What is Music Academy Stage 3?

Fridays - 5-7:30pm

Timetable:
5pm - Theory / Aural / Musicianship (Optional for Academy Lite Members)
6 - 7:30pm - Chamber Ensembles and Senior Orchestra

Welcome to the final stage of your Academy journey.

Embed different musical genres and styles through an instrument, your voice or technology in a 30 minute 1 to 1 session with guidance from a specialist.

Access Musicianship, Music Theory and Aural training and small and large ensemble activities.

Academy tutors can support preparation for further high level study and sign-posting to national ensembles as appropriate.

Academy 3 offers an advanced level playing experience on a weekly basis. Develop and challenge your ensemble skills with like-minded students through Chamber ensembles as well as a Full Orchestra. You can expect to tackle a wide variety of repertoire to challenge your technical skill and broaden your musical horizons and experience.

The cost of membership is £70 per month. This includes Instrumental 30 min lessons, Music Theory, Musicianship & Aural and the Ensemble. We welcome new players to come along for a free taster session before signing up.

Academy Lite
If you’re looking to access the Academy Ensemble with the option to take part in the Musicianship and Theory groups, without instrumental tuition and loan, then the Academy Lite option is for you. For more information, talk to our Business Team or your Academy Manager.

The cost of membership is £94 per term or £23.50 per month. This includes full membership of the Ensemble and Theory & Musicianship. We welcome new players to come along for a free taster session before signing up.

Academy 3 DATES 2025-26

Academy Manager – Charlie Westbrook
Violin Tutor – Stefan Waldemarson
Cello Tutor – Catherine Johnson
Percussion Tutor – Charlie Westbrook
Woodwind Tutor – Louis Stanhope

Sign up for the Academy Stage 3 here!

Commissioning Policy This policy sets out the Hub's approach to commissioning the annual programme in which it invests available funding.

Commissioning Policy

Charging and Remissions Policy The Hub supports the work of providers and expects them to have an approach to charging and remissions that is in line with this Hub Policy and are part of agreements when key partners collaborate with external providers.

Charging, Remissions and Subsidisation Policy

The Cambridgeshire Music Accelerate programme features a range of extension activity days for those already playing an instrument. Discover new styles and techniques through workshops, masterclasses and ensemble playing with specialist teachers in collaboration with professional partners.

All Accelerate workshops run 10am-3:30pm.

The workshops cost £45 for the day with Cambridgeshire Music students at £25.

To book your interest in any of our Academy + events, please click the book now button.
Sign Up Here!

1st February - Brass and Woodwind Day – Turn your notes into something awesome!
Step into our Wind Band Accelerate Day and become part of something awesome! This is your chance to play exciting music, challenge yourself, and feel the power of a band working together. Every note you play helps tell the story. Your sound matters! With exciting repertoire, encouraging teachers, and lots of chances to play, you’ll grow stronger as a musician and more confident as a performer. Open to all wind, brass, and percussion players approx. grade 3+. Get ready to listen, learn, and let your music soar high!

8th February - Rock & Pop Day – Where songwriters become bands and songs come alive!
Come and join award winning band ‘Fred's House’ for an energetic and exciting day of song writing and music making. The day will give you the opportunity to develop your song writing skills and learn the techniques of being in band by being in one! To make this day even more special you will be learning the recording techniques needed to record your very own song!!
The day will be perfect for guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboard/ piano, stringed instruments, singers, and budding song writers.

1st March - Piano & Tune Percussion Day – Strike the notes. Shape the sound. Play together!
Join us for our Piano and Tuned Percussion Accelerate Day, a fun and inspiring day designed to boost your skills and confidence. Through engaging workshops and practical playing sessions, you’ll explore exciting repertoire, develop technique, and improve your musicianship. Learn how to play with others, listen closely, and shape your sound as part of an ensemble. With expert, encouraging tutors and plenty of opportunities to perform, you’ll be challenged and supported every step of the way. Open to pianists and tuned percussion players, this is your chance to learn, collaborate, and let your music shine.

15th March - Baroque Day – Where voices and orchestra unite in Baroque brilliance!
Step back in time and experience the drama and beauty of Baroque music at our Baroque Day for Orchestra and Choral Singers. Musicians and singers will come together to explore the style, sound, and spirit of the Baroque era through exciting snippets of Handel’s Messiah. With expert guidance, you’ll develop stylistic awareness, ensemble skills, and expressive performance techniques, while discovering how orchestra and choir work together to bring this iconic music to life. Whether you’re playing or singing, this inspiring day is a chance to learn, collaborate, and enjoy the power of Baroque music in performance.



To book your interest in any of our Accelerate workshops, please click the book now button.
Sign Up Here!

All workshops are there to give an exciting overview and/or introduction to a topic, giving pupils the opportunity to explore new ideas and concepts, in line with the Model Music Curriculum.

All workshops can be targeted and edited to suit at any Key Stage and for students with SEND.

Music technology
In these workshops, and in line with the National and Model Music Curriculums, we explore how music technology can be used to capture, change and combine sounds. Using the music technology you have available at your school, this workshop can introduce different ways of exploring and using digital music.

Our focus for these sessions might include:
• exploring ways of using digital platforms to compose, record and experiment with music.
• an introduction to Charanga’s DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) YuStudio, Apple’s GarageBand
• use of audio recording software on laptops to edit and change sounds.

Rhythm
These workshops are designed to give your pupils the opportunity to experiment with rhythm in a variety of different ways. These may include:
- Exploring different rhythm patterns, including more complex rhythm patterns, and syncopated rhythms
- Layering rhythms as part of an ensemble
- Composing using rhythmic ostinatos

These workshops can help to develop children’s understanding of a range of different musical concepts, such as structure, tempo, dynamics, and support learning to work as part of a team, and improve motor skills and coordination.

Percussion instruments can be borrowed from Cambridgeshire Music as part of this package.

Introduction to the instruments of the orchestra
In these workshops we explore the different instruments that make up the Western Orchestra. Areas that we might cover include:

• The four sections: Strings, Wind, Brass and Percussion.
• how the different sections work and play together.
• The different ways that sound is produced on instruments from the orchestral families.

A selection of instruments for the children to see being played live will be brought along by the Cambridgeshire Music staff member.

Composition,
The model music curriculum states that “As pupils travel through the Key Stages, they will develop the craft of creating melodies and fashioning these into short pieces.”

In these workshops Cambridgeshire Music staff will use the pupil’s knowledge of different types of music to plan and perform short pieces of music.

These can be done by:
• using the instruments that the school already have,
• including some extra percussion from Cambridgeshire Music used for the day or
• using digital music platforms.

A theme can be discussed and decided before the workshop that ties in with a topic being studied by the children in school or a new theme could be chosen to make it a bespoke workshop.

If you are interested in booking a bespoke workshop, please contact us via: cm@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call us on 0345 045 1371.

Hourly rate £95 (April 2025 onwards - £101)
Half day (3 hrs) £230 (April 2025 onwards - £245)
Full day (5 hrs) £350 (April 2025 onwards - £373)

Sign up for our school workshops here!

Wellbeing - What does that mean?

To us, wellbeing means feeling good about yourself, able to manage the highs and lows of everyday life and invest a bit of time for things that we enjoy and helps us feel content. Taking part in activities that mean something to us as an individual, whether something new to discover or explore, or that grows and develops a skill or interest, supports how we feel in ourselves and engage with the world and others around us. It’s unsurprising therefore that cultural activities, whether the arts, sports, entertainment, being in the natural environment or something else benefits us personally, supports our mental and physical health and communication with other people. It’s simply part of our culture as human beings and society.

Whilst some might be looking for opportunities to learn a creative skill for progression and self-education, it’s equally valid just to take part for enjoyment and health and wellbeing benefits with skills and knowledge a more secondary purpose. All of our activities can be taken up for this reason and we will support and shape participation around what each person is trying to achieve for themselves at a particular point in their lives.

If wellbeing, socialising and enjoyment are your principle goal, you can get creative through individual opportunities or take part in a group activity, try something new or explore something you already know, the choice is yours. For some there will be additional goals for personal health and we have a team of therapists who can support you in this.

Therapy – what is this?

Provided by Cambridgeshire Music (cambridgeshriemusic.org.uk), we are a team of therapists working with children, young people and adults with physical, emotional or psychological needs, learning disability and dementia, either individually or in small groups. Based from our therapy clinic in Histon and Impington we provide services across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Our aims are:

· To provide access to psychological therapies through the arts, allowing those who otherwise may be unable to access emotional and psychological support to do so.
· To improve the emotional and psychological wellbeing of Cambridgeshire communities
· To assist schools, healthcare systems and families to access psychological help.

Our therapeutic provisions are similar to counselling or psychotherapy that aim to improve mental health and well-being. They use music, drama, art or dance as the means of communication. No prior experience of the arts is required as it is within the process of creativity and the therapeutic relationship that healing and growth can be fostered.

Arts therapies are effective in helping clients express themselves when verbal communication is difficult or when the subject matter and healing process is complex. When a client has limited verbal abilities they often retain musical abilities and understanding enabling them to communicate with the therapist through music and song.

What do our therapeutic provisions support?

· Self-expression and communication
· Increased resilience
· Processing trauma and loss
· Improved emotional wellbeing
· Building confidence and self esteem
· Decreased tension, anxiety and challenging behaviour
· Enhanced awareness of self and others
· Improved social skills such as listening, turn-taking and sharing
· Better co-ordination and movement
· Improved focus and concentration
· Reduced behavioural issues
· Increase ability to participate and engage with education curriculum, school life and society
· Improved education progression

Referrals - How do you make one?

Referrals can be made by schools, organisations, families or individuals. We are happy to help you with each step of the referral process to find what is best suited to you. All therapies can be considered for inclusion in an EHC Plan.

Please express your initial interest in exploring music therapy by completing the smart survey which can be found here.

One of the therapy team will then follow up your enquiry and support you through the process, however if you would like an informal conversation please contact the business team on 0345 0451371.