The Music Works – case studies of music mentoring with vulnerable young people
“Anita showed excellent skills in talking to both the young people and to staff. She draws out key bits of information in a way that is both sensitive and perceptive. Vulnerable young people have found her easy to talk to and have found the experience positive for them. Anita has a way of approaching this work which enables us to learn as an organisation. She has a knack of asking the right questions, combined with integrity and care in the way the information is presented. We have been very pleased with the final results which we felt had the right balance of detail, context, depth and focus. They have proved a valuable tool in advocating our work.” Mark Bick, former CEO, Gloucestershire Music Makers (now The Music Works).
Gloucestershire Music Makers had been achieving great success in working with young people in challenging circumstances through music. The work was growing: because it was effective in improving the confidence, motivation and achievements of young people. Yet they were finding it tricky to get an initial ‘foot in the door’ with some of their potential clients: commissioners of services for young people in Gloucestershire with whom they hadn’t yet worked.
Anita researched and wrote a series of four case studies to explain the work and its impact.
Mark Bick says that the case studies have provided a valuable tool in advocating their work: “We have shown them to special and mainstream schools and the Youth Support service when they have been considering working with us, and they have helped to quickly and efficiently get across the quality and depth of what we do … ACE and Youth Music have recently given feedback that our supporting evidence including the case studies has been strong. I will also be using them in training: They are a good way for someone interested in developing more skills and understanding to get a quick but indepth insight into a specific situation. They are not just spin, they go deep into the intentions, practices and outcomes of the work.”
She later wrote a series of case studies about similar work in the south west (see SWAG Musical Inclusion case studies), and then another featuring the stories of young people from across the UK, for Youth Music (see Youth Music case studies).
Read the case studies:
Michael’s story – hospital education
Charlie’s story – pupil referral units
About Gloucestershire Music Makers’ work in PRUs