RNCM Young Strings
Young Strings provides a thorough foundation in musical and instrumental skills while also being holistic, creative and fun.
At Young Strings, the emphasis is on making music and enjoying it. Most of our music lessons for children are in groups and our pupils have fun learning together though musical games, singing and movement as well as through playing their instruments.
Most pupils enter aged five years and progress through all three stages until they are 12 years old. If places become available, they are offered to children on the waiting list.
There is no audition, nor requirement of prior musical training, when children join Young Strings at Stage 1. For Stages 2 and 3, children will need to have suitable ability on their string instrument to be offered a place learning with children of an equivalent age.
Places are limited and highly sought-after, and we have a waiting list for all stages of the programme. We take applications all year round, and add names to our waiting list if there are no places immediately available.
An Integrated Approach to Music Teaching
RNCM Young Strings aims to help pupils become confident, expressive musicians, who have a deep understanding of all the elements of music. This underpins our approach, which integrates instrumental, musicianship and ensemble training.
Our experienced tutors, who are highly skilled musicians and teachers, work together to help pupils develop their co-ordination, their aural, rhythmic, and improvisation skills, and their musical knowledge, as well as a firm technical foundation on the instrument of their choice.
Young Strings is based both here at the RNCM on Manchester’s Oxford Road and MMU’s Brooks Building. It is a non-selective, open-access, programme where every child is encouraged to work to his/her full potential. We promote strongly an environment in which pupils are supportive of each other; peer appraisal is an important part of their learning. Involvement of parents/carers is also encouraged, particularly regarding the youngest pupils, as this can aid progress significantly.
