London

The three core strands of NYJO Learning’s work in London are our Under 18s programme, Holiday Projects, and Community Outreach. Through our work in London, we are always looking to support the progression of talented young musicians, alongside supporting less-experienced young musicians to develop new skills and experiment creatively.

Whether you have ambitions to join NYJO’s Emerging Professionals programme or are looking to try out group music-making for the very first time, you can always find opportunities to engage with NYJO Learning’s work!

If you would like to find out more about any of our projects in London, please get in touch at [email protected].

NYJO Under 18s

NYJO Under 18s is a Saturday programme for talented young jazz musicians aged 14-18, offering training, ensemble-playing, performance opportunities and jams to develop your technique and your creativity. And to have fun too! Many of our members have aspirations to one day play with NYJO’s professional ensembles, but we’re here to support your learning and progress no matter what your goals are, or what level of experience you have when you join us.

If you’re interested in joining our NYJO Under 18s programme, then please get in touch at [email protected].

We currently offer the following groups on Saturdays:

Ensemble

… (11:00-13:30) for young musicians to develop their skills in ensemble playing, sight-reading, playing by ear, and improvisation techniques.

Band

… (14:00-16:00) to encourage you to think about Big Band music in new ways; learn more about the tradition & explore new approaches.

Plus

… small group projects and performances, masterclasses, vocal tuition, industry talks, and jam sessions.

In our young musicians’ words:

My sight-reading and confidence has improved massively, I’ve also made lots of new friends and am learning so many new songs/techniques.

I feel more confident as everyone supports each other and all of the MDs are so lovely!

I love the people at NYJO. Everyone here is so encouraging and lovely and it makes the experience worthwhile.

Recorded in celebration of International Jazz Day 2023: watch this conversation between NYJO Under 18s’ MD Winston Clifford and two of our young musicians, as they discuss their experience in our Saturday programme.

A look back on when we were called NYJO London Academy: Filmed in December 2021, check out this video of some of our young musicians discussing where their love of music came from and what they hope to achieve in the future.

NYJO Under 18s fees (termly):

  • NYJO Under 18s Ensemble: £150
  • NYJO Under 18s Band: £125
  • NYJO Under 18s Ensemble + Band: £250

Please note that NYJO Under 18s is completely free for any young musician who is in receipt of Free School Meals/any form of benefit/from a low-income background.

In addition to this 25%, 50% and 75% bursaries are available to any young musicians who may otherwise be unable to attend due to financial reasons.

If you’re interested in joining or finding out more about the NYJO Under 18s programme, please get in touch via [email protected]!

Community Outreach

We offer a range of opportunities for the community surrounding our home at Woolwich Works, and in the wider London area. These include our community singing group, work in schools, and partner projects with Cardboard Citizens and SoundSkool. Through our community outreach work, we are always aiming to help remove some of the barriers people in our area face when accessing arts and music.

We are guided by all four Arts Council NPO Investment Principles within our work. Our Community Outreach programme embeds the Inclusivity & Relevance Principle in our commitment to achieving greater fairness, access and opportunity in music education. We want to embrace the diversity of our communities and the culture they produce.

NYJO Jazz Messengers

In July 2022, NYJO Learning embarked on a Greenwich Jazz Messengers Schools’ Tour. Through this tour, we aimed to inspire young people to take up an instrument and encourage them to get involved in extra-curricular music-making.

Working in partnership

Partner working is at the heart of NYJO Learning’s programmes. It is a privilege to share knowledge and experiences with other organisations, and to explore ways in which we can support the growth of each other’s learning and outcomes.

Sherard Road Songbirds

The Sherard Road Songbirds, our community choir run in partnership with Age UK Greenwich, is a place where adults can connect through music. Read all about the development of the project and how to get involved here.

We Out Here 2022 

A tuba workshop with Greenwich secondary school pupils, where they experimented and explored with this large brass instrument, ultimately led us all the way to We Out Here Festival! 

Greenwich Carers Sessions

Join our music making workshops with Greenwich Carers! These sessions are open to all, but anyone with caring responsibilities living locally is especially encouraged to register.

Sound Foundations

We are running a first-access project in partnership with two Greenwich Secondary Schools to give young people an instrument and group tuition for the first time.

Holiday Projects

NYJO Learning’s Holiday Projects offer innovative and progressive opportunities for music education, engagement and support. Projects usually take place across 3-5 days and are open to young musicians aged 12-18 of all abilities. Priority is given to young musicians who live or study in the borough of Greenwich, but anyone is welcome to apply.

If you are interested in taking part in our holiday projects, please get in touch at [email protected] to be added to our mailing list.

Holiday projects

In 2021-22, NYJO Learning ran three Holiday Projects at our Woolwich Works home, led by featured artists including Jas Kayser, Blue Lab Beats, and FLOetic Lara.

Summer Lab

In Summer 2022, a group of young musicians took part in NYJO’s Summer Lab led by Grammy Award-winning producers Blue Lab Beats. Have a listen to the brilliant track they created:

Vocal Workshop

In February 2023, vocalists aged 12-18 from Greenwich and the surrounding areas came together to experiment with new genres, and explore songwriting. Check out the video:

June Half Term

Read about our vocal workshops in June 2023, led by Scarlet Halton and Ranjana Ghatak at our home in Woolwich Works.

Oct Half Term

Read about our half term workshop in October 2023, where we co-created ‘NYJO Living Values’ with our Under 18s musicians & local young people.

Steam Down

This February half-term, NYJO is delighted to be teaming up with Steam Down for a very exciting 3-day project happening at Woolwich Works!

Support us

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Join our passionate community of Friends, grant-making organisations or corporate sponsors at a level that suits you and share your love of jazz with the next generation.