Mini Music Makers – Early child development through music

Inspiring Music, as the lead partner in the Music Education Hub (MEH) for Central Bedfordshire (now BLMK music hub), has historically focused its Early Years work within schools and educational settings. Recently, they sought to expand their Early Years focus by identifying key “touch points” within Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) where music and Early Years intersect. Their goal was to explore opportunities to provide musical support and development in these areas.

Our first joint initiative, Mini Music Makers, was developed in partnership with CBC’s 0-12s Family Services team. This initiative aimed to engage families with children under 5 who were facing barriers and living in areas of deprivation. Specifically, we targeted families not currently accessing CBC services.

Mini Music Makers piloted a child-led approach to music-making with the under 5s and their carers, in an area of high disadvantage in Dunstable. This film offers a snapshot of what the project involved and its remarkable impact on the families that participated.

The project succeeded in engaging families who were previously not involved with CBC services, offering them a new, supportive environment for early childhood development through music. The child-led approach proved to be effective in overcoming barriers and creating meaningful, positive experiences for both children and their carers.

Mini Music Makers was Inspiring Music’s first Early Years community project, run during 2023 in collaboration with the CBC 0-12s Family Services and Sinfonia Verdi. It was made possible with the support of a Trailblazer grant from Youth Music. Delivery of the pilot project ended in July 2023 and the project evaluation was completed in November 2023.

Who participated?

Following a CPD programme led by Early Years creative arts specialists Magic Acorns, our team of three music leaders – two classical violinists and a beatboxer – delivered 35 sessions between February and July 2023. They were supported by the team of Family Support Workers based at Downside Children’s Centre. The sessions reached 83 children, of whom 38 were ‘core participants’, attending more than three times.

What was special about Mini Music Makers?

The structure of Mini Music Makers sessions combined a ‘sound garden’ with a short circle time. The sound garden provided an invitation to sound-based sensory exploration supported by attuned, sensitive adults. The sound garden was a mostly non-verbal and provided a ‘yes space’ so that children could play in the way that they wanted to.

The circle time brought the group together in a short adult-led session to share songs and rhymes, explore instruments and other resources. The sessions provided an inclusive and accessible space for every child. In the pilot, sessions were led by professional and community musicians and supported by the Children’s Centre team who were able to get to know the children and families that participated.

What was the project’s impact?

We are proud of the depth and breadth of the impact this project had – on the families, on the music leaders and family support workers who supported the sessions, and the wider group of Early Years practitioners and musicians who participated in the CPD. The model for these sessions is also sustainable: we are delighted that the 0-12s Family Services has committed to continuing sessions at the Downside Children’s Centre, and other Children’s Centres have begun to roll out similar sessions. Inspiring Music continues its involvement with these sessions by providing musicians on a monthly basis and delivering CPD to the Children’s Centre staff.

Inspiring Music’s next step is to consider how this child-led approach to music-making can be incorporated into our wider Early Years provision.

How can I find out more?

Read the full Mini Music Makers evaluation report (PDF) and watch the longer documentary film.

For more information about Mini Music Makers, please contact hilary.lawson@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.

Photo credits: Traybake Studio