News

Post date: Wednesday, 15 January 2020 - 1:03pm

Singers in community choirs across the country can testify to the feel-good nature of raising their voices together. One of these is the Big Noise Chorus, which at the end of 2019, celebrated a landmark ten years of singing together with a huge concert involving over 450 singers at Exeter Cathedral. Alto singer and volunteer, Jo Toffolo, tells us more.

Post date: Friday, 3 January 2020 - 11:50am

For the first time, government proposals to overhaul business rates will include rates for grassroots music venues.

Among a raft of other legislative proposals in the Queen's Speech, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s new government unveiled that it will conduct a fundamental review of business rates.

Post date: Thursday, 19 December 2019 - 1:12pm

I can get very miserable, especially when it’s dark in the morning, dark in the afternoon, and grey and rainy in between. The house is a mess, there’s been yet another invasion of the teenage pizza snatchers in the kitchen, the washing piles up and Christmas is looming – and once again no cards have been written and only the briefest of brief investigations of various online shops has taken place, ahead of panic-ordering on the day of the last delivery deadline.

It must be December!

Post date: Tuesday, 17 December 2019 - 3:47pm

First opened on 1 August, the consultation has now been extended twice and will finally close on 31 December – so there’s still time if you want to make a submission.

What is it all about?

When you perform or present music in copyright in public, royalties are due to the creator(s) of that musical work. PRS for Music collect this money on behalf of creators who are their members and then distribute it to them. Sometimes they use ‘agents’ to do this for them, and Making Music is one such, so groups who perform in unlicensed venues can pay PRS through us.

Post date: Monday, 16 December 2019 - 11:50am

Dr Daisy Fancourt introduces the first World Health Organisation report on the evidence base for arts and health interventions.

Post date: Tuesday, 10 December 2019 - 3:52pm

Making Music is delighted to announce the appointment of Stephen McNally as its first Northern Ireland Manager.

Based in Mid Ulster, McNally will support Making Music member groups across Northern Ireland and undertake campaigning and advocacy for members and the Northern Irish leisure-time music community in general.

Barbara Eifler, Making Music Chief Executive, comments:

Post date: Friday, 29 November 2019 - 1:09pm

In February 2019, Surrey County Council Cabinet finally agreed that the charity, NewSPAL (New Surrey Performing Arts Library), would be allowed to take on and run one of the largest music and drama collections in the country, numbering over 200,000 individual items.

Until the new facility in Woking is ready, the collection is still available through the council in Ewell Library – see www.newspal.org.uk for details.

Post date: Thursday, 28 November 2019 - 3:48pm

Most of us with any kind digital presence are likely to have been subject to attempted cybercrime. An email from someone claiming to be stuck and unable to come back from holiday in need of money, for example. Or receiving junk email from companies you’ve never heard of could happen because someone has accessed your data through cybercrime. 

While there's no need to hit the panic button, cybercrime is a threat and you should take time to think about how to protect your group.

Post date: Wednesday, 27 November 2019 - 8:00am

Members of the City of Bristol Brass Band reflect on the opening stages of their 2019/20 Adopt a Composer collaboration with Laura Shipsey.

Post date: Tuesday, 19 November 2019 - 8:00am

Composer Rob Jones and members of The Edge Chamber Choir reflect on their first spacewalk-themed workshop of Adopt a Composer 2019/20.