2024 ANNUAL REPORT
The year of impact
In our second full year as a CIC, we have deepened our impact for Children & Young People, extended our project work and pulled our community further together through our activities.
Directors’ foreword
“We began 2024 with a very clear financial strategy that included targeted grant funding and extending our own fundraising efforts to support community growth; introduce additional music activities and the fringe skills that support them, to reach more children and young people; and support those to attend who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to afford to join a community like The Song School.
This all took us into a period of one of the most competitive funding landscapes in recent memory, with experts around us scratching their heads trying to find a pattern for everyone’s grant rejections! Behind the scenes at The Song School, this meant plan B, C, and D was put into action!
More positively, we have taken strides forward to realise and deepen our true impact on our community - much farther reaching than we could ever have imagined. As we strive towards our goal of a more reflective music industry, that starts with our youth. Our youth forums and youth project delivery teams have given us greater insights into what the children and young people in our community value the most, and have enabled us to develop our projects in their eyes.
As we leave the year behind, we are looking forward to a new set of major challenges that include how to sustain our growth, develop the space at Alexandra Street to accommodate and our timetable to cater for those who are interested in different styles of popular music. We are excited about the prospect and feel much better equipped to deal with what’s ahead than even 3-4 months ago!”
Louisa Strachan, Founder/Director of The Song School
Community Development
This year we continued on our journey developing the class timetable with community in mind, alongside our aim of levelling access to music education for all children and young people.
REGULAR TIMETABLE
We have continued extending the weekly class timetable. In last 12 months we have added more advanced group instrument classes in both piano and guitars; created a senior songwriting group for ages 14+; introduced Artist Development classes for those with aspirations to move into industry and introduced ‘The Rhythm Project’ to help us understand how to coach drums in a group setting. All has contributed to continued community growth and twice as many places in our sessions are now financially supported, supporting our charitable aims.
RESEARCH PHASE OF SOUNDS ON SEA
THE SOUNDS ON SEA PROJECT
Sounds on Sea 2024 was a pilot project to explore the popular music heritage that exists across Southend-on-sea. From the culture, to the venues and it’s nighttime economy; the young people were taken on an exploration of all of the artists and bands that have either originated or played in the City.
It brought some surprising discoveries not only of the artists that have been through (including Oasis, during this years reunion announcement!), but also of the venues that existed and the culture it hosted - included MOD, Punk and Rave!
Participants were empowered in a safe, creative environment to explore their songwriting skills, raise their voice and tell their story and given the autonomy to do this in the genres and styles they were most drawn to in the exploration phase.
The project began in Easter and culminated in a live gig at the City’s most iconic music venue; Chinnerys; in October half term, where participants performed their new original works created during the project, alongside headline acts that included well-established home grown talent, including signed artists and TSS alumni.
c40 young people aged 11-21 took part in the project, including full project participants, the youth project team, in the delivery team and as a performing artist.
DROP THE MIC!
In May we received the news that Southend Council, via the Community Investment Board would support our Youth Open Mic - Drop the Mic! for the second year running.
Drop the Mic is open to all young musicians from Southend and the surrounding areas and has seen over 60 young people aged 8-21 come through since its inception in 2023.
2024 saw us introduce the Youth Forum - a group of young people who make key decisions on the direction of the events. In addition, we have introduced guest speakers with industry insiders to provide practical tips on working in music - these have been very well received, particularly by older members of the community.
720 WEEKLY SESSIONS
c180 CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
AGED 5-21
project PARTNERS
We continue to develop close working relationships with our partners, on our shared objectives.
Ewans Music Trust’s mission is to support children who don’t get to make music because of who they are, where they live or what they are going through - a mission shared with The Song School. 2024 included;
The launch of ‘The Feelgood Music Project’, supported by Essex County Council’s Arts & Culture Fund: taking our flagship music video project to Canvey Island - an area of high deprivation, often overlooked for project initiatives like this one. We are planning to bring this to life by Easter 2025.
We continue our work with the local music hub - Music on Sea, who in 2024 became part of the Greater Essex Music Hub. We share their objective of giving every child a music education. 2024 included;
Sounds on Sea. A pilot project to explore the rich music heritage of Southend-on-sea. The project included holiday workshops and final project performance in the City’s most iconic music venue (more on this overleaf).
In March we were once again invited to take part in their annual show; Southend Makes Music, at The Palace Theatre. This is an excellent opportunity for experienced young musicians and vocalists from our community, to perform on their largest platform.
INDUSTRY TALKS AT DROP THE MIC
Community Impact
2024 has included gaining a deeper understanding of the true impact we are having on children and young people. We now split this into three key areas:
Young people’s resilience
It is well documented that Mental health continues to be a challenge for children and young people. It is our mission to be a beacon of change for the resilience of young people in society, with the express aim of contributing to better mental health outcomes.
To support this aim this year we have introduced forums to elevate the youth voice and give our young people more agency in decisions around our projects and The Song School as a whole. This has included;
The introduction of the youth forum at Drop the Mic!
The introduction of the first youth project team in Sounds on Sea
The extension of our youth mentor programme including adding additional mentors; plus appointing a youth chair for the mentors to organise and chair regular meetings.
During this years’ annual member survey, 95% say they feel supported, can open up and there is always someone to talk to at The Song School.
In addition, our young people tell us:
“[The Song School] makes me feel more able to talk to others and express my feelings…”
“It [The Song School] helps me let out emotions easier through songs”
“ [The Song School] helps get things out i guess, sort of releasing stuff, which does improve me mentally…”
Members of our House Band performing at Chinnerys
careers in music
We have always been aware of our responsibility around supporting career pathways both in and outside of music for some time. We know there are a number of transferable life skills our young people are developing whilst they are with us: from teamwork to leadership and organisational skills - all are important in any future career.
Presently, just 21% of people working in the music industry come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Meaning the output of creativity does not represent the wider population. Within our community, 40% of class places are now financially supported - meaning more from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are learning music. With an extremely strong alumni working within the music industry it’s highly likely at least some will want a career in music, supporting our aim of contributing to creating a music industry that is reflective of its audience.
To support we are developing career pathways - we have a music assistant role for those interested in developing coaching skills and more recently, we have a past member being supported on her university placement year, developing behind the scenes skills including event management and marketing. In addition, we recently introduced Artist Development sessions to our regular class timetable for budding artists and producers.
Developing these pathways will be forming a major part of our strategy in 2025/26.
Youth forum at Drop the Mic!
Youth Project Team
Youth Mentors Chair
NEURODIVERGENCE
We have been working for sometime now to understand our impact on Neurodivergent children and young people - estimated to be 50% of total membership, including those who are diagnosed, awaiting diagnosis and displaying characteristics for conditions such as Autism and ADHD.
We have the express aim of supporting young people with neurodivergence to find their way in the world to ensure all are provided with an environment that most suits them, and including those who are neurotypical - as is reflective of adult life.
With training and support from South East Essex MIND, over the last 12 months we have developed a coaching style that responds to all behaviours and has helped us to implement and continually develop a greater understanding of what all need from their environment. This year, it has lead to outcomes that includes like the following;
“[The Song School] gives me a routine and gives me things to look forward to which helps my OCD…”
This year we have enlisted specialist SEND support to work with us on a pilot programme to support staff and members and specifically looking at the post 16 transition stage. Subject to funding approval, we plan to roll this and other programmes that support this aim, during 2025.
We see Neurodivergence as a developing conversation, with new learning and understanding coming through all the time. As a consequence we now see this as a continual piece of CPD for all staff to effectively support our community.
TSS Alumni working with an emerging producer
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to The Song School’s success in 2024. It is truly a team effort that requires all sorts of support - without our talented delivery team, executive board, youth mentors, supporters and funders; none of what we do for our community of young musicians would be possible - we thank you all!
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