NMPAT: Building Musical Pathways for Every Young Person in Northamptonshire

When Simon Steptoe took the stage at the Musically Unorthodox Conference, he had a simple message: NMPAT is here for everyone and they’re actively looking for more partners to join the ecosystem.

Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT) is what many would recognise as the county’s music service. Originally part of the County Council, it became an independent charity and company around 12 years ago, but its mission has only grown.

Now it serves both Northamptonshire and Rutland, and its reach is wider than many realise.

From Traditional Tuition to Modern Pathways

NMPAT’s roots are in traditional instrumental tuition, the kind that sees a child pick up a violin in primary school, join a Saturday morning music centre, and progress through county bands and ensembles.

But that’s far from the whole story.

“There have been a number of developments over the years,” Simon explained.

These include a fully funded music production course running in secondary schools, and Reach the Stars, a programme working in special schools and designated special provision units within mainstream education.

There are also nine Saturday Morning Centres distributed across the county entry points for young people to go deeper into music-making alongside peers.

The Music Hub: An Ecosystem Invitation

NMPAT is also the lead partner for the Northamptonshire and Rutland Music Hub, funded by the Department for Education via Arts Council England.

The Hub delivers specific programmes like Whole Class Ensemble Teaching, which gives every child in participating primary schools at least a term of weekly tuition on instruments ranging from violin to djembe to samba.

But the Hub is more than a delivery mechanism. It’s intended to be an ecosystem.

Simon showed a slide of existing partners: community bands and orchestras, schools, East Midlands wide organisations, commercial partners, national partners, and delivery partners like Deep Roots Tall Trees.

Then he made an important admission.

“You may feel that it is not as comprehensive as one might want. I’m here today to open a pathway to have discussions about how other organisations, how other initiatives could get involved in what the Music Hub does.”

The door is open.

Musical Inclusion: Reaching the Young People Who Need It Most

Simon also runs the Musical Inclusion Programme, originally funded by Youth Music and now supported by a range of grants. It works with children and young people in challenging circumstances.

The list of who they reach is extensive:

Care-experienced children and young people
Adults with caring responsibilities (including an online ukulele group that started during the pandemic and remains active because it’s accessible for carers)
Children with SEND

One project, Musicians Assemble, brings together six children with profound and multiple learning difficulties, alongside students from NMPAT’s other bands and ensembles, to create music together. Their first performance? A mash-up of the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme and Star Wars.

“All the different ways you could describe a mash-up, probably it will be that,” Simon laughed.

Collaboration in Action

Simon highlighted two projects that show what partnership looks like on the ground.

The Live Lounge Challenge saw Daniel Johnson from In Music In Media brought in to help a group of young people not only compose a piece of music but record it, a challenge that pushed everyone involved.

In Wellingborough, work at the Hemmingwell Community Centre with musician Cam has evolved into a Young Carers music club and a new project called Future Sounds, based at the same studio and aimed specifically at young people at risk of crime or antisocial behaviour.

The Invitation

Simon was clear about why he was in the room.

He wasn’t there to deliver a polished presentation. He was there to make connections.

“I think there’s a final slide which I hope you will get at the end. It’s got my contact details on and an email, in case you want to get in touch with me and discuss any sort of collaborations or partnerships that you’re interested in.”

For any organisation working with young people in Northamptonshire whether in music, media, or creative arts, that is an invitation worth taking up.

NMPAT is the music hub lead for Northamptonshire and Rutland, delivering instrumental tuition, inclusive programmes, and partnership projects across the county. They are actively seeking new collaborations with organisations working with young people.