Young Sounds UK

Young Sounds is a charity that is dedicated to helping young people develop their musical potential. They do this by:

Supporting young musicians from low income families with funding and other help
Supporting music education through training, advocacy and research

Musical talent is everywhere but opportunity isn’t: family finances and other obstacles too often get in the way. Through our Thrive programme, we support young instrumentalists, singers, songwriters, composers and producers with funding and other help to develop their musical potential. When you join the programme, you join a community of talented young musicians from across the UK and get free musical opportunities and advice too. We help young musicians on the programme to decide how to use their funding to best support their musical progression. They have 12 months to spend the funds, with access to musical advice and opportunities throughout the year.

Eligibility

Please click this link to see the full list of eligibility criteria, or read on for a summary.

Young Sounds assesses applications based on:

Financial need
Musical commitment

You do not need to have taken any formal music exams to apply.

The programme is intended for intermediate and advanced young musicians, so applicants should usually have been learning music for at least one year.

We welcome and support all musical genres and styles equally. Applications are reviewed by external adjudicators from a wide range of musical backgrounds.

You can apply if you meet all of the following criteria:

Age

You are aged 7–17
You can apply any time after your 7th birthday up to the day before your 18th birthday

Location

You are living and studying in the UK, including England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands

Musical Activity

You are one or more of the following:

Instrumentalist, Vocalist, Composer, Producer
Singer-songwriter

Household Income

Your household income falls within one of these categories:

Household income	Eligibility
Under £34,000	Eligible
£34,000–£40,000	May be eligible
Above £40,000	Unlikely to be eligible

Household income refers to the combined income of parents/carers in your home.

Who is Not Eligible

Unfortunately, Young Sounds currently do not support:

Beginner-level musicians
Young people who are currently part of the Connect programme

Can You Help with My Application?

Absolutely! We understand that filling out applications like this can be difficult and time-consuming, and we would be happy to assist you with your application in person. If you would like to book in some time to complete your application together, please reach out to us by emailing skillsandlearning@futureyard.org.