Music Makers
A DIFFERENT KIND OF YOUTH MUSIC GROUP
in the heart of Portishead
Expressions of interest are now open for Music Makers 2026.
Music Makers is a youth music group like no other.
First piloted in 2024, Music Makers continues to evolve through meaningful co-production with everyone in the room.
Join our new intake of young people this September for more co-produced music making, utilising our range of instruments and music tech to explore ideas, develop skills, and create new music that reflects the people making it.
Age and Ability
Our guide age range is 10–14, but Music Makers isn’t restricted to a narrow age bracket. What matters more is whether the group is a good fit for the young person.
Music Makers is for you if you:
enjoy making, exploring, or thinking about music;
would like to create original music with other young people;
want to develop your musical skills in a relaxed but purposeful environment;
enjoy exploring different instruments, sounds, styles, and ways of making music;
already play an instrument and want more opportunities to use it creatively;
have never learned an instrument but are curious about making music; or
would enjoy working collaboratively with other young people whose musical experience may be very different from your own.
Mixed ability learning:
We specialise in meaningfully blending the contributions of people with very different levels of musical experience. Whether you’ve been learning for years or have never touched an instrument before, you have a place here.
What matters most is whether the young person (and their grown-up!) feels the group is a good match for their individuality and interests. We are here to make music.
The Sessions
Music Makers is built around practical music-making, creativity, and collaboration.
Activity will be shaped by the people who join us, but sessions may include:
playing and experimenting with different instruments;
improvising and developing musical ideas;
composing original music individually and collaboratively;
exploring rhythm, melody, harmony, structure, texture, and other musical concepts through practical music-making;
listening to and exploring music for inspiration;
developing ensemble skills and learning how to make music effectively with other people;
arranging and adapting musical ideas around the particular musicians in the room; and
preparing music for sharing or performance, where participants want to do so.
Our practitioner is an experienced music teacher, composer, and ensemble leader. That means sessions can respond dynamically to what happens in the room, introducing musical concepts, techniques, challenges, and support at the point they become useful.
There is no requirement for everybody to be doing the same thing, in the same way, at the same level.
Instruments and Tech.
We bring a wide range of musical instruments for young people to play and explore, including keyboards, drums, tuned and untuned percussion, and Soundbeam assistive music technology.
This allows us to create meaningful ways to participate across a huge range of musical and physical abilities.
You can use our instruments or bring your own.
If you’re already learning an instrument and want to explore writing new music that includes it, bring it along!
Piano players who rarely get invited to play their instrument in school band practices?
We see YOU!
Performing opportunity!
This year, participants will be invited to publicly showcase their music at our Christmas Party at Clarence House, Portishead, on Saturday 5 December at 2pm.
Taking part in the public performance is not compulsory (still come to the party!)
The event provides a supportive, celebratory platform for all Now Hear This Music participants to come together and share their creativity with friends and family.
It’s always a lot of fun and this year we’re joined once again by the fantastic Portishead Town Band to play our way into Christmas!
When and Where
Tuesdays
Cadet Centre, 7 Station Road, Portishead
Doors open 3:45pm for a 4pm start.
Session work finishes at 4:45pm with doors closing at 5pm.
Session dates:
Term 1:
September 15, 22, 29
October 6, 13, 20 (n.b. not 27th - half term)
Term 2:
November 3, 10, 17, 24
December 1
Saturday 5th December - 2pm-4pm
Christmas Party - Clarence House, Portishead.
Further practical information will be provided when places are confirmed.
Cost
Term 1: £45.00
(Incudes 6 Tuesdays)
Term 2: £45.00
(Includes 5 Tuesdays plus the Christmas Party on Saturday 5th December)
We want participation to be affordable and sustainable. Please talk to us if cost presents a barrier.
If this sounds like your kind of music group, we’d love to hear from you.
Please complete our Participation Form to tell us a little about the young person, their musical interests, and what they might like to explore while making music with us.
WHY MUSIC MAKERS?
We know that there is no single pathway into music.
Traditional instrumental lessons can be brilliant, but choosing one instrument or one musical pathway isn't the right starting point for everybody. Young musicians may also have skills and ideas that don't fit neatly into traditional models of instrumental progression.
Music Makers creates space to explore more widely.
Young people can discover instruments and sounds, develop existing skills, learn from young musicians whose experience is different from their own, experiment, compose, collaborate, and discover more about the kind of musician they want to be.
Our ambition is to equip young musicians with skills, confidence, curiosity, and opportunity to make music that matters to them.