Brent Music Academy

Do you know a young person who excels – or has the potential to excel – in music performance or creation? Or a young person who shows an aptitude or interest in the non-performing side of the industry?

Developed by local music organisations, Brent Music Academy (BMA) is a new initiative providing professional training and opportunities for young people passionate about making music in any genre or style, or with interests in music production, business or administration. Delivered by a diverse range of industry leaders, the Academy will provide ongoing term-time activities as well as out-of-term projects and work experience opportunities.

Who is it for?

The Academy is for young people who live or study in the London Borough of Brent or surrounding areas and display a high level of passion and commitment to pursuing opportunities in the music industry. There are no formal entry requirements, but successful young people will be achieving or show aptitude for music above the average standard for their age group.

Young people should consider their skills and interests against the criteria listed in the list of ‘BMA Student Characteristics’ below:

Download PDF

Brent Music Academy is not a replacement for individual tuition and aims to provide additional professional opportunities for exceptional young people; students accepted onto the Academy are required to continue their existing musical training and commitments in addition to Academy activity.

How does it work?

The Academy runs in two ‘Pathways’ depending on interest:

The Performance Pathway is designed for young people ages 8-19 who sing, play an instrument or compose their own music, working in any genre or style, with a passion for collaborating and performing with others.

The Industry Pathway explores non-performance elements of the music industry, which might include audio engineering, music production, marketing, talent promotion, event management, programming, or any other related fields. Participants will range in age from 14-19 years old.

Young people with an interest across performance and industry are welcome to take part in both Pathways.

Opportunities for younger (ages 4-7) and older (ages 19-25) people demonstrating exceptional potential will be developed as the Academy grows.

To join the Academy, young people must be referred by a music (e.g., a private tutor, school teacher, ensemble leader) or youth (e.g., social worker, youth club, faith or community group leader) professional and take part in a ‘Taster’ workshop for assessment by BMA staff. Recruitment periods will run periodically throughout the year.

Currently, the Academy is in a Pilot phase and is delivering short terms of activity to test out structures and content. The partners hope that the Academy will be fully operational from Autumn 2023, and from that time will offer weekly sessions on Saturday mornings or afternoons during term-time. Activity currently takes place in the Wembley Park (Performance) and Kilburn (Industry Pathway, at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance) areas. Additional out-of-term projects, masterclasses and work experience opportunities will be provided periodically throughout the year.

All activity is designed and facilitated by world-leading industry professionals from diverse backgrounds, genres and sections of the industry. Content and curricula are designed to ensure participants receive a well-rounded music and/or industry education that supplements their existing provision, and that includes the relevant skills and knowledge required for a successful career in the industry.

What does it cost?

There is no cost for attending BMA during the pilot phase. It is hoped that free participation can be continued once the Academy takes up fulltime delivery through the generous support of donations; if this is not possible, bursary and tuition remission schemes will ensure family finances are no barrier to participation.

Get Involved

BMA is currently running a pilot phase of activity, and registration for this activity is now closed. Information on future activity will be announced in due course. If you would like to be informed when next activity is announced, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask to be added to our mailing list.

In the meantime, feel free to download an information sheet with further details about BMA below:

Download PDF

Keep in touch

If you would like to be kept in the loop about future Academy developments, or are interested in supporting or collaborating with the Academy, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Academy are keen to develop partnerships with music professionals and organisations throughout the Borough of Brent; professionals from all genres or industry professions are encouraged to get in touch to discuss opportunities for collaboration.

Thank you to our supporters

The Brent Music Academy Pilot Phase is generously supported by Sf Stefan Civil Engineering. With additional support from The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Brent Music Service, The Radcliffe Trust, The Edward Harvist Trust, The Hobson Charity, Garrick Charitable Trust.