, designed to support and enhance all aspects of your work.  Confirmed keynote speakers include Dr Jim Frankel and Mark De Lisser. 

Where: Trinity Academy, Bristol

When: Friday 16th to Sunday 18th May 2025

Price: Day tickets start at £90.

Registration is now open, with early bird ticket rates are available until Monday 31st March, and discounts available for Early Career Teachers and those who are self-employed. 

On Monday 10 February SIOW Music invited talented musicians in our city to perform in a Secondary Schools’ Showcase Concert at MAST Mayflower Studios!

Southampton and Isle of Wight Music was delighted to be able to provide a platform for all of the fantastically talented young musicians in our City in our Secondary Showcase event. This evening performance gave secondary schools and college students an opportunity to perform, bringing a mixture of; individual performers, ensembles, bands and vocalists covering a wide variety of genres and styles.

Nia Collins, Southampton and Isle of Wight Music Strategic Programme Manager:

"What an amazing array of talent on display in so many different and diverse genres and styles of music! We are so lucky to have young musicians like this in the city and to be able to share that in Studio 1 at MAST Mayflower Studios and give them a literal platform to do so was an honour. It’s clear to see the incredible support the musicians were given by their music teachers, schools and also parents in facilitating them to take part in the event too”

A huge thanks to all the young musicians who took part and all of the SIOW Music staff and parents, friends and families who supported this event, and MAST Mayflower Studios for being the venue.

Below you can find all of the photographs from the event!

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Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will be performing and livestreaming its brand new Explore the Orchestra: Four Elements Schools' Concert on the afternoon of Wednesday 21 May 2025.

Designed for KS2 students, these thrilling and interactive concerts will be presented by award-winning composer, James Redwood.

Explore the Orchestra: Four Elements will feature music that seeks to uncover the mysteries of the four elements that make up our natural world and inspires scientific discovery.

So, prepare to open your mind as we go on a journey to explore music ranging from the traditional and familiar, to the contemporary and unknown.

This livestream concert is offered to primary schools completely FREE OF CHARGE!

It will remain available for 30 days after the event.

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will also be delivering an online CPD, led by James, where you will be able learn the participatory elements featured in the concert in advance.  

The concert running time is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

Book now for the Concert and Digital livestream via the buttons below!

Please contact Tom Kay on tkay@bsorchestra.co.uk  if you have any specific questions about the event.

For more information on what Explore the Orchestra is, please click here.

ks2 sCHOOLS concert & cpd: Lighthouse, Poole

Concert: Tuesday 20th / Wednesday 21st May

at 10.15am / 1.30pm

CPD session: Tuesday 25th March 2025

at 4.15 – 6pm (Wimbourne)

Book Now

Free DIGITAL LIVESTREAM OF CONCERT & ONLINE CPD

Livestream: Wednesday 21st May

at 1.30pm

Online CPD Session: Thursday 1st May

at 3.45 – 4.45pm (Zoom)

Book Now

This year SIOW Music collaborated with Creative Island and IWCEP to support and deliver as part of a Creative Careers week.  Cross island 31 different cultural organisations and cross sector creatives delivered workshops across all ages/phases in 80% of schools on the island. 

The music hub delivered workshop sessions reaching 180 children and young musicians from year 3 – year 11 using our youth led An Audience With Resources to highlight roles within the industry.  The workshops required children and young people to design their own IOW Festival including branding, logos, ticket sales and identifying audiences and technical requirements learning about roles along the way. 

Alongside the music hub sessions IOW Music College Platform One toured schools with live performances from their FE and HE musicians, talking directly to children and young people and answering questions about jobs in the music industry (led by our IOWLAB chair Andy Booth).

In the run up to this the music hub also supported the development of a new IWCEP resource creating profiles for Island born and bred creatives living and working there.

Below you can see some of the creative ideas for IOW Festival made by young people!

Isle of Wight Cultural Education Partnership put together some great videos on their Instagram, sharing snippets of each day, including activities we led on Day Three.

You can view this by clicking ‘View this post on Instagram’ below.

“The music workshop was fantastic! It was so interactive and pitched at exactly the right level for the class. They thoroughly enjoyed designing their own music festival, which was a great way to get them thinking about all the different careers in the music industry. The class (and adults) LOVED it!” (Newchurch Primary Year 6 teacher feedback).

IOWCEP: Creative Careers Profiles

This bank of profiles was created to be used in your classroom as a resource to help pupils appreciate that living on the Isle of Wight doesn’t have to limit the possibilities open to them or their potential to achieve.

See the Profiles!

Music Festival Posters created by Young People.

Music Festival Posters created by Young People.

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A post shared by IWCEP (@iwcep_creativeisland)

Find full details and how to book for each event through the link to the listing on our events page.

🎺 Windband Pyramid Concert: Windband Pyramid Concert: featuring Studio Band — Southampton Music Hub

Saturday 1 March, 7.00pm

Thornden Hall, Winchester Rd, Chandler's Ford, SO53 2DW.

Southampton & IOW Music Services present their annual concert.

Featuring: Southampton Youth Wind Band, Pulse8, Airplay and Studio Band.

🌟 Rising Stars Open Mic Night: Rising Stars Open Mic Night @ The Stage Door — Southampton Music Hub

Tuesday 4 March, 6 - 9.00pm at The Stage Door, 78 West Marlands Road, SO14 7FW.

In partnership with The Stage Door and J Fashole-Luke.

Featuring Local Young Musicians.

🎼 SYCS: A Musical Adventure: Southampton Youth Concert Sinfonia: A Musical Adventure! — Southampton Music Hub

Sunday 23 March. Doors open at 2.30pm, Concert starts at 3.00pm.

Thornden Hall, Winchester Rd, Chandler's Ford, S053 2DW.

@sotonyouthconcertsinfonia will perform music from:

The Prince of Egypt, Robert W Smith's Into the Storm and The Jungle Book!

🥁 Airplay, Elgar & Boom! perform at Cantell School: Airplay, Elgar & Boom! at Cantell — Southampton Music Hub

Thursday 27 March, 6.30 - 8.00pm.

Violet Rd, Southampton, S016 3GJ.

There will be a retiring collection.

🎷 Southampton Youth Brass Band: Southampton Youth Brass Band: Summer Concert! — Southampton Music Hub

Saturday 29 March, 7.00pm

Chandler's Ford Methodist Church, Winchester Road, Chandler's Ford, SO53 2GJ.

🎻 Pulse8 & Southampton Youth Strings: Pulse8 & Southampton Youth Strings joint concert at Cantell! — Southampton Music Hub

Monday 31 March, 7 - 8.45pm

Cantell School, Violet Rd, Southampton, SO16 3GJ.

On 23 January 2025, at the iconic Portsmouth Guildhall, we had an inspiring day of exploration and collaboration at South Coast Music Partnership’s Music Education Conference.

This year's theme, Innovation: Driving Music Forward, invited educators and music practitioners to engage in meaningful discussion and, explore new innovative ideas and transformative practices that are shaping the future of music education.

“It was truly inspiring to see so many educators, practitioners, and music enthusiasts gathered to explore fresh ideas and transformative practices shaping the future of music education. From thought-provoking discussions to hands-on workshops, the day was packed with innovation, collaboration, and a shared passion for making music accessible and impactful for all.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us—your contributions and energy made for a fantastic conference. Together, we’re driving music forward and ensuring its place at the heart of education!”

- Portsmouth Music Hub

Below you can watch a video which gives you an insight into the day!

Island Music Makers have some wonderful opportunities for young people to learn and make music!

Sign ups are open for 2025. Find out more below and visit our Music Groups page for music groups run by the hub, our partner organisations and people we recommend!

Songwriters Den:

The Songwriters Den is a place for ​young people to come together and be supported to write songs, as part of a ​group and as individuals. No experience required.

Whether your child already plays an instrument or they’re looking to learn, or if ​they just enjoy creative writing - they should come along and meet some like ​minded creatives and start making music!

Who is it for: 8-16 yr olds

Where is it: Newport Congregational Church, Pyle Street

When is it: Wednesdays (during term time) from 4pm til 5pm (Oct to July)

What’s Involved?

• Support to write lyrics and share ideas

• Learn different song writing techniques and approaches

• Create chord progressions and compose music

• Explore instruments and live performance equipment

• Opportunities to perform songs at local festivals and community venues

• Option to work towards elements of GCSE and BTEC Music

PRICE: The first session is free! If they wish to continue after the first session, the ​cost is £28 per calendar month (paid by standing order from October to July).

The ​price covers the cost of resources as well as performances that take place ​outside the weekly club sessions.

*If your child is in receipt of support services or free school meals, you are ​entitled to a discount of 50% (£14 per calendar month). Please be sure to make a ​note of this on the form when you register your child. *

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Our partners Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra recently provided a special performance and workshop for pupils at Dover Park Primary School in Ryde.

The children loved the workshops and they were a perfect link to the tuition the children will be having from January. They left inspired and excited for their lessons!

Read the full article below.

Read the full article

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Captivates Pupils At Dover Park Primary School

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Children from across Southampton have taken part in the workshops for the MAST christmas show this year! 

Students at Thornhill Primary School, Redbridge Primary School and Hightown Primary School have worked alongside Southampton & IoW Music and workshop leader Miko Lisiak to learn and record songs from The Wind in The Willows: Toad's BIG Musical Adventure. 

We are amazed that the students were able to learn, sing and record these songs all in less than an hour!

You can listen to the recordings below:

Our Christmas celebrations have continued in style over December.

On Friday 6 December, we joined University of Southampton Voices and their director Harvey Brough for The Bells of Paradise, a sparkling Christmas concert at Turner Sims concert hall. 

Children from Bassett Green Primary School and young singers from St Michael's Choir came together to perform a collection of carols and Christmas songs from around the world. 

We are so proud of our incredible young singers who performed brilliantly with a full adult choir in front of a packed audience. What a way to continue the festive period!