North Tyneside Music offers a wide range of musical activities for young musicians of all ages and standards. Our groups meet weekly in term-time and all opportunities are fully funded and free of charge to families. Whatever style of music you are into, we have something for you.
Our Saturday Music Centre is held at The Langdale Centre in Wallsend. Attend our Wednesday Grade 5 Theory support session, Youth Choir or Emerging Artists sessions at John Spence School, our Sounding Out! project at the John Willie Sams Centre and join the Rock School at Traxx Rehearsal Studios. See below for further details on each of our weekly groups.
We also offer regular workshops, play days and performance opportunities.
To enrol to attend an activity, please complete our 2025-6 consent form. You will then receive further information about getting started from us at music@northtyneside.gov.uk.
You can also find all dates for our 2025-6 activities in our Activity Planner below,
Our activities are open to all young people aged 5-18 who live or attend school in North Tyneside. Our Saturday Centre activities are run in partnership with Newcastle Music Service and are also open to young people living or attending school in Newcastle. We are very happy to welcome children and young people from other areas to join our activities, or to find out more about musical activities in other areas of the North-East, please visit North East Music Hub.
Saturday Centre Activities
Music Theory Drop-in Session
Time: 9 to 10am and 11 to 12 noon
Music Theory drop-in sessions are open to all students (from beginners to those working towards Grade 5 theory and beyond).
Mixed Beginner Orchestra
Time: 9 to 10am
Group Leader: Fran Harris, Gareth Miller and John Rudkin
Designed as an opportunity for young players who may have recently taken part in a wider opportunities programme, our brand new Mixed Beginner Orchestra is suitable for any beginner instrumentalist.
Beginner Recorder Group
Time: 9 to 10am
Group Leader: Sarah Teoh
Recorder Group is open to those with some initial experience of playing recorder in school and for more advanced players.
Youth Training Band
Time: 9 to 10.45 am
Group Leader: John Flood and Selwyn Thompson
Youth Training Band is for brass, woodwind and percussion players working between around Grade 2-4 standard.
Concert Band
Time: 9 to 10.45 am
Group Leader: Alex Lewis
Concert Band is a wind band for more advanced players working at around Grade 5 and above.
Beginner Strings
Time: 10 to 12 noon
Group Leader: Liz Clark and Abigail Tickell
Beginner Strings is suitable for those just starting out on any orchestral string instrument up to around Grade 2 standard.
Children's Choir
Time: 10 - 11am
Group Leader: Gareth Miller and Selwyn Thompson
A choir for any young singer aged 6-11 who would like to opportunity to rehearse weekly with others and work towards performances and events.
Jazz Training Ensemble
Time: 11 - 12 noon
Group Leader: John Rudkin
A training ensemble for young musicians working around grade 2 - 3 who are interested in playing jazz music and learning the basics of improvisation.
Youth Training Strings
Time: 10 to 12 noon
Group Leader: Victoria Vasey
Youth Training Strings is for string players working between Grade 3-5 standard.
Senior Strings
Time: 10 to 12 noon
Group Leader: Pauline Brandon
Senior Strings is designed for string players working at around Grade 5 or above.
Youth Jazz Ensemble
Time: 10 to 12 noon
Group Leader: Lewis Watson
Jazz Ensemble works with more advance players towards performances and improving their understanding and knowledge of jazz and improvisation.
Recorder Consort
Time: 10.30 a.m - 12 noon
Group Leader: Sarah Teoh
This is a group for more advanced recorder players moving on from the beginner level.
Youth Orchestra
Time: 11 to 12 noon
Group Leader: Pauline Brandon
The Young Orchestra gives the young musicians from the North East the chance to play in a full symphony orchestra.
Midweek Activities
Newcastle Youth Choir
Day: Tuesday
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Group Leaders: Liz Milner, Charlotte Galloway, Eleanor Boehringer
Newcastle Youth Choir is a group for young singers aged 10-18 who would like to sing with others and work towards a variety of performances and events: www.newcastlesings.org/nycp
Venue: Newcastle University
Emerging Artists
Day: Wednesday
Time: 6 to 8.00pm
Group Leaders: Phil Richardson, Brittany Farrow
Emerging Artists is suitable for those aged 11-18. The project aims to develop a wide range of music-based skills around performance to build the confidence and creativity of each young person involved.
Venue: John Spence Community High School
North Tyneside Youth Choir
Day: Wednesday
Time: 4:30 to 6.00pm
Group Leader: Heather Gunn, Brittany Farrow, Damien Grazzer
North Tyneside Youth Choir is suitable for any young person who would like to come together on a weekly basis to sing with others. Members can also choose to attend the Emerging Artists project.
Venue: John Spence Community High School
Grade 5 Music Theory
Day: Wednesday
Time: 4:30 to 5.30pm
Group Leader: Phil Richardson
If you are an instrumentalist or vocalist approaching Grade 5 standard and want to work towards your Grade 5 Music Theory qualification then this session is for you. Suitable also for those taking music qualifications at Key Stage 4 or 5.
Venue: John Spence Community High School
Sounding Out!
Day: Wednesday
Time: 4.00-6.00pm
Group Leader: Ashleigh Lowes
The Sounding Out! Project offers young people aged 11-18 the opportunity to take part in a variety of musical activities and opportunities with no experience required. This project is supported by our partner charity, mo4y, and funded by UKSPF and the North-East Combined Authority.
Venue: John Willie Sams Centre, Dudley
Rock School
Day: Friday
Time: 5.30-7.00pm (Group 1), 7.00-9.00pm (Group 2)
Group Leader: Traxx Rehearsal Studios
Our Rock School runs on Fridays in term-time and offers young musicians who play guitar, bass, drums or sing the opportunity to forms bands with others. Rock School bands perform at gigs throughout the year at different venues across the region. Please note that this activity is currently oversubscribed. Your child will be placed on a waiting list until a place becomes available.
Venue: Traxx Rehearsal Studio
Participate
Steel Pans
North Tyneside Steel Band are partners with North Tyneside Music. They recently celebrated their 30th birthday and are one of the most active steel band groups in the North East. They love performing at public events, with recent highlights of performances at the London and Rotterdam Carnivals. The band offer a range of classes for different levels. Please note: there is a charge for these sessions
Volunteers
North Tyneside Music has a number of volunteers who support the work of the hub on a regular basis. We can also facilitate work experience placements and put you in touch with other local arts organisations who can help.