Music Learning Collective

🎉 A proud moment for The Music Learning Collective!
Last week, our CEO Paul Hose was honoured with an invitation to Buckingham Palace to celebrate Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award recipients alongside members of the Royal Family.
The event recognised the incredible achievements of young people completing one of the UK’s most respected programmes — and highlighted the life-changing impact of DofE in building confidence, resilience, and ambition.
At MLC, we’re passionate about creating those opportunities for young people through music, mentoring, and personal development — which is why we’re proud to offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as part of our provision.
✨ Ready to start your DofE journey? Read our latest blog for further information (link in bio) or get in touch to find out more.

This week, our team had the privilege of attending the 50‑year celebration of The King’s Trust at the iconic Royal Albert Hall — an incredible evening of music, stories and reflection.
For MLC, it felt especially personal.
More than 30 years ago, before MLC even existed, The King’s Trust supported our CEO Paul as a young music educator with little more than a drum kit, an idea, and a lot of determination. That early belief helped spark a journey that would go on to become The Music Learning Collective.
Today, MLC supports thousands of learners, helps educators gain professional qualifications, and uses music and creativity to open pathways locally, nationally and internationally — but the heart of what we do hasn’t changed: creating opportunity through music, creativity and belief in people.
Thank you, , for 50 years of backing young people — and for being part of our story 💜
Read all about the incredible celebrations in our latest news article on our website.

🎧 LIVE DJ SET — Alfie Turner — in store TODAY at MLC West Bridgford. Come for the deals, stay for the music.

💖 All You Need Is Love…

Abbey Road Music has officially joined the MLC family and is now MLC Retail 🖤
We’re giving the shop a little glow-up over the coming weeks – all with our students and local music community in mind.

To celebrate, we’ve got some **exclusive Valentine’s treats just for MLC students running 14th Feb – 4th March 👀✨
Pop in, treat your instrument (or yourself), and let us spread a little musical love this Valentine’s 💘

Here’s what’s on offer:

I ❤️ Rock ‘N’ Roll Bundle
Buy any guitar + amp and get FREE:
• Tanglewood cable
• Nylon strap
• 1 month of lessons

🔥 Pre-Loved Amps
10% off all pre-owned amps – perfect for upgrading your sound for less

💘 Show Your Guitar Some Love
• Restring – £20
• Setup / action adjustment – £40
• Professional clean – £15
• Electronics investigation & re-wire – £40
⏱️ *Please note: 1-week turnaround on services*

We can’t wait to see you in store and help you fall back in love with your music 🎶✨

✨ New Release Alert! ✨

We’re excited to share that Paul Hose has released Anthology Volume II — a brand‑new album celebrating a lifetime of creativity, collaboration, and musical artistry.

From powerful performances to reflective moments, this collection brings Paul’s musical journey to life in a whole new way.

You can explore the full story behind the album — including insights, inspirations, and more — in our latest blog post:
👉 https://www.musiclearningcollective.com/news/anthology-volume-ii-the-new-album-by-paul-hose/

👏 Huge congratulations, Paul!

As the year comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting—not on targets or numbers, but on the people and progress that shaped everything we do.

This year we launched our regular Live Nights—informal performance opportunities where students build confidence on stage, while others develop technical skills through organising, recording, filming and streaming live events. Alongside this, our annual Student Concert gave learners a professional performance experience with full PA and lighting, supported by friends and families—always a milestone moment.

We also launched two new podcasts. MLC Student Voices gives students a platform to share their journeys, thoughts and talents. Beam Me Up Scotty, led by the youngest voices on our team, is fresh, fun, unapologetically honest (and often gloriously chaotic), exploring music, life choices and what matters right now—a regular reminder of why young people sit at the heart of everything we do.

Behind the scenes, we were approved as a registered Alternative Provider by Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire County Councils, and several local schools. We signed the Armed Forces Covenant and were proud to receive the Bronze Employer Recognition Award.

This year also marked several firsts:
• Our first Duke of Edinburgh cohort
• Becoming an authorised delivery partner of the King’s Trust Achieve programme
• Introducing English & Maths as part of our AP offer

We also took ownership of Abbey Road Music, transforming it into MLC Retail, creating new support and opportunities for our students and the wider community.

Above all, the biggest success has been our students—watching their confidence grow, skills develop and belief strengthen has been the highlight of the year.

Thank you to our learners, teachers, partners and supporters. We’re excited to keep building in the year ahead.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2026—Team MLC

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been taking a moment to reflect—not on targets or numbers, but on the people and progress that have shaped everything we do.

This year saw the launch of our regular Live Nights. What started as an informal performance opportunity quickly became something much bigger: a space where students could build confidence on stage, while others developed vital technical skills through organising, recording, filming and streaming live events. Alongside this, our annual Student Concert gave learners a truly professional performance experience, complete with full PA and lighting rigs—supported by their friends and families—it’s always a milestone moment for many.

We also launched two new podcasts, each capturing a different but equally important voice within our community. MLC Student Voices was created to give our students a platform to share their journeys, thoughts and talents as they develop. Beam Me Up Scotty, meanwhile, is led by the youngest voices on our team—fresh, fun, unapologetically honest and often gloriously chaotic. It explores music, life choices, inspiration and the things that matter right now, and serves as a regular reminder of why young people sit at the heart of everything we do.

Behind the scenes, we were proud to be approved as a registered Alternative Provider (AP) by Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire County Councils, and several local schools, allowing us to support more young people across the region. We also signed the Armed Forces Covenant and were honoured to receive the Bronze Employer Recognition Award, reflecting our commitment to fairness, opportunity and inclusion.

This year also marked several firsts:
• Our first ever Duke of Edinburgh cohort
• Becoming an authorised delivery partner of the King’s Trust Achieve programme
• Introducing English & Maths as part of our AP offer

We also took ownership of Abbey Road Music, transforming it into MLC Retail—a step that will provide meaningful support, opportunities and value not only for our students, but for the wider community too.

But more than any programme, partnership or recognition, what stands out most are our students. Watching their confidence grow, their skills develop and their belief in themselves strengthen has been the real highlight of the year.

None of this happens in isolation. Thank you to our learners, teachers, partners and supporters who have made this year what it’s been. We’re excited to keep building in the year ahead.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and prosperous 2026! — Team MLC

Merry Christmas to all our students, their families, our teachers and partners! 🎄
Your support and hard work have made this year something special. Enjoy the break, and here’s to a bright and exciting 2026!

🎄 Give the Gift of Music This Christmas 🎶

Stuck on what to give your loved ones this year? 🎁 Skip the socks and scented candles. Instead, gift a lifetime skill they’ll use and appreciate every day and for years to come—music lessons.

Whether it’s piano, guitar, vocals, drums, music production or DJ'ing, our experienced teachers make learning fun and personalised for any age.

✨ Gift cards available—perfect for that last-minute shopping!

DM us or visit our website to grab yours before the holidays hit full volume. 🎅🎶

🎉 We’re thrilled to share that our blog post “Unlocking creativity for SEND learners” was the most-read Arts Award blog post of 2025 — topping the list of the Top 5 posts of the year! 🏆✨

A huge thank you to everyone who read, shared, and engaged with the post — and to the wider Arts Award community for your ongoing passion for creativity, inclusion, and meaningful learning. 🙌💛

We’re proud to be part of a network that celebrates creative confidence and supports learners of all backgrounds. Here’s to more inspiring stories and shared learning in 2026! 🌟

👉 Read the full list of top posts from 2025 here: https://blog.artsaward.org.uk/top-5-posts-on-the-arts-award-blog-in-2025

Top 5 posts on the Arts Award blog in 2025 After reviewing the posts that sparked the most interest and engagement, we’ve put together a countdown of the top five most-read Arts Award blog posts of 2025.