Music Leaders

NYOS Music Leaders is a one-year paid training and development programme open to early career musicians based in Scotland.

Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing cultural and environmental landscape, the NYOS Music Leaders programme is designed to address the core competencies, capacities and skills needed to be a successful workshop leader, music educator and thought leader in tomorrow’s cultural sector and beyond. 

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Ages: 20-25
Grades: 8+ or equivalent skill level
Requirements: Passion for exploring creative approaches to music-making & music education

Learn From Experts

The programme will feature a collective of fantastic mentors and experts who will be running workshops for our next generation of music leaders. 

The practical elements of the course will give Music Leaders the opportunity to work with groups of children and young people participating in existing NYOS activities and ensembles. Successful applicants will attend three training days, each focussing on a specific theme or competency. 

2024-25 Timeline

September: Recruitment Day - 20 September, Glasgow
October: Welcome Day
November: Competencies for Music Leadership
February: Workshop Leading and Group Teaching
March: Competencies for Employment

About The Programme

The programme is delivered through a mix of training, discussion, observation, delivery and reflection with support from mentors and key industry professionals. Music Leaders will be paid £100 per day, plus travel expenses - in line with our fair work policy and the living wage. 

Drawn from a diverse range of disciplines, the group of mentors will bring their passion and enthusiasm to the programme alongside a huge range of unique experiences and perspectives. The mentor’s role is to share this passion with their mentees, asking and answering questions, giving advice where required, provoking new ways of thinking and signposting participants to relevant further learning opportunities.

Some of the capacities, competencies and skills that NYOS Music Leaders aims to develop: 

• Building confidence and resilience through delivering activities to peers and groups of young people.
• Learning strategies for effective group teaching and workshop leading.
• Developing presence when working with groups of children and young people.
• Team-working with peers and industry professionals through co-delivery. 
• Learning to collaborate effectively.
• Learning to be empathetic and adaptable when working with groups of mixed ages and abilities.
• Networking with peers and industry professionals.

Applications for the NYOS Music Leaders Programme are now open.

Applications Deadline: Wednesday 14 August
Successful applicants will be invited to a recruitment day on Friday 20 September in Glasgow.

To submit your application, click the link below to be taken to the application form.

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If you have any questions about your application, or if you require any additional support or adjustments, please do not hesitate to get in touch with ensembles@nyos.co.uk

In your application we will ask for a few personal details and brief statements about the following:

• Your education/training history.
• Relevant employment history.
• What you would like to get out of the NYOS Music Leaders programme, and what you can bring to the programme.

The most important thing to us is who you are, not necessarily your education or experience. Everyone will bring different experiences to the role, however successful candidates will likely display:

• ABRSM Grade 8 or equivalent standard in one or more musical instruments.
• An enthusiasm and commitment to youth music-making.
• Willingness to deliver music tuition in a range of settings.
• A positive and can-do attitude, being open to taking initiative and demonstrating flexibility.

The NYOS Music Leaders Programme has been made possible thanks to generous support from Creative Scotland’s Youth Arts Targeted Funding. We understand that some young people may face additional barriers to accessing opportunities to develop a career in the music industry.

At NYOS, we want to represent all of Scotland in a work environment that’s inclusive, welcoming, and diverse. We value inclusivity and lived experience in all its forms, and we understand that people from certain backgrounds are still under-represented in the arts nationwide. We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as coming from one of these backgrounds: 

• Working-class or lower socio-economic backgrounds.
• Global majority backgrounds and people who experience racism.
• People living with a long-term illness or disability.
• Care leavers.
• Young carers and young parents.
• Experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• Experiencing or at risk of experiencing poor mental health, either diagnosed or self-acknowledged.
• Neurodiverse people.

Don't miss your chance to take part in this excitng programme. The deadline to apply is 12 noon on Wednesday 14 August 2024. Successful applicants will be invited to a recruitment day on Friday 20 September.

Any Questions? 

While applications are open for the music leaders programme in 2024, we would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the project. Please feel free to send us an email to ensembles@nyos.co.uk