Family Learning

We know how much enjoyment can come from making music together as a family and we support local families in providing a range of family learning music activities throughout the year.

Family Learning Events and Courses:

Further information about these events will be shared nearer the time throughout the year.

Let’s All Make Some Music

Annual family music festival (usually Spring), including a range of participation workshops: junk percussion making / rhythm circle, ukulele, pop up band (playing recorders, keyboards, chime bars), black spot musical games, try an instrument session.

Family Orchestras

In conjunction with local primary schools we have developed a Family Orchestra programme, involving families from a single school working together (combining existing musicians and also those new to music making). Please contact us for further information.

Parent and Toddler Ukulele Courses

These courses, involving singing, percussion and action songs as well as ukulele, are run in partnerhip with local family organisations, e.g. The Berin Centre, The Hub. These courses are funded by Oxfordshire Adult Learning.

Spring Members’ Event

Our annual Spring Event takes place on a Saturday morning in March. We expand our Mini Music Makers programme to include all the family, with an instrument demonstration and parallel ukulele accompaniment sessions for older siblings/additional adults.

Community FreeSpace

We run a range of holiday workshops in the Community FreeSpace, with sessions for all ages. These include Mini Music Makers style sessions but also pop up band/pop up choir.

Fun in the Park

At this annual event organised by the Town Council we run a range of family workshops in our tent plus additional sessions that culminate on the stage, e.g. pop up choir, pop up band.

Regular activities that involve family learning:

Baby & Pre-school Mini Music Makers Weekly Programme

The babies/toddlers/pre-schoolers attend weekly music sessions with their grown-up plus any siblings and everyone is made to feel welcome and encouraged to join in. Families learn a set of songs over several weeks and these are designed to be able to be sung at home together.

Music Makers Together

Members of our Baby and Pre-school Mini Music Makers programme are also welcome to attend our Music Makers Together sessions for FREE! These Friday morning pre-school music sessions, for children under 5 with their parents, carers or grandparents and residents of Bridge House Care Home, take place on a monthly basis. We aim to get the children interacting with the residents, whether through playing peek-a-boo or sharing out scarves and instruments and for the adults to encourage the children in doing actions and singing and for everyone to have an enjoyable time together.

Abingdon Community Band

We are planning a Community Band in conjunction with Yamaha Class Band UK in which a group of children and adults can learn wind instruments as part of an ensemble. Further details will follow soon.