Free music making event for all ages to return for 2024

A free event providing plenty of opportunities in music making is returning for 2024, and is open to everyone regardless of age, experience and background.

UK charity Music for All’s annual flagship ‘Learn to Play’ event provides opportunities for participants to experience a free taster music making lesson from a musical instrument to a singing lesson.

Taking place between 11-13 October, the event aims to inspire, encourage and enable both new and lapsed music makers to enjoy the wide range of benefits of music making.

It connects and champions UK music providers such as community groups, retail music shops and music teachers through a shared celebration or music making.

Recent research partly funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) found that music making has a profound effect on adult’s health by sustaining good memory and improving the ability to solve complex tasks.

Following the study, the NIHR are encouraging older adults to return to music making in later life to help sustain better health and suggest promoting musical education when formulating public health policies.

However, the UK government has recently imposed a 50% funding cut to art subjects at higher education level, including music lessons, which will impact the future of the UK arts, the creative potential of the next generation and the people who deliver quality arts education in the UK.

Sonali Banerjee, Music for All’s general manager, said: “The Learn to Play weekend is needed now more than ever and through our regional music making events, we aim to connect and support vital UK music providers, as well as inspire and support as many people as possible in experiencing the unique joys and benefits of music making.

“The arts enrich our lives, our community and economy, as well as improving our mental health. At Music for All we make it our mission to support disadvantaged music makers with limited financial resources to access music making, and the Learn to Play events are a fundamental part of this work.

“It is an exciting year; we have extended Learn to Play to start on a Friday which opens up more opportunities for a variety of music providers to take part. We want to hear from anyone who is passionate about widening access to music making for everyone and join us in the UK’s biggest free music making weekend.”

Music providers have the opportunity to take part in the 2024 event, and Music For All supports benefits providers can gain from the experience, including increasing their teaching portfolio; recruiting new members to join their music group and raising their profile through press and social media.

Music for All said it believes everyone should have equal access to music making and supports disadvantaged individuals, educators and community projects through cash and instrument award rounds throughout each year.