Song School Class of 2026 secure places across top local and national institutions to pursue music careers

Starting this July, The Song School, Southend-on-Sea's community music education provider, has launched a summer fundraising campaign to raise £3,000 for The Song School Fund ahead of the new academic year in September.

The campaign centres on two events - The Big Busk and The Estuary Walk - with an open invitation for supporters to take on their own fundraising challenges across the summer.

We’ve got big news from Drop the Mic! — for the first time, we’re introducing paid host roles for young musicians.

This is a real milestone for The Song School. Drop the Mic has always been about giving young people a welcoming, inclusive place to perform, connect and grow. Launching paid hosting opportunities is one more way we’re building real-world pathways into the creative industries - with clear expectations, professional support, and meaningful experience young people can take forward.

This summer, we're raising £3,000 for The Song School Fund - and we need your help.

Every September, we welcome a new intake of young people onto our timetable. The Song School Fund makes sure that cost is never the reason a child or young person misses out. It pays for free and subsidised session places for families on low incomes, supports our work with neurodivergent young people, and helps us maintain our instruments and studios - including the sensory garden we're currently building.

Our £3,000 target would fund 15 supported places for a full year.

We've got two events running this summer, plus an open invitation for anyone who wants to do their own thing.