Calderdale Music

Making music is inherently human: it connects us, has the ability to improve our lives and brings people together. It also helps people to grow in self-esteem, build essential skills and lead bright futures. It’s the reason we exist: to help the young people, schools and communities of Calderdale to have access to – and benefit from – life-enhancing music and arts opportunities. Calderdale Music Trust was established in May 2015 having previously been part of the local authority when it was known as Calderdale Music Service. In 2019, we took an important step forward in our transformational journey. We made changes to our structure and the way we operate, including the appointment of a new leadership team who share a passion and vision for making a positive difference in the communities we serve. Marking a new chapter, we have invested in our stunning new flagship HQ in Halifax, that will make it easier to bring people together, providing a community base for live performances, private lessons, a place to gather, and much more. We also listened to feedback from our schools, parents and our team resulting in our new name and brand identity: Calderdale Music. There’s no final destination; we see this as an ongoing journey to keep doing better and providing better services, which we’ll do by listening to the needs of our learners, their guardians, schools and hub partners. Our ambition is to create an inclusive, forward-looking service that puts people and their unique musical learning adventures at the heart of everything we do. We currently work with thousands of children, young people and adults, and this figure continues to rise year on year. We take pride in our professional development (CPD) offering to schools and our flexible, bespoke approach to teaching, working around the curriculum to make music a fun and pleasurable experience for young people. Our music leaders are among the best in the sector. We offer much more than just music education, we provide support, performance opportunities and a community for learners from all backgrounds to come together socially and share a passion – or just try out something different. Although steeped in musical history, and without doubt some of the finest brass bands in the world, we believe Calderdale can do more to reflect and celebrate its musical and cultural diversity. So as the lead organisation for Calderdale Music Hub, we’re working with local schools, cultural organisations and community groups to bring exciting opportunities and live performances to the doorsteps of Calderdale. We’re here to shine a spotlight on the amazing talent, diversity and prospects our region has to offer. Our vision for the future is to open life-long music and arts education opportunities to all, providing a cultural heart for Calderdale that unites, motivates and inspires people to live more creative lives.