The project aims to widen participation in music-making by working specifically with families who would not otherwise access music. The children and their families will be allocated a music mentor who will meet regularly with them to introduce them to and engage them in music. The goal is to get parents, as well as the children, on board so they are fully encouraged in their learning. Just buying or lending children an instrument isn't enough - children need parental support and engagement, and often permission also, to ensure that they attend lessons, groups and rehearsals (whether before or after school or at weekends), and to support them in their practice at home and overcoming hurdles in learning. The project will also help ensure that parents fully appreciate how special the Camden School’s Music Festival at the Royal Albert Hall is - and the amazing opportunity it presents for their child to be performing there.

What we'll deliver:

• Family group mentor
• Instruments for learning and playing
• Massed rehearsals in music venues
• Composition of new music piece
• Music Tech workshop leader and staff

Why it's a great idea:

Children will collaborate with professional musicians and music teachers to develop the piece and will be involved in mass rehearsals alongside their peers to build confidence and new friendships. The project highlight is the performance at the Camden Schools’ Music Festival 2020 where the children will perform their piece in front of their families in an audience of over 3,000 and get to sing with a massed choir of over 1,800 primary and secondary school children. The process and performance will be a huge achievement and boost to self-esteem for the children and families and we hope a platform for these children to continue their music learning for the future. A recent starter orchestra programme where family group mentoring was introduced showed a 30% increase in take-up of further music learning in the targeted group.

Steps to get it done:

• Select children from participating schools to join the programme
• Assign mentor to work and engage with families
• Work with professional musician to develop the newly commissioned music piece
• Teach children the piece through lessons and Saturday Centre attendance
• Organise mass rehearsals were children can come together to practice the piece
• Children to perform at the Camden Schools' Music Festival at the Royal Albert Hall

Start a child’s lifetime involvement in music. The ‘All together now’ project will create the opportunity for a large group of primary school children from some of London’s most deprived areas, who are new to music to play a brand-new, specially composed piece at the iconic venue in an unforgettable day of music-making. Help us make it happen… Who: 120 beginner instrumentalists (age 8-10) who have been learning with the free whole-class programme in schools, and who, because of their difficult circumstances might otherwise not get involved in music-making