THE FAMILY
MUSIC HUB
For everyone making music with families
The Family Music Hub is a new not-for-profit training provider. It has been set up to support anyone making music with 0-5 year olds and their families, with training, quality resources and an online community.
We want all UK families with children up to the age of 5 – regardless of cultural, social, geographical or economic background – to have access to meaningful family music making experiences.
We are developing a new approach to family music making that puts parents and carers at the centre. It harnesses the unique skills and instincts that they have to use music in everyday life raising young children.
Through quality training and resources, we aim to support the workforce in their music making with families, and to establish nationally a more family-centred practice.
Currently we are developing our online and in-person training offer with generous support from Youth Music. Alongside the development of our training initiatives, our plans for the next 2 years involve the launch of an innovative online hub that provides quality online resources to anyone making music with families.
We are now booking training courses for 2024 / 25. Find out more about our courses and our unique approach to family music making.
Got a question, thought or idea, or would you like to receive regular news and updates from us?
WE SUPPORT
Family Workers
as they make music with families in their settings. Together we will be developing a new approach to music-making that values and builds upon the innate musicality, abilities and identities of the families they work with.
Parents and Carers
as they nurture, play, bond and communicate with their young children / babies.
Children
who are at the heart of the hub as we strive to create nurturing musical spaces that offer sensitive and meaningful musical experiences.
OUR WHY
Why is The Family Music Hub needed?
Where families and young children congregate, music and singing tends to happen!
Non-music specialists – including children's centre practitioners, volunteers, parents and library staff – are doing the lion’s share of music delivery on the ground. Whether that's a 5 minute sing-song at the end of a toddler group in the local church hall, a 'rhyme time' session at the local library, or the franchise running groups in your local town.
Often these family workers are undervalued, poorly paid, given little support and receive minimal training. We believe this must change. The Family Music Hub is an organisation set up to offer support and training for this vital workforce.
Bringing the best to young children and their families
Children’s experiences between birth and five significantly impact their future lives, and music can be a huge part of this! We exist to help family workers and music practitioners create high quality musical experiences for 0-5s and their grown ups. We know that ‘high quality' isn't the same for everyone and we are dedicated to exploring what this might look like for different groups across the country.
Supporting Families
Parents and carers play the most vital musical role in raising their children. With our support, the high quality musical experiences that practitioners provide will help adults to recognise, embrace, develop, value and feel confident about the musical aspects of their parenting.
Supporting the Workforce
Practitioners have told us that they need support and training, together with quality resources. We exist to creatively, sensitively and comprehensively meet their needs, nurturing a knowledgeable, skilled and confident workforce that is respected and valued. We also advocate for family music-making practice to be recognised and properly funded by local and national government.
Connecting Research and Practice
We believe that findings from early childhood music education research has a crucial role in improving practice. We exist to translate and transmit important messages from the research community to those working with families.
Music for everyone
We know that not all families have access to, or can afford to take their children to music making sessions. By training, supporting and empowering family workers, library assistants and volunteers across the country, we will help create high quality musical experiences that embrace all families with young children and their rich cultural, social, geographical or economic backgrounds.
