Open resource

In this recording of our webinar (original event 25 September 2023), Making Music launched INCLUDE, our 18-month inclusion programme where we will work with four member groups to explore what leisure-time music groups can do to include more people, from a more diverse demographic, in their regular activities.

At the heart of your music making is the people, whether that's members, potential members or audiences. But if you're struggling to attract new people or keep your current people engaged, could there be barriers that you're unaware of?

Use the resources below to review and make the changes you need to welcome more people.

These resources aren't exhaustive, and we're constantly reviewing, updating and adding to them. We would be happy for you to contact us with suggestions. 

Booking professional musicians can be financially challenging for many leisure-time groups. Making Music offers members specially reduced or subsidised rates to make booking and engaging artists more affordable.

Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists subsidies

The Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists (PDGYA) scheme enables young musicians at the start of their careers to gain vital performance experience across the UK, while Making Music members can engage some of the very best young musical talent at a reduced cost. 

How Basingstoke Ladies' Choir transformed their communication and strengthened their community — Hazel Green shares their experience. 

How did you manage the group before?

Our group had a very limited website, which made members feel a little distant from the choir; it wasn’t easy to use or edit and felt uninspiring, containing only three back-end sections.

We've looked at many types of genres in our 'An introduction to' series, but now it's time to go back in time, all the way to the rise of Early music. What is Early music? How is it different from classical music? Can you still play Early music today? John Bryan gives us an overview.

Early Music in London

There are three types: we influence on your behalf; we offer practical and artistic support; and we connect you to each other and to relevant contacts.

We know that many of our member groups operate on a tight budget. Working with our corporate members, we’ve collected more than two dozen discounts, subsidies and offers to help our members save on everything from sheet music to booking artists and making recordings. 

Making Music’s Climate Change Network brings together leisure-time music groups, musicians and campaigners to discuss what we can do to tackle climate change. We have created this open resource page to collate ideas, links and useful information to help groups play their part.

The categories below may expand or merge in the future and we suggest you look at all of them – we may not have filed information in the way you expect! 

In this recording of our guest speaker webinar (original event 8 October 2021), we look at the climate emergency and what music groups can do about it.

We welcome Ben See (composer and choir leader), Chris Hutchings (Choirs for Climate), Alison Burnley (Oi Musica) and Nina Vinther (singer and climate campaigner)

Topics covered include: 

• Practical measures music groups can implement

• The impact of group action, and the ripple effect

• How to use music and repertoire to communicate with a wider public

The pandemic has thrown all kinds of challenges in the way of group music making. However, our member groups have found ways to rehearse or safely put on performances whether entirely online, in person, or a combination of both - all while managing to mitigate the risks of Covid infection. Read about how they have done this in their own words.