HMDT Music

26/05/2026

What an inspiring first four weeks of our Saturday Programme! 🎶✨We’ve loved welcoming an incredible line-up of Guest Artists to share their talent, experience, and passion with our students in The Music Box.

Currently studying tuba at the Royal Academy of Music, playing with her all-female brass quintet ‘Queentet’, and doing music education work alongside playing the sousaphone, Nona Lawrence kicked off the term at The Music Box!

We were delighted to welcome back saxophonist Sam Sharp, whose recent work involves contemporary story-telling through innovatively crafted soundscapes that blur the lines between classical, jazz, and electronic music.

Award-winning Uyghur musician Shohret Nur also returned to share the sounds of the dutar and rawap with the youngest of our Saturday Programme students.

Alfie Bousfield closed off the first half of the term, joining us with his bass trombone. Alongside his bass trombone studies at the Royal Academy of Music, Alfie is a keen euphonium soloist engaging in orchestral, wind orchestra and brass band solo repertoire.

Visit the link below to learn more about The Music Box and submit an Application Form to join us after half term for more exciting Guest Artists!

https://zurl.co/EINeh

21/05/2026

This day in 1799 marked the birth of historical palaeontologist Mary Anning. As the first person to discover the complete skeletons of a Plesiosaurus and an Ichthyosaurus in the English coastal town of Lyme Regis, Mary Anning’s discoveries helped prove that there had been life on earth for millions of years and contributed significantly towards developing the field of palaeontology.

This month, Mary Anning has been visiting KS1 and KS2 classrooms across England to share her toughest challenges and greatest achievements, delving into the world of palaeontology through hands-on activities and engaging storytelling! In HMDT Music’s ‘STEM Sisters’ workshops, students learn how fossils are formed, examine genuine fossils, and explore what it is like to be a palaeontologist by assembling a skeleton from a jigsaw of bones.

“I wanted to say thank you again for the brilliant workshop you provided to our Year 3s this academic year; it’s been a highlight for the last couple of years and we really appreciate all the effort and enthusiasm you bring to our classrooms!” – Teacher, Tadworth Primary School

To organise a visit from Mary Anning to your school for the 2026-27 academic year, visit our website or the link below and fill in the workshop application form:

https://zurl.co/Ap19M

31/03/2026

Does your child enjoy singing? Do they want to learn an instrument? Are they a young performer in the making? 🎭

We currently have spaces available for our Minis programme for students in Years 1 and 2 to join in the Summer Term! The Minis offers children the unique opportunity to develop their all-round musicianship, stage performance skills, and explore instrumental learning. It also enables their communication and teamwork skills to thrive and their confidence to build, whilst forging new friendships in a fun and friendly environment! 🎶✨

"I don’t know anywhere else where you can combine learning instruments with such a high level of singing and performance!" - Parent

📆 Our Summer Term begins on 25 April

Find more info and apply at https://zurl.co/KfAYv (link in bio) 🔗

25/03/2026

We are incredibly grateful for all of your donations which have enabled us to exceed our goal of raising £9,000 for One Spirit!

Your donations through our Big Give campaign, which is one of several fundraising drives for One Spirit, will make a big difference in helping transform our participants' lives and give them hope and purpose for the future.

Thank you!

20/03/2026

Big thanks for all your donations so far - we are so grateful for the generous support we have received for One Spirit, raising £3,644 towards our goal of £9,000!

"You offer a really vital service at HMYOI Feltham. Music is a really important part of many of these adolescents' lives, and writing allows them to express and process their emotions connected to their experiences in a meaningful way. The value of this cannot be underestimated at what is a highly vulnerable
time" - Clinical Practitioner Psychotherapist

Help us ensure that we can sustain this transformative programme by contributing to its continuation. Every donation you make will make a difference to the life of a young person who has faced a desperately challenging and disadvantaged childhood and help them to turn their lives around.

Our campaign page is ONLY open until midday on 24th March, so please do ensure you make any donations by then:
https://zurl.co/or9Yu

18/03/2026

17/03/2026

Our Big Give donation site is officially live! From TODAY until 24 March, we are fundraising for the Big Give’s scheme to raise £4,500 for One Spirit, with each donation DOUBLED through match funding! One Spirit, our intervention, resettlement and restorative programme, uses music to help support and transform the lives of some of our community’s most vulnerable young people at risk of, or already embroiled in, the criminal justice system facing systematic discrimination and racial inequity.

In October, One Spirit participant, K, performed at ‘The Power of Mentoring: NDYP Celebration Event’ in celebration of the Mayor’s New Deal for Young People. Excluded from school for behaviour, K was stabbed 17 times and hospitalised for several months. After being discharged, the only thing he wanted to do was return to One Spirit. Though he was incredibly nervous, he built up enough courage to perform at the event and had an amazing experience. Thanks to One Spirit, he has recently just started college and has got his life back on track.

We would greatly appreciate any contributions you are able to make, as every donation makes a transformative impact for the young people like K who participate in One Spirit. Visit our bio or follow the link below to visit our campaign page and donate:
https://zurl.co/IoQka

16/03/2026

There is only 1 DAY to go until the Big Give’s fundraising scheme begins, in which we’re aiming to raise £4,500 for One Spirit, with each donation DOUBLED through match funding!

From midday TOMORROW until 24 March, HMDT Music will be raising money for One Spirit, our intervention, resettlement and restorative programme. One Spirit participants have faced extreme challenging, adverse childhood experiences and significant social and economic disadvantages including exposure to violence, neglect, gang pressure and exploitation. In the past year, 100% of participants expressed that One Spirit had helped their mental health and wellbeing, with 91% reporting increased self-confidence and 82% saying they felt better about the future.

We would greatly appreciate any contributions you are able to make, as every donation is transformative for the young people participating in One Spirit. Follow the link below or in our bio to visit our campaign page:

https://zurl.co/bM4Oh

15/03/2026

There are only 2 DAYS to go until the Big Give’s fundraising scheme begins, in which we’re aiming to raise £4,500 for One Spirit, with each donation DOUBLED through match funding!

Offering an alternative curriculum of creative arts and entrepreneurial activities delivered through mentoring and workshops in custody, on release in the community and in Pupil Referral Units, One Spirit’s success is reflected in its 15 year consistent non-reoffending rate of over 85%, with 60% progressing into employment and 25% into education.

Visit our campaign page below or in our bio to find out more information and bookmark the page so you can donate when the Scheme opens at midday on 17 March:
https://zurl.co/8tEs4

10/03/2026

From 17-24 March, HMDT Music will be taking part in The Big Give's funding initiative for charities. Through the Big Give, we are able to raise up to £4,500 and have the total funds raised doubled through match funding!

We will be raising money for One Spirit, our intervention, resettlement and restorative programme which uses music as a tool to help support and transform the lives of some of our community’s most vulnerable young people at risk of or already embroiled in the criminal justice system, to improve their confidence, self-esteem, mental health and well-being, engagement with learning, and reduce re-offending.

We would greatly appreciate any contributions you are able to make, as every donation makes a transformative difference to the lives of One Spirit participants. Please help us in supporting this campaign by sharing our posts on social media with your friends and family!

Visit our campaign page below or in our bio to find out more information and bookmark the page so you can donate when the Scheme opens at midday on 17 March:
https://zurl.co/AgC0o