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and ongoing support and mentoring for
any group wishing to join the MMP
community.
MMP aims to provide the same musical
music for everyone opportunities to those with learning
disabilities as those experienced by aspiring
musicians without learning disabilities
– although teaching styles and time frames
Everyone has music in them, and the Music Man Project is may differ to suit individual needs. We
provide high-level tuition by highly
taking out this message, staging concerts and offering lessons qualified musicians with special
at home and abroad. Natalie bradford tunes up educational needs teaching experience.
Singing, a variety of musical instruments,
including drum kits, percussion, African
dults and children with learning anybody with a learning disability. This is drums, ukuleles, glockenspiels and hand
disabilities at home and abroad through the teaching of originally bells, originally composed repertoire and
aare learning music and performing composed repertoire at: special schools performance opportunities are standard
in well-known venues, thanks to what and colleges; care homes; the Saturday parts of the MMP curriculum.
started out as a small, local project . Music School; weekly lessons for adults; Performances can be seen at a variety of
The Music Man Project (MMP), the UK’s and workshops in locations including the venues, including prestigious concert
first music education service for people Royal College of Music in London. halls, in London and further afield.
with learning disabilities, runs classes six The Saturday Music School was set up Our most recent large-scale production,
days a week in various locations back in 2001 for a small group of young Music is Magic at the London Palladium,
throughout the UK and overseas. It has a adults with learning disabilities. The played to a sell-out audience of over
not-for-profit franchise model, and is sessions grew in popularity and it quickly 2,000 people, including HRH the Countess
supported by Southend Mencap. became apparent that it was not sufficient of Wessex. More than 200 students with
It started in Southend in Essex and was to meet the huge demand for musical learning disabilities from around the UK
the innovative vision of former deputy opportunities of this type. performed and a Guinness World Record
head teacher and musician David Stanley. So, in 2012, the Saturday Music School for the largest ever triangle ensemble,
MMP developed as a result of a growing started running six days a week – and this made up of 1,521 people, was set.
demand from parents and families for was the start of today’s specialist full-time I have first-hand experience of setting
musical opportunities for people with music education service. up centres and was the first tutor to
learning disabilities. The main MMP ethos Since its expansion in 2012, MMP venture outside Southend to organise an
is that there is innate musicality in groups have been established in Essex, MMP group in a small town called Maldon
everyone and, through accessing this, much Kent, Suffolk, East Sussex, Hampshire, on the Essex coast.
can be achieved on a variety of levels. Lincolnshire and Bristol, as well as MMP Maldon is now a well-established
We aim to provide education, overseas in Sizanani in South Africa and group of students, who are accomplished
performance and fun in a highly Bangalore in India. musicians and confident performers. They
supportive environment that is open to Workshops and concerts have taken have performed widely, both with the
place in West Southend students and on their own.
Sussex, Surrey, MMP Maldon has also joined with other
Gloucestershire, MMP centres for larger shows.
Tyne and Wear, It has been heartwarming to see how
Cheshire, music has transformed people, some of
Lancashire and whom have never taken part in a concert
Northern Ireland. before, let alone stood on the stage at the Paul Carpenter Film and Media: www.paulcarpenterfilms.com; Music Man Project UK
Several more London Palladium as a performer.
MMP groups are
in the pipeline indian summer
which we are Two of the most exciting venues I have
visiting as time been directly involved with have been
allows. One of my South Africa and India – it was amazing to
roles is to help see how music can cross barriers and
these new reach directly into the personal
groups. We offer experiences of those taking part, audience
training for staff members and musicians alike.

16 Vol 32 No 2 | Winter 2018 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk