11030 Educators providing Courses delivered Online

Prima Ultima

prima ultima

Manchester

Prima Ultima is the official UK distributor for the dermal filler brand Zhoabex which is a product of the Swiss company Rose Pharma that prides itself in developing safe treatments for the professional aesthetic market. Prima Ultima was founded by Lana Quigley a former Lawyer with 20 years of experience in the legal system who saw a gap in the market that required patient safety. ‘I was struck by how many unscrupulous and unlicensed manufacturers and practitioners there are in the industry, selling cheap and unregulated fillers, often without a genuine license. I do not feel that anyone should have to pay too high of a price, both financially and health-wise for simply wanting to look their best. From this, Prima Ultima was created. It is certainly an exciting time to be a part of such an exponentially growing and dynamic industry, and it is my goal that Prima Ultima and the products we bring to market, will become synonymous with quality and innovation, combined with ultimate professionalism and next-to-none customer care’ As a company, Prima Ultima has genuinely invested in supplying high-quality, safe, and fully regulated dermal fillers and aesthetic devices- sourced only from reliable, reputable, and cutting-edge manufacturers. Our mission is to provide a layered approach to facial rejuvenation led by experienced medical trainers with the mission to educate, enable, and empower our medical aesthetic practitioners to positively impact the patient thereby allowing them to feel the best that they can possibly feel. Our products and training are diverse to suit every individual need ensuring full support throughout their journey. We are proud to introduce Zhoabex ultra-pure hyaluronic acid dermal filler that combines three molecular weight formulas and addresses all levels of skin goals. Our hero brand is the Zhoabex Soft Touch, renowned for its 4-point biorevaltisaing , bio-stimulating, and bio-regenerating effects as well as restoring volume. We are excited to have you on board.

Raise Digital

raise digital

Understanding what it takes to overcome fear and self-doubt has been at the root of Paul ‘Stalkie’ Stalker’s personal transformation from school flunk, wayward youth, failed businessman and dying man, to healthy, wealthy entrepreneur, motivational speaker, business coach to FTSE 100 companies and personal mentor to corporate leaders, high performance sportspeople, disengaged children and life-serving prisoners. Dubbed ‘The Happiness Engineer’ by a Channel 4 documentary, the many thousands who have witnessed Stalkie in action, virtually or in the flesh, are unlikely to forget the high energy, no-nonsense, humorous manner in which he shares his RAISE mindset, health and wellbeing principles to transform fear into power, barriers into benefits, and adversity into triumph. His RAISE principles and methodology have been distilled through studying and working alongside an array of the world’s pre-eminent business leaders, executive educators, performance coaches, positive psychologists and critical thinkers for the last 30 years. The methodology is delivered across all platforms by Stalkie, his super-experienced RAISE transformation team and network of associate experts. With individual clients, Stalkie’s aim is to untap, nurture and focus their passion and potential on becoming the best versions of themselves in all aspects of their lives, whatever their starting point. With organisations, Stalkie’s goal is to build blossoming cultures that pursue ‘good profits’ based on trust, core values, world class employee engagement, customer loyalty and sustainable growth, from turnarounds to start-ups and scale-ups. Dawn Stalker – ‘The Boss’ Dawn Stalker The Boss As MD (and Stalkie’s better half), Dawn is the organisational and strategic heartbeat of the RAISE extended family. She is also a key interface with our clients. With a 20-year, C-suite pedigree in magazine publishing, marketing and media (and Stalkie management), Dawn provides coaching, guidance and leadership to senior managers in start-up, scale-up and stable organisations across multi-industries including retail and technology, professional and financial services, marcom and creative, marine and public sector. Dawn has a specialisation in talent management, job analysis and workforce planning, recruiting, performance management, employee development and engagement and internal projects regarding quality, marketing, and process improvement. Chris Humphreys – ‘The Chief Pragmatist’ Chris Hmphreys The Chief Pragmatist Having spent 20 years as a sales director/publisher and 18 years earning his coaching stripes, Chris is a renowned personal and business communications coach. He is co-originator of the RAISE approach to personal and business growth, development and practical positive psychology, as well as the ‘Going the Extra Mile’ operating model for engaging workforces to grow sustainable profit. In partnership with Stalkie, he has authored three books in these fields, devising and writing all RAISE coaching programmes. His main coaching specialisms are engagement, culture and cultural turnaround, people development, 1-to-1 coaching, internal and external communication and customer relations. An engaging facilitator and mediator across all environments, Chris is also a qualified counsellor and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist for private clients. Outside work, he relishes running one of the largest community choirs in the country, hosting regular choral fundraising concerts and events. Our RAISE Associates Dr Rosy Daniel BSc MBBCh – Health Creation Consultant Dr Rosy Daniel BSc MBBCh Health Creation Consultant Dr Rosy Daniel is one of Britain’s leading Lifestyle Medicine Consultants. Initially specialising in the holistic support of those with cancer, she now offers proactive healthcare to all to support the primary and secondary prevention of illness and the regeneration of positive health and happiness. She has pioneered holistic health and wellbeing coaching and consultancy in the UK with a unique approach known as ‘Life Energy Management’, working with clients to change lifestyles, workstyle and health behaviours which are harming their health and well-being. She has worked with over 5000 individuals and 50 organisations including businesses, schools and hospitals to help achieve the health goals that benefit them personally and professionally. Dr Rosy has a private Integrative Medicine practice in Bath. She formerly practised at the Harley Street Oncology Centre, London. She has authored seven books on cancer and its prevention, lecturing and broadcasting nationally and internationally.

Compass Culture And Education Ltd.

compass culture and education ltd.

Barnet

COMPASS GUARDIANSHIP UK Compass Education looks after all the welfare needs of students during their time studying in the UK. With more than 20 years’ experience placing and supporting student in Schools and Universities, we are highly acclaimed across the market and fully understand the needs of our families. Compass Education are leaders in student Guardianship, looking after the welfare and development of students during their time studying in the UK. We take our responsibility for safeguarding our students seriously and we only work with partners who support us in this. READ MORE STATEMENT OF COMPANY AIMS, PRINCIPLES & PRACTICE Compass have a highly experienced and professional group of staff dedicated to the welfare of our students. Compass Education was founded as part of Linx Education, with offices in Watford (UK) and throughout mainland China, Linx has been operating a student recruitment and placement service for over 20 years. During this time the need for a pastoral care aspect of the business has grown significantly. Initially working in the University Sector, a gradual move to school and College placement led to the provision of full Guardianship Services and the foundation of Compass Education. We operate principally in London and the South East of England. Our Directors are highly experienced in UK education and the pastoral care of international students. We have a team of caring professionals who work closely with our partner schools and host families and are fully trained in safeguarding, all dedicated to providing a safe and caring environment for our students and a high quality standard of service that ensures our parents can enjoy peace of mind. TESTIMONIALS We were really nervous about our daughter heading off to school in London for her A level studies. Even though we had both studied in UK ourselves, we still felt scared. Compass have been wonderful at keeping us very well informed and connected to our daughter. They were particularly excellent when we were trying to help choose a University. We were always made to feel very welcome when we contacted them. I strongly recommend tem to any family sending their child to study in UK. A level student parents, Shanghai We have been a Host Family with Compass for a number of years now. We have some wonderful memories of our time looking after students. We have many friends now across the world and I would strongly recommend becoming a Host Family if you are thinking of it. Host family mother, North London We were really nervous about our daughter heading off to school in London for her A level studies. Even though we had both studied in UK ourselves, we still felt scared. Compass have been wonderful at keeping us very well informed and connected to our daughter. They were particularly excellent when we were trying to help choose a University. We were always made to feel very welcome when we contacted them. I strongly recommend tem to any family sending their child to study in UK. A level student parents, Shanghai We have been a Host Family with Compass for a number of years now. We have some wonderful memories of our time looking after students. We have many friends now across the world and I would strongly recommend becoming a Host Family if you are thinking of it. Host family mother, North London We were really nervous about our daughter heading off to school in London for her A level studies. Even though we had both studied in UK ourselves, we still felt scared. Compass have been wonderful at keeping us very well informed and connected to our daughter. They were particularly excellent when we were trying to help choose a University. We were always made to feel very welcome when we contacted them. I strongly recommend tem to any family sending their child to study in UK. A level student parents, S

The Old School Day Nursery & Pre-school

the old school day nursery & pre-school

Coventry

The Old School Day Nursery in Nuneaton is part of the award-winning Tommies Childcare group. Enquire now for more information and availability.We stand with parents in raising well-balanced, happy and self-assured young people by investing time, care and resources in their well-being and development. 2. NURTURE A CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT We allow young minds the freedom to explore and discover in a safe, stable and nurturing environment, creating resourceful adults able to reason, respond to and influence their world. Recognise and celebrate individuality, where each child is valued for their uniqueness and distinctive strengths and taught to value and respect differences and diversity in others. 3. SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S INDIVIDUALITY AND CONFIDENCE Foster a sense of self-worth from an early age, developing confidence and resilience in children that will enable them to withstand and overcome challenges as they grow. Encourage positive interaction and communication, building children’s’ understanding of friendship, co-operation and respect for others in wider society and promoting a sense of belonging. Boost independence, giving children the tools to become self-sufficient citizens in their community. 4. GUARANTEE OUR EMPLOYEES ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST We offer peace of mind that your child is in the best hands, providing the personal attention and nurturing environment of home underpinned by professional expertise and a genuine passion for inspiring children. We provide the best mentors and guides for your children, investing in staff who understand this is more than a job and are excited to help shape our next generation. OUR STORY… In 1998, Tommies owner/CEO, Caroline, had twin daughters who were attending a local pre-school. It was struggling financially and due to close as a result, but she was on the parents’ forum and became aware of the situation. Not wanting to see the pre-school that her family attended and loved, fail, she made an offer to buy the business. Caroline was able to save it and make it sustainable again. Since then Tommies has grown and developed considerably. We currently have eight day nurseries located across the West Midlands, Warwickshire, and Derby. At Tommies, our ethos has moved towards having a strong focus on the wellbeing of our staff as well as the children in our care. We’re extremely proud that Tommies has its own personality and its own way of doing things. It makes us unique, trusted, and the #1 choice for so many families. AWARD-WINNING PROVISION For three consecutive years, Tommies Childcare has received an award for being a Top 20 Most Recommended Mid-Size Nursery Provider in the UK, as reviewed by parents on daynurseries.co.uk. “Tommies Childcare has shown that it delivers excellent early education throughout its nurseries and we’d like to congratulate them on being a top nursery group, as rated by parents. We feel it is a real achievement to be recognised for being in the Top 20 nursery groups by the families and carers of the children.” Davina Ludlow, Director of daynurseries.co.uk In 2019, Tommies Childcare has received the 3 Star Best Companies Accreditation and was listed in the Best Companies to Work For lists. Tommies have also successfully maintained their 3 Star Best Companies Accreditation and place in the lists every year since 2019. “I would like to congratulate Tommies Childcare on your achievement. Best Companies have been producing the accreditation standard since 2006 to acknowledge excellence in the workplace. Organisations like Tommies Childcare have continued to focus on their employees and have been rewarded with an engaged workforce who tell us that this is a best company to work for.” Jonathan Austin, CEO & Founder of Best Companies

Lunar Spirit Wellbeing

lunar spirit wellbeing

Wilstead

Lunar Spirit Wellbeing is an award winning Holistic Practice, we are passionate about helping people like you improve mental health and emotional wellbeing so you can create more joy and happiness in your life. Owned and run by Jennifer McKenzie- Wellbeing Consultant, Holistic Coach, Author & Radio Presenter. Our mission is to help you consciously create a happier healthier life by connecting to yourself and the world around you on a deeper energetic level. A life where you feel free to be YOU and follow your own path, whatever that looks like. We offer a safe space for you to heal trauma, anxiety and release heavy stuck energy you have been carrying around for so long. We live in a time where many of us lack CONNECTION, modern life has almost made us forget our roots, the connection we have to nature and the capacity to slow down. Therefore we have a society of people living in survival mode with high anxiety. Seeking to avoid emotions with drinking, over working or material possessions, reaching burnout and getting sick. With my help you can make the changes, break the cycle and create a better quality of life for yourself. Are you getting home from work reaching for that glass of wine just to unwind, running on auto pilot not remembering how you got somewhere, trying to get through each day wishing for the weekend to hurry up and then dreading Monday morning? It’s ok- no judgement here! I’ve been there myself so I know first hand what that feels like and also how to help you make those all important shifts – small changes = big results. Did you know? This is why I’m so passionate about showing people change is possible, why I started running workshops and coaching- I’ve walked the walk, in 2015 my mental health was at rock bottom, full of anxiety, drinking most days, I’d been through a lot in my teens, toxic relationships, low self esteem. My head was loud with intrusive thoughts, I didn’t know how to make it stop, in the end I tried to take my own life and in the hospital I made a promise to myself to change – so I did and in 2016 I opened the doors to my business and well the rest is history! Ok, ok it wasn’t quite that simple! The thing is, I was lacking connection to myself, connecting with the wrong people to fit in, holding onto the past, people pleasing, exhausted and stressed- sound familiar? I was holding all my emotions in and not facing them- healing happens by feeling. Yes it’s uncomfortable but oh so worth it! I’m a big believer in this -you are never too old or too young to start something! Never too young to start educating around emotional wellbeing and never too old to make changes to your life or start over! What you waiting for? There is so much beauty already within you and all around you, many opportunities and abundance. We all have an innate inner wisdom that is conditioned out of us- we help you to reignite your inner magic, regain trust in your intuition firstly by reconnecting to yourself, then to nature and others. Jen will mentor and support you to peel back the layers, expand your self awareness with a journey of self discovery. A holistic approach and the wisdom of ancient spiritual practices bring you deep healing and lasting meaningful change. I offer coaching, workshops, retreats and courses to businesses, schools, establishments and individuals for personal and professional development. Focusing on mental health and emotional wellbeing. We believe in the power of connection -community- inclusion and diversity so no-one gets left behind! It all starts with you and your journey starts here with us!

Pownall Hall School

pownall hall school

Cheshire,

I am delighted that you are considering Pownall for this very important stage of your child’s education, and I hope that our website will introduce you to all the academic, sporting and co-curricular opportunities available here at Pownall Hall. As a preparatory school, we thoroughly prepare our pupils for the top performing independent schools in the North West. Our ‘up-levelled’ core curriculum allows pupils to aspire and achieve the results required to attend the very best academic schools in the region. This combined with a rich and diverse range of specialist taught subjects means that we provide the very best academic opportunities possible: science in our laboratory, art and design and design technology in our studio, music and drama in our very own Boddington theatre, three languages and extensive grounds, an astro and a sports hall for our specialist PE and Games lessons. Our co-curricular programme of wellbeing, mental health and growth mindset enables us to educate the whole child, developing them both socially and emotionally to become curious, hard-working, aspirational, inquisitive, kind and caring children. Many families aspire for their children to attend top performing schools for their senior phase, yet still wish for them to be at a co-educational, local school in their formative years. At Pownall, we are the very best of both and will provide your child with the strong academic foundations required for the demands of 11+ whilst remaining a small class size, nurturing and family based school. At Pownall Hall we are a family, a family of pupils, staff, parents, governors and friends, all working together to ensure an excellent academic outcome in a caring, safe environment. Our curriculum is creative, broad, active and diverse, wrapped in a caring ethos and all of this is underpinned by a no-compromise approach to the safeguarding of our children, ensuring a happy and safe place for your child to flourish. We are very fortunate to have over 8 acres of beautiful grounds allowing us to have outdoor classrooms, a wildlife pond and forest school provision within our woodland areas; all of which provides excellent learning opportunities for all ages, with free flow inside/outside learning in all our early years provision. Pastoral care is paramount at Pownall. Our staff really get to know your child and will always encourage them to talk if there is something on their mind; this of course will be shared with you, transparency is key. It is crucial that each family knows and understands their son or daughter in the same way that our teaching and support staff do. We will work together to ensure your child’s happiness. We also operate a buddy system between the children from the lower and upper parts of the school, further encouraging the importance of kindness. We have a whole child approach at Pownall. Your child’s social and emotional development is very important to us and has a direct correlation to their personal progress and success. As well as the bespoke areas, there is an essential focus on wellbeing and mindfulness that enables your child to develop a growth mindset that will ensure that they flourish. We believe that these values as well as mental health and wellbeing are just as important as the academic rigour we provide to achieving success in life. We want our children to see themselves as part of a bigger picture, we want them to see beyond themselves and how social values and the qualities of humility, kindness, compassion, discipline, and honesty, are such a very important part of who they will become and what they can be.

Ever-evolving Training

ever-evolving training

London

Ever Evolving, Inc.About Ever Evolving Steve Palmer founded Ever Evolving in February 2016 A Note From Our Founder I started Ever Evolving to help business leaders embrace disruption, because ready or not, change is coming. A recent study by our peers at Accenture stated how 93% of Executives “know their industry will be disrupted at some point in the next five years, only 20 percent feel they’re highly prepared to address it.” Which is backed up by Innosight, and their findings about the decreasing corporate lifespan. In fact, their findings show that “about half of S&P 500 companies will be replaced over the next ten years.” That’s frightening! It’s frightening because if it’s happening to the S&P 500, then we are all vulnerable. It’s frightening to think, not only about the effects that industry disruption could have on your career, but the cumulative effects on the careers of your colleagues. It’s frightening to think about the downstream effects it has on your families and loved ones. So I set out to do something about it. In today’s ever-evolving (pun intended) market place, business leaders are challenged to constantly make smart investment decisions in new products and service offerings. After all, the only way to avoid disruption is to innovate out of it. Unfortunately, based on results from a survey conducted by our friends at McKinsey & Company, only 6% of Executives are “satisfied with [their company’s] innovation performance.” Luckily for you, we have a better way. To avoid being disrupted, to not be in that half of the companies that gets replaced, you need to innovate. You need to innovate repeatably. And you need to innovate perpetually. You need a pipeline of new ideas that are ready to replace any outdated products and business practices. You need to communicate the need for new ideas and reward those who submit valuable ones. You need a framework so people know how to develop them. You need innovation governance to make sure you’re investing your time and resources wisely. We at Ever Evolving can help with that. We have developed a framework. We call it the InnoSpecting Framework. And we use that framework as a guideline, tailoring it through our regular engagements with our customers to fit the needs of their specific organizations. Our framework is built on a rock-solid foundation that we call the 4 Pillars of Continuous Innovation. And is governed through regular meetings we call Innovation Pulses. To help you quickly and accurately get through our framework, we provide you with a set of custom tools and templates. These tools will not only help you identify new innovation ideas, but to also manage those ideas so you aren’t wasting money needlessly on ideas that don’t provide value. All in all, these tools and templates will be your answer to addressing six biggest challenges to corporate innovation. But we also recognize that this isn’t a simple journey. We recognize that changing how you operate is challenging. Which is why we also provide a community of peers. We call it the InnoSpection Community. We have designed this community to provide the support you need for this journey. It’s a community of experts and like-minded companies to help you through your innovation transformation. And no matter what size your organization is, we have packages designed to fit your needs. And we’ve built all of this with a focus on YOU. With a focus on YOUR NEEDS. To make sure you are NOT one of the 94% of executives unsatisfied with your innovation performance. To make sure you are NOT one of those companies being replaced. Like I said, we have a better way. Reach out and allow me to share it with you. Connect with Me Connect with me, as I’d love to learn about your organization and talk about where we can collaborate.

Angel Of Education

angel of education

London

We create innovative web-based applications to help all levels of the education sector, from pupils, teachers and school leaders right through to local authorities and large academy chains. Our tools are used nationwide, as well as internationally. We Believe… Everyone deserves a quality education; Freedom & creativity breed innovation; Excellence should be noticed & rewarded; Life is better with some fun & personality; Greatness comes from always knowing that you can be better; Angel is not its employees, but our beliefs. Those will live forever. The Angel Circus At the beginning of 2012, we converted our offices into a Circus so that our surroundings could reflect the personality and innovation that takes place within the company. Why a circus? Because the circus is a place where talented performers train hard and work to entertain and thrill their audience. In the same way, we want to wow people with our software, customer service and support. We love seeing visitors’ faces when they come to meet Team Angel at our circus. There’s a Big Top and gypsy caravan for creative meetings, a grandstand (complete with ball pool) for presentations, a full-wall blackboard for ideas and inspiration, plus fairground mirrors, a popcorn machine and plenty of other circus curiosities for fun. Most of our staff have even learnt to juggle! And really, it’s our staff who reflect the Angel Solutions DNA more than any props ever could. How We Encourage Creativity… Beyond the circus, creativity and innovation is central to how we work. We give staff plenty of opportunities to promote and showcase their talents, whether work-related or not, and place a high value on ongoing learning. Most importantly, we always strive to celebrate effort and creative thinking in our team, just as much as we celebrate their successes. For example, our staff might… Introduce a new work process to try to save time Trial a new technology inside one of our products Teach a skill or share an idea at a lunchtime smorgasbord session Work with a totally different team on an innovation day Run a staff training session to share their knowledge Do an online course to learn something new No matter how busy we are, it’s important to us to carve out precious time like this. We hold Innovation Days every month and encourage as many people as possible to pause what they’re working on to take part. During that time, teams can mix up and people have an opportunity to work on whatever they want! At the show and tell sessions at the end of these days, presentations are always met with the sound of applause and cheering, whether or not they worked out! Our Performers More than anything else, our company culture is genuinely reflected in the wonderful people who make up our staff team. Lots of our staff have been with us a long time now — some since graduating from university — and their hard work, dedication, expertise and creativity is rewarded. Take a look at our jobs page for more on the benefits we give our team, or see our Flickr photo gallery for a flavour of what it’s like to work at Angel. Want to Visit the Circus? We love it when schools, authorities and other current or potential stakeholders come to visit us here, and are always welcoming to the office groups of students or people from other sectors who want to come and meet our team. Only here at our circus can you get a true feel for who we are and what makes our products and services so special. Simply get in touch if you’d like to pay us a visit. We are hiring! Join Team Angel If you think you’d fit in well in our team and have skills to offer, head over to our jobs page to find out more! WORK WITH US About us Our Team The Board Our Charity Work Awards Recruitment How to find us

Monkey Music East Grinstead & Reigate

monkey music east grinstead & reigate

Reigate

Autumn term bookings are now open and are showing to be very popular. We are also pleased to say that classes with be running again in Reigate on a Monday from the 7th Nov.CloseThere are so many proven benefits that music is good for our children and it’s an absolute privilege to be able to provide a stimulating, fun packed music and singing class for your little ones.At Monkey Music we are proud to be part of your child’s musical journey from the age of 3 months to 4 years, meaning it is suitable for babies, toddlers and kids & I am delighted to be able to offer this fantastic experience to you and your children.I played the violin as a child and sang in the school choir, in my teenage years, I was always listening to music wherever I went.Now as an adult the radio is forever on and I love a good sing song.After I had my first child, I decided I wanted to share my love of music with her. She was only a few months old and I wasn’t sure where to start. We went along to quite a few different baby and toddler music classes and groups, but when Monkey Music was recommended to me by a friend, from the very first class we were hooked and never looked back. I was impressed with everything about the class, the structured lesson plans, the progressive musical curricula and a wonderfully caring teacher.Very soon my little girl loved her sessions so much we had to have a collection at home of the Monkey Music songs, books and of course Monkey and Mo so she could perform her very own classes.Because the curricular is progressive by nature, it often means that families stay with Monkey Music and even bring their new additions along, (I’m now attending with my second child).The four levels of Monkey Music are specially developed around the capabilities and interests of your child, at that specific time in their lives. You will hear traditional nursery rhymes as well as some of the 500 original Monkey Music songs that have been specially written to support the curricula and your child’s development. To aid this we will use an extensive kit of carefully selected instruments, sensory and colourful props with lots and lots of activities and actions. All of the above will certainly help your child with their Social, Physical and Language Skills. It has been scientifically proven that music has great advantages and health benefits for children. One of those benefits is Music helps to improve brain power and memory. Students who were exposed to music while growing up excelled better academically than those who were not. Music helps in stimulating the part of the brain that is responsible for reading, mathematics and emotional development. Music also helps with a child’s development of social skills.Being part of a Monkey Music class will help your child relate to others, feel part of a group and eventually listen to instruction. You will watch their confidence grow and they will certainly be rewarded with praise and will feel a great sense of achievement. I have undergone extensive training to ensure I can provide a fun packed but professional class for your family.I am fully CRB checked and paediatric First Aid trained. Our classes will allow you to share precious time together, meet like-minded people and for your children to make Musical friends, so why not book your complimentary class so you can experience Monkey Music for yourself and I’m sure you too will become part of the Monkey Music family.

Beacon Music Education

beacon music education

London

So I'm reading David Byrne's book, How Music Works, and last night I get to a chapter called "Amateurs!" — and I had to put down the book so I could take a minute and write to all of you. If you want to know why I started Beacon Music Factory in this amazing little Hudson Valley town, the desire to celebrate amateurs has a lot to do with it. I think everyone deserves to make some music, because making music will lift you up to the rafters. If music moves you, making music will move you even more. Byrne writes, "The act of making music, clothes, art, or even food has a very different, and possibly more beneficial effect on us than simply consuming those things." In modern society, we have tended "toward the creation of passive consumers, and in many ways this tendency is counterproductive." What he's referring to is the idea that for a bazillion years people made music. Then in the 20th century we created a recording industry, out of which has come a recorded-music world in which most people participate by merely consuming music. Feh. "Maybe, like sports," says Byrne,"making music can function as a game—a musical "team" can do what an individual cannot." Exactly. Long before there was ever a recording industry, music-making was a way of socializing, or being on a team. In the back forty, on the front porch, in the parlor, on a street corner, in church, in a pub. A hundred years ago, if you wanted to hear some music you got together with your peeps and you made some music. When I rave to anyone — parent, student, teacher, whomever—about why I think our Rock Band Boot Camp program is so incredible, so inspiring, so important, it's because no matter what you, the student, bring to it, you can—and we will—put it to use. And in the process, while you're in rock camp, as a contributing member of this team, of this group, of this band that you're in, you share a common goal with your crew. You're in it together. Suddenly the music you're making is more fun, more engaging, and more interesting to you than anything on Spotify or whatever on Brooklyn Vegan. The songs you're working on might be cheesy as hell, but all of a sudden you find yourself inside the music looking out—maybe for the first time. And because you're a vital part of the band, some part of that arrangement depends on you. What a rush. Byrne quotes anthropologist Ellen Dissanayake: "Prehistorically, …all art forms were communally made, which had the effect of reinforcing a group's cohesion, and thereby improving their chances of survival." Communal cohesion, tell me about it. If you were at any of the Adult Boot Camp final shows over the past year (London Calling, Arena Rock, Ziggy Stardust, Marquee Moon, Odd Man Out), the community support and enthusiasm rocked as hard as the bands. In our Rock Band Boot Camps, we are so dedicated to providing an opportunity for any and all kinds of people to rock out (our way of saying make music while having the time of your life). Of course, BMF diligently serves its serious students with instruction in a wide range of instruments, yes. But there is this other part of our mission: and that is to let the person with desire (and perhaps no experience) get his or her ya-yas out. As long as you've got desire, you really ought to give yourself the chance to rock out. And what better way to rock out than to make real music with real people like yourself. I really believe in what we're doing with these rock band camps, and I'm grateful to our teaching staff and to all of you, our students and supporters, for making this thing so real.