Hal Leonard Europe sponsors Music for Youth Music Mentors programme

London, UK, 12 July 2021 – leading music publisher Hal Leonard Europe (HLE) has announced a new sponsorship agreement with leading music charity Music for Youth. Under the agreement, HLE will contribute to funding for Music for Youth’s Music Mentors programme.

Described as the ‘eyes and ears’ of Music for Youth, Music Mentors play a vital role in the delivery of Music for Youth initiatives across the UK. The Mentors are music professionals recruited and trained to provide encouragement, advice and support for young music makers and their leaders. Music Mentors represent a diverse range of musical cultures and bring a variety of expertise to aid progression and development for musicians and music educators via Music for Youth events and by offering advice and guidance via personal ‘Mentor-on-Call’ sessions.

HLE’s support will help to expand and diversify the programme, with more mentors recruited and trained up, and will aid hundreds of music teachers through increased Mentor-on-Call sessions. HLE funding will also back case study research to measure the impact of the initiative and inform future work.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership and are honoured to be working with Music for Youth. The Music Mentors scheme is a tremendous way to nurture young musicians and provide much-needed professional development for music leaders. Music educators are absolutely critical to the music ecosystem, and it is so important that we support them with initiatives such as this, setting people on course for lifelong music making. We’re dedicated to creating the very best tools and resources for learning and teaching music and we’re very much looking forward to working with the MFY team and the Music Mentors to develop this exciting new partnership.”

Tom Farncombe, Business Development Director, Hal Leonard Europe

“Over the course of the pandemic, Music for Youth has witnessed the incredible efforts by music educators across the UK to be there for young musicians and support their music making through difficult times. We are delighted that Hal Leonard Europe is backing our newly developed mentoring offer which demonstrates Music for Youth’s role in connecting professionals from the music education sector with the wider music industry, for the ultimate benefit of young musicians.”

Judith Webster, CEO, Music For Youth

About Music for Youth

Music for Youth is a national youth arts charity working to provide young people aged 21 and under across the UK with free, life-changing performance and progression opportunities, regardless of background or musical style. Established in 1970, our mission is simple: to transform young lives through music. We believe that music, and the chance to participate in high-quality musical activities, should be open to every young person.

Music for Youth is about nurturing not only the next generation of musical talent, but the next generation full stop. Whether you’re a violinist, or beatboxer, a young person who’s never had the chance to experience live music, or the leader of a primary school choir just starting out, we have something for you, or for the young people you work with. We pride ourselves on being open, accessible, and welcoming.

Despite the inevitable impact of COVID-19 in 2020, Music For Youth’s vision to be the UK’s most respected provider of musical performance opportunities on a national basis for young people holds true, albeit using a wider range of delivery methods.

www.mfy.org.uk