New school year, new opportunities and plenty of noise!
Well, what a start to the new academic year it's been!
September and October have absolutely flown by here at Music Evermore, with our brilliant team of local musicians back out across Manchester, bringing music, creativity and opportunity to over 1,000 young people every single week.
We've got some incredible stories to share in this bumper edition, from life-changing achievements and exciting performances to new partnerships, generous supporters and plenty of noise coming from our schools and community sessions!
So grab a brew, turn up the volume and catch up on everything we've been up to!
🌟 FROM FUNDED MUSIC SESSIONS TO THE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC – ABRIL'S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY!
Every now and again, a story comes along that perfectly sums up why we do what we do at Music Evermore, and this one is pretty special!
Two years ago, a young girl called Abril Pardo joined one of our weekly band sessions through a fully funded place provided by Music Evermore. At the time, Abril was shy, struggling to make friends and had never really had the opportunity to explore her musical abilities.
Coming from a family where the cost of private music tuition would have made opportunities like this difficult to access, her parents hoped that joining a music group might help build her confidence and give her something to look forward to each week.
What nobody quite expected was the incredible talent waiting to be discovered!
With the encouragement of our fantastic tutor Dan Jones and the wider team, Abril began to find her voice, quite literally! Her confidence grew, her musical abilities flourished, and before long she was performing regularly at our concerts and showcases.
Fast forward to 2026, and we're absolutely delighted to share that Abril has been accepted onto the Royal Northern College of Music's musical training programme, receiving a FULL BURSARY to support her studies!
And the story doesn't stop there!
Abril recently represented Music Evermore with a fantastic live performance at the launch of 'Jump Start', part of Manchester City Council's Creativity in Place initiative, held at the Creative Space in Wythenshawe Forum.
The event brought together local creatives, community organisations and artists to celebrate new opportunities and investment in grassroots creativity across Manchester. It was a brilliant occasion, and we couldn't have been prouder to see Abril performing and showing just how far she's come.
Music Evermore was also delighted to be represented on the event's panel, helping support and celebrate the incredible creative talent emerging from our communities.
Abril continues to attend our weekly sessions, inspiring other young musicians and reminding us all what can happen when young people are given the opportunity to discover their potential.
This is why Music Evermore exists. Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn't.
A massive congratulations to Abril and her family. We can't wait to see where your musical journey takes you next!
❤️ WELCOME TO THE MUSIC EVERMORE FAMILY – THACKERS PHARMACY, BAGULEY, WYTHENSHAWE!
We're absolutely delighted to welcome Thackers Pharmacy, based in Baguley, Wythenshawe, as one of our newest supporters, following their incredibly generous £600 sponsorship, which will fund a young person's place in our weekly music sessions for an entire year!
As a small, grassroots, not-for-profit organisation, support from local businesses makes a huge difference to what we're able to achieve. It's particularly special when that support comes from a Wythenshawe business investing in the next generation of young people in their own community.
This funding means a young person will have access to professional music tuition, instruments, weekly band sessions and opportunities to perform, build confidence, make friends and discover talents they might never have known they had, all completely free of charge.
And if you've just read Abril's incredible story, you'll understand exactly why this kind of support is so important!
Abril's journey began with a fully funded place at one of our weekly sessions, and thanks to the generosity of businesses like Thackers Pharmacy, we can continue to offer those same life-changing opportunities to more young people who might otherwise miss out.
There are more young people like Abril out there, full of potential, just waiting for someone to give them an opportunity. Funding like this helps us find them, support them and give them the chance to shine.
A massive thank you to Sunil and everyone at Thackers Pharmacy for believing in what we do and helping us make music accessible to everyone.
One young person. One whole year of music. A lifetime of possibilities. ❤️🎸
🏃♂️ ARTHUR GOES THE EXTRA MILE FOR MUSIC EVERMORE!
A massive shout-out to the absolute legend that is Arthur from Manchester band CRUUSH, who took on the AJ Bell Half Marathon to raise money for Music Evermore!
Running 13.1 miles is no mean feat, but doing it to help give young people across Manchester access to music makes it even more special!
Thanks to Arthur's incredible efforts and the generosity of everyone who sponsored him, an amazing £800 was raised for Music Evermore!
That's £800 going towards providing young people with instruments, professional music tuition and opportunities to discover their talents, build confidence and experience the joy of making music.
As a small, grassroots organisation, fundraising efforts like this really do make a huge difference, and we're so grateful to Arthur for choosing to support our work.
Arthur, you're an absolute superstar! Thank you for going the extra mile (or 13.1 of them!) for the next generation of Manchester musicians! ❤️🎸
CRUUSH recently featured in NME’s “top 100”!
🎸 OUR SCHOOLS ARE ROCKIN' – SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS!
It's been a fantastic start to the new academic year across our fully funded school music programmes, with hundreds of young musicians getting stuck into everything from their first experiences with instruments to full band performances!
A huge thank you to our brilliant tutors, and of course our funders Heist or Hit and Rising Tide AI, whose continued support makes these opportunities possible.
🎶 Park View Primary Academy – Miles Platting
It's been a busy couple of months at Park View, with music ringing out across every year group!
Our youngest musicians in Reception and Year 1 have been getting to grips with rhythm, listening skills and musical games, while Year 2 have been exploring xylophones, djembes and percussion instruments, as well as taking their first steps towards reading musical notation.
Year 3 and 4 have been learning Songbird by Oasis, developing their guitar skills and working together as a band, while Year 5 have been building on their understanding of written music, rhythm and ensemble playing. One Year 5 class even prepared a brilliant rendition of Riptide for a special school performance!
Meanwhile, our Year 6 musicians have been getting stuck into Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, with some fantastic progress being made ahead of November's Primary Battle of the Bands!
We're also delighted that the school's morning music club is back up and running, providing even more opportunities for young people to develop their skills.
A big thank you to Heather, the school's outgoing Music Lead, for all her support before heading off on maternity leave!
Funded by Heist or Hit.
🥁 Peel Hall Primary Academy – Wythenshawe
Our young rock stars at Peel Hall have wasted no time getting back behind their instruments!
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Parker, who has excelled on learning the guitar during our sessions and has recently received a 76% MERIT in his debut RSL Awards graded guitar exam!
Year 3 have been exploring guitars, keyboards, drums and vocals through Queen's We Will Rock You, while Year 4 have been tackling Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, exploring new rhythms and challenging themselves across different instruments.
Year 5 have been taking a trip through musical history with Tainted Love, comparing the original recording with the famous 1980s synth-pop version and combining elements of both to create their own interpretation.
Our younger pupils in KS1 have been busy developing their singing skills in preparation for their Harvest Assembly, while Year 6 have been rehearsing hard for the upcoming Primary Battle of the Bands!
With the first half-term's songs coming together nicely, attention is already turning towards Christmas and the school's end-of-term performances.
🏆 Peel Hall Receives Music Mark Recognition!
We're absolutely delighted to share that Peel Hall Primary Academy has been awarded the Music Mark of Recognition for 2026/2027, celebrating the school's dedication and improvement in music education!
This fantastic recognition highlights Peel Hall's commitment to providing consistent, inclusive musical opportunities for all its pupils, something we're incredibly proud to be part of through our weekly music provision.
Thanks to the generous support of Heist or Hit, Music Evermore delivers fully funded music sessions across the school, giving young people the opportunity to explore instruments, develop their musical skills, perform together and discover a lifelong love of music.
It's wonderful to see a school placing such importance on music education and receiving recognition for its commitment.
A massive congratulations to everyone at Peel Hall Primary Academy! We're proud to be part of your musical journey and look forward to continuing to make plenty of noise together! 🎸❤️
Funded by Heist or Hit.
🎤 Seymour Road Primary Academy – Clayton
There's been plenty of musical progress at Seymour Road, where our Year 2, 4 and 6 pupils have been working towards some exciting performances!
Year 2 have been showing off their fantastic voices with How Far I'll Go from Disney's Moana, developing their confidence, pitch and timing while learning to perform with live guitar accompaniment.
Year 4 have been building their instrumental skills, learning new chords, rhythms and song structures while developing their ability to listen and play together.
We've also expanded our one-to-one guitar provision, with nine Year 4 pupils now receiving dedicated guitar tuition, giving them the opportunity to develop their skills and work towards graded qualifications!
Meanwhile, Year 6 have been taking a slightly different approach to their Battle of the Bands preparations, splitting into an instrumental band and a vocal group, working on layering instruments and harmonies to create something really special.
We can't wait to hear the finished result!
Funded by Rising Tide AI.
🎹 Webster Primary School – Moss Side
What a start to the year at Webster Primary!
Our young musicians jumped straight back into rehearsals for their October half-term music showcase, and what a fantastic event it turned out to be!
Pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5 took to the stage performing classics including I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys, Lean on Me by Bill Withers and The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
For many of our Year 3 pupils, this was their first experience performing with full band equipment, and they absolutely rose to the challenge!
The performance was another huge success, with a packed hall of proud parents and families, and queues stretching outside as everyone arrived to support their young musicians.
Meanwhile, our Year 1 pupils have been enjoying their first ever music lessons, exploring rhythm, timing and musical games using djembes, percussion and their voices.
🎤 Finding Their Voice – Vocal Tuition with Beth!
We've also been delighted to introduce focused vocal tuition with our fantastic tutor Beth, giving pupils the opportunity to develop their singing skills and build confidence in their own voices.
Beth began the term working with small groups of young singers preparing for the school showcase, introducing vocal warm-ups, breathing techniques and some creative games to help pupils understand how to use and support their voices.
As the term progressed, she began delivering individual vocal sessions to pupils in Years 5 and 6, with some now working towards their Rockschool Grade 1 vocal examinations!
The sessions have introduced pupils to musical scales, octaves, intervals and pitch, using piano accompaniment to develop their understanding and singing ability, alongside learning songs of their own choosing.
But perhaps the most rewarding progress has been seeing some of the quieter pupils begin to find their confidence.
Having dedicated one-to-one time in a supportive environment has allowed these young singers to grow in confidence, express themselves and discover what their voices are capable of.
It's another brilliant example of how music education goes far beyond simply learning songs. It's about building confidence, developing new skills and giving every young person the opportunity to shine!
The future of music is in good hands!
🏆 THE COUNTDOWN IS ON – PRIMARY BATTLE OF THE BANDS!
The excitement is building as we prepare for our very first Music Evermore Primary Battle of the Bands, taking place on Tuesday 24th November 2026 at Webster Primary School in Moss Side!
Thanks to generous funding from Forever Manchester, we're bringing together Year 6 musicians from four primary schools across Greater Manchester for a very special musical showdown.
Representing their schools will be:
Peel Hall Primary Academy – Wythenshawe
Park View Primary Academy – Miles Platting
Seymour Road Primary Academy – Clayton
Webster Primary School – Moss Side
Each school has been busy preparing its own band, with pupils developing their musical skills, teamwork and confidence ahead of the big day.
The competition will give our young musicians the opportunity to perform in front of their peers and a special judging panel, representing their schools and showing off everything they've learned through their weekly music sessions.
A huge thank you to Forever Manchester for funding the event, including transport and associated costs, ensuring that all four schools can take part without any additional financial burden.
We'd also like to thank Heist or Hit and Rising Tide AI, whose ongoing support funds the weekly music provision that makes opportunities like this possible.
While there can only be one winning school, every young person who takes to the stage will already have achieved something pretty special.
Four schools. Four bands. One winner. Let the battle commence! 🎸🏆
🤘 WYTHENSHAWE FORUM – BACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR!
Our fully funded evening band sessions at Wythenshawe Forum Creative Space are back with a bang, thanks to another year of support from Manchester City Council's Your Neighbourhood Fund!
It's been brilliant welcoming back so many familiar faces alongside plenty of new young musicians joining our weekly Monday and Tuesday sessions.
Our Monday 4pm group have wasted no time, adding an impressive three new songs to their repertoire in just three weeks, while the new Monday 5pm band have been settling in brilliantly with some Linkin Park and Avril Lavigne!
Tuesday's groups have been equally busy, with new members finding their feet and our more experienced musicians pushing themselves with increasingly challenging material.
This term's musical influences have taken a decidedly rocky turn, with everything from Biffy Clyro, Linkin Park and Avril Lavigne to Dire Straits and The Stone Roses making their way into rehearsals.
Our younger musicians have been developing their understanding of song structure, rhythm and playing together as a band, while the older groups have been exploring the finer details that bring great songs to life.
🎸 Careless Whisper... But Make It Metal!
One particular highlight came when our Tuesday 5pm band took their rather brilliant heavy metal version of George Michael's Careless Whisper out of the rehearsal room and onto the stage!
The group performed at the recent Creativity in Place 'Jump Start' launch at Wythenshawe Forum Creative Space, representing Music Evermore alongside other talented young performers from the local community.
It was a fantastic opportunity for our young musicians to showcase their skills at an important community event celebrating creativity and opportunity in Wythenshawe.
A massive well done to everyone involved!
These sessions are completely free for young people to attend, thanks to Manchester City Council's Your Neighbourhood Fund.
🎸 SATURDAY ROCK BANDS – OUR FUNDED MUSICIANS ARE SMASHING IT!
Our fully funded places at the We Will Rock You Project's Saturday band sessions continue to give young musicians the chance to develop their skills, make friends and experience the excitement of playing in a real band.
And judging by the latest tutor reports, there's some serious talent coming through!
🎶 Indie Anthems and Big Ambitions!
Our 11am band have been tackling two indie favourites, Mardy Bum by Arctic Monkeys and Last Nite by The Strokes.
The group have been working hard on their rhythms, chord shapes and instrumental techniques, with some brilliant progress being made across guitar, drums and keyboards.
From mastering tricky drum patterns and developing new chord shapes to getting to grips with more challenging keyboard parts, the whole band are really pushing themselves this term.
Following their brilliant performance at our Summer Festival, the group are continuing to grow in confidence and ability.
And after such a fantastic reception for their version of Parklife, we wouldn't be surprised if that one makes a comeback!
🎤 Sweet Dreams and Big Voices!
Our third Saturday band have come flying out of the blocks this term, already putting together a fantastic version of the Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams, complete with some brilliant vocal harmonies.
The band have also started working on Hey Ya! by Outkast, learning the chord sequences and bringing the different instrumental parts together.
Their enthusiasm, energy and determination to improve have been fantastic to see, and we're really excited to watch them continue developing as musicians.
A brilliant reminder that providing funded places isn't just about giving young people access to music lessons. It's about helping them become part of something special.
❤️ THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE MUSIC PLAYING!
As we head towards the final few weeks of the autumn term, we want to say a massive thank you to everyone who continues to make Music Evermore possible.
To our incredible tutors who bring their passion, patience and musical expertise into schools and communities every week, to the schools and families who support our young musicians, and to the organisations and individuals who fund our work, thank you!
A special shout-out to Heist or Hit, Rising Tide AI, Forever Manchester, Manchester City Council and Thackers Pharmacy for helping us continue to provide opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach for so many young people.
With our first Primary Battle of the Bands just around the corner, Christmas performances on the horizon and hundreds of young musicians continuing to develop their skills every week, there's still plenty to look forward to before the year is out.
And if Abril's incredible story has shown us anything, it's that you never quite know where giving a young person the chance to pick up an instrument might lead.
Here's to more music, more opportunities and more young people finding their voice!
Keep rockin'!
The Music Evermore Team 🎸❤️