Creative UK, is a group of diverse professionals who believe in the power of the creative industries to change lives, placing creativity at the heart of the UK’s culture, economy and education system.
This sounds like just the kind of thing that floats our boat, so we’re proud to be able to say that we are now a member.
Find out more about Creative UK here 👉🏼 https://www.wearecreative.uk
As well as no suggestions for improvements, which speaks for itself, the report praised our programme, facilities and students, commenting our “professional ethos and learning environment is inspirational”
This year, the Sound Lab sessions are open to any young person aged 14 to 25, and as always, no prior experience is needed.
Across the 3 days, participants will get to use industry-standard Digital Audio Workstations, in our professional music production facility, recording and producing their own piece of music. Everyone who completes the programme will also receive an Arts Award Bronze certificate.
The sessions run from 1:00 – 3:00 PM on all 3 days, at Higher Rhythm College of Music and Media’s Doncaster City Centre site. Places are limited, so early booking is recommended.
Now they’re at it again… On Thursday 11th of June from 4pm, our National Diploma students will once again present, The Common Room Sessions.
This intimate live music event, held at our city centre site, will showcases the music and creative talents of our students in the place that they’ve called home for the last two years.
We’re offering a limited number of places for school year 10 and 11 young people from Doncaster to attend, for free, to enjoy the live music and meet other young people in this student-led, welcoming, safe-space. Parents or guardians are also welcome.
(All bookings will be confirmed after booking by telephone)
Through our radio station, Sine FM we love to offer a platform for grassroots and emerging artists to reach new audiences, so if you make original music, we want to hear it!
Use the uploader on the Sine FM website to send your tracks, and they’ll automatically get to the presenters who specialise in your genre.
Sine broadcasts to Doncaster, Sheffield, Rotherham and York over DAB, and everywhere on the planet online.
Start growing your fanbase today. Upload your music at sinefm.com
Following our Radio Station Sine FM’s media sponsorship of Right Up Our Street and our recent partnership with ARK Storm Gathering an environmental themed arts initiative supporting Doncaster’s bid for UNESCO Biosphere status, we have two more partnerships to announce…
Having worked with the organisation more loosely, going back many years, we’re happy to announce that Sine FM is media partner of Deer Shed Festival. However, it’s a double headliner announcement this week as we’re also proud to say that we are now radio partner of DonnyFest Music Festival.
Although these festivals are distinctly different, separated across North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, they both share the vision of independence and being run for the right reasons: the love of the music. They are both also strongly committed to supporting emerging music artists.
These shared values align perfectly with Sine FM’s focus of providing an accessible platform for independent artists to reach new audiences, so we couldn’t be prouder to be working alongside them.
Keep listening for further announcements…
Want some free time in our pro studio to record yourself playing? Book a place on our Families Making Music programme on the 28th and 29th of May to experience a professional recording studio session.
You’ll make a proper recording of your performance, learn something new, and create something you can keep.
You don’t even need to bring an instrument because we have a range to choose from, including drums, electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, electric pianos, and more!
Funded as part of the City of Doncaster Council’s Remake Learning Days Festival, there are just 12 x 1-hour slots available (1 slot per family only). First come, first served. Indicate your preferred slot and book below, and we’ll be in touch to confirm details👇🏼
Supported using public funding by Arts Council England the programme offers:
Breakthrough is open to Yorkshire-based music artists / bands of any contemporary genre who write and play original music.
Applications are NOW OPEN for our first cohort of 2026
If you’ve been around our places, you might also have heard a bit of banging and crashing…
You’d be forgiven for thinking that installing a solar power and battery system, plus new (Japanese-designed wood-panelled) air conditioning units might be enough to contend with (who would have thought that air conditioning could look cool?) but that’s not how we roll…
The biggest piece of work has been months in the making…
We’ve put £200k investment into refitting our recording studios, completely refurbing and installing new equipment in Studio A at our City Centre HQ, and doing the same at Studio B at the Middle Bank site (which we pretentiously call ‘the white rooms’) Installing another Solid State Logic Origin console in the control room
For those of you who might not know, SSL are one of the world’s leading studio console manufacturers. Their products are an industry standard, used for decades in top-tier studios across the planet, and by artists from Ozzy to Oasis, and Bruce Springsteen to Dr Dre.
SSL have been really good to Higher Rhythm, supporting our courses and programmes with freebies and big discounts on our consoles. When Mike Banks, Evangeliser in Chief at SSL, invited us down for a natter and a curry, Doya and Yve were happy to oblige.
For Yve it was a trip down memory lane; a reminder of the many platinum-selling artists who recorded on the the SSL console in Air studios in Montserrat while she was the manager there. (The installation of the console in Air, is itself a story worthy of a movie, involving transporting the £1million mixer on the back of a farmer’s truck and negotiations with the US Air Force…)
Doya is still giddy from the visit, where they got to spend time in the studio with legendary recording engineer Stuart Bruce, demonstrating mixing multi-tracks from one of the all-time mega-hits he engineered, Owner of a Lonely Heart.
Stuart has now also kindly offered to come to Higher Rhythm and deliver a masterclass for our students in the near future. What a gent.
Huge thanks to SSL for the invite and continued support, a good time was had by all.
Don’t you love it when big companies and busy people generously give their time and resources to pay it forward and support the next generation…
It’s fair to say we were starting from a deficit position… Our main building is circa 1900, and whilst solid, had an ageing roof, century-old sash windows, and heating and lighting that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Antiques Roadshow… We’d worked with Julie’s Bicycle to benchmark performance and improve usage practices but we’d taken things as far as we could without investment in the building, and so the big work began.
Believe it or not, internet connectivity was a major barrier to environmental sustainability for us. The building, by a quirk of bad luck, had been excluded from fibre at the nearest cabinet. Our connection was slow, meaning we had to use an internal server for email and file handling, turned on 24/7. The opportunity arose, so we ditched OpenReach and joined Virgin Cable which allowed us to commit the server to retirement. A remote server is still a server, but many users accessing a single remote server is massively more efficient than each having a server of their own. Our electricity consumption dropped immediately.
Necessity dictated that next we deal with the roof as no matter what work we planned to do inside, without a modern roof, heat-energy was constantly being lost. We commissioned local firm Parkes Brothers to strengthen the roof structure, replace the slates with tiles and insulate the roof space. This allowed us to turn the heating down, reducing gas consumption.
In the next phase we replaced the windows with bespoke, double-glazed metal-frame equivalents, manufactured and fitted by local firm, Danum Windows. This was the tipping point, where the victorian era building transformed; retaining the original aesthetic externally but performing like a modern building inside.
Next we replaced our boiler with an efficient condensing system, also adding smart control to manage scheduling more efficiently. We commissioned local company, Jenkinson Electrical, to replace all internal lighting with LED, with automatic control in common areas. Our old computers were donated to the community for reuse, and replaced with energy-efficient new iMacs, slashing our computer-related power consumption.
In the recording studio, the heart of what we do as an organisation, we upgraded our mixing console to a Solid State Logic Origin, a world-class, energy-efficient desk which even features an auto power off to stand by to further reduce consumption. SSL even gave us a huge discount on the desk to support our work.
Outside, with the expertise of local company Branton Garden Centre, we created a green wall and added perimeter shrubs in planters. We also installed a bike rack to allow people to travel in by bike.
Over the last few months, we moved into the final (for now…) phase, replacing our air conditioning with more efficient units capable of heating and using smart control for scheduling. This means that in colder months, we can use these to heat more efficiently and so decommission the radiators in those rooms, creating more efficiencies by reducing the gas needed for heating. The units themselves look beautiful, with Japanese styled wooden casings, supplied and fitted by local firm Andrew’s Cooling.
The crowning glory, however, is the solar panel and battery storage system, installed just a few weeks ago. We capitalised on having a long apex roof facing in the right direction, creating a large array of solar panels. Even on a moderately sunny winter day, we are already in a position where the solar power generated not only meets our electricity consumption needs but is generating excess to export back to the grid.
We think we are in only a handful of largely environmentally sustainable music industry and learning facilities in the country. If anybody is aware of any similar facilities doing this kind of thing, please let us know who they are so we can make contact and share practice.
We’re proud to be doing our bit for the environment and as a social enterprise, we are directly supporting our mission by re-investing the savings we are now making back into our organisation to benefit of people participating in our activities.
Thank you to all the investors, funders, companies and people who have supported us along this journey. You’ve all helped us achieve something incredible.
(National Lottery Community Fund, Arts Council England, Solid State Logic, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Business Doncaster, Doncaster Council, Key Fund Investments, Social Investment Business, Julie’s Bicycle)
It’s 20 years since Doya Beardmore, more widely known as music artist Skinny Pelembe, first walked through the Higher Rhythm doors.
We’re happy to announce that alongside his impressive career as music artist, producer, remixer and even music industry lecturer, Doya has become a Higher Rhythm ‘hall of famer’ and joined our board.
Because we’re not for profit, our board is made up of volunteers who don’t take payment for their role, giving their time and expertise so we can reinvest surpluses back in to deliver our work. The governing board assures that Higher Rhythm operates, sustains and grows responsively and responsibly.
Alongside Doya, a successful artist with album releases on Brownswood and Partisan, as well as major festival appearances worldwide, our board currently consists of:
Our longest serving board member, Gwyn, has a background in music, recording Indie charts hits in the 90s with his band, Brazil. However, his professional background is in web technology and education. Gwyn is the CEO of a multi-academy trust and director of the widely used educational platform Realsmart. Gwyn is regularly consulted in education development internationally by government bodies as far as the US, India, and Australia.
Although a huge music fan, Chris’s professional background is in the highest level of mobile communications technology. Chris was instrumental in Project Darwin, an initiative that migrated the UK’s emergency services onto a priority 5G band. He also redesigned the mobile network at Glastonbury festival to drastically improve its performance. More recently, Chris was contracted as rollout manager by the government of Denmark to deliver 5G across the entire country.
With a music rep as big as it gets, Yve managed Air Studios in Montseraat for Sir George Martin. Yve managed Air, right up until Mother Nature dealt the two devastating blows of Hurricane Hugo and the volcanic eruption, famously destroying the studio. Air produced an entire era of platinum-selling albums working with artists such as The Police, Dire Straits and the Rolling Stones… It’s fair to say that all the biggest-selling albums by household name rock groups of that era were recorded at Air, under Yve’s management.
Liz is the current student rep at Higher Rhythm College of Music and Media, representing student and participant voice on the board. This keeps Higher Rhythm policy authentically in touch with the people who the organisation supports. Liz is an accomplished jazz musician, also having a role in the widely respected Doncaster Youth Jazz Association. DYJA are responsible for artists behind acts such as Groove Armada, Faithless, and world-renowned musicians such as Dennis Rollins.
Over the years, the varied expertise and experience of our board has enabled Higher Rhythm to achieve some incredible things. We can also promise you that we don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
Yorkshire Music Industry Expo (Yorkshire MIX…) is back again on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th of March in Doncaster. Delivered by Higher Rhythm via Music Industry Yorkshire, this series of free events, part-funded by Pathways to Work, is designed to support better access to the music industry.
Previous Y-MIX events have featured established artists, venues and festivals, funders, royalty collection agencies, manufacturers, and more. This Spring 26 edition of Yorkshire Music Industry Expo rounds up more industry leaders to inform and inspire through sharing their experience. Staying true to Music Industry Yorkshire’s mission, they are all strongly linked to Yorkshire.
It’s FREE to attend. Here’s how to register:
09.45 to 11.15
Industry Panel: The DIY Spirit
A panel exploring how to build a career as an independent in today’s music industry. Featuring, Francesca Pidgeon (Artist / Producer – Dilettante), Tony Ereira (Clue Records) and Christian Carlisle (BBC Introducing). Chaired by Zawedde Walusimbi (Higher Rhythm).
11.15 to 11.45
Networking
11.45 to 12.30
Master class: Innovating live music performance
A master-class with Dilettante, workshopping her inventive use of technology to compose and perform. Led by Zawedde Walusimbi.
09.45 to 11.15
Industry Panel: What a time to be Live
A panel discussing challenges and opportunities in the live music sector. Featuring Andy O’Grady (Donnyfest Music Festival), Rebecca Walker (Music Venue Trust) and Kweku Sackey (Music Artist K.O.G.). Chaired by Zawedde Walusimbi (Higher Rhythm).
11.30 to 12.00
Funder Session: Arts Council England
Simon Benger of Arts Council England, in conversation with Zawedde Walusimbi, about funding opportunities available through this National Arts Funding and Development organisation.
12.00 to 12.30
Networking
Rebecca is Live Projects Manager for the Music Venue Trust, notably leading the ‘Revive Live’ campaign, to support grassroots touring. Previously, Rebecca spent over a decade at Sheffield’s Leadmill, as Senior Promoter and Assistant General Manager, where she was instrumental in the iconic venue’s programming.
Kweku, known as music artist K.O.G, is a Sheffield-based Afro-fusion pioneer. As the energetic frontman for K.O.G & The Zongo Brigade and Onipa, he blends Highlife, Funk, and Hip-Hop. His achievements include winning the 2018 Young Commonwealth Performer award, performing at Glastonbury, and appearing on Later with Jools Holland.
Andy has worked in the live music industry for over 20 years. The founder of Askern Music Festival and Director of DonnyFest, Andy also spent 7 years as Event Manager at the Doncaster Dome. He’s widely experienced in everything from booking artists and promoting shows to ticketing, partnerships, and on-site operations.
Francesca is the creative force behind the art-pop project Dilettante and currently signed to EMI North. A virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, she is renowned for genre-defying live shows and has toured internationally supporting acts like Self Esteem and Philip Selway as well as playing major festivals such as Glastonbury and South by Southwest.
Tony is a pivotal figure in the Northern music industry, as Director of the independent label Clue Records. He also founded Come Play With Me, a social enterprise supporting underrepresented talent in Yorkshire. A former investment banker turned industry mentor, he lectures and actively champions regional artist development.
Christian is a broadcaster, championing regional music, as long-term presenter for BBC Music Introducing across South and West Yorkshire. Christian is responsible for showcasing unsigned talent. His career began at Doncaster’s Sine FM, leading to recruitment by the BBC. Beyond radio, he is a DJ, with residencies at Propaganda and performing at major events such as Leeds Festival.
Simon Benger is Senior Relationship Manager for Music, at Arts Council England, supporting artists across Yorkshire and the Humber. Since joining in 2013, he has guided countless musicians and organisations in securing vital funding. Previously, Simon worked extensively within the music and education sectors across North England.
As a Folk and Soul singer-songwriter, Zawedde is a recipient of a PRS Foundation Women Make Music grant. Zawedde also brings her wide experience as a music creator and event organiser into her tutoring and project coordination roles at Higher Rhythm. Zawedde is also a steering board member of South Yorkshire Music Hub.
It’s been put together using data collected through our initiative, Music Industry Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Music Industry Development Network.
The report has been self-financed, and highlights some of the key metrics around sectors, outlining what the Yorkshire region’s music industry looks like in terms of the work people do and where they are.
Read and download a web version of the report below
You all know we like to share the love at Higher Rhythm, regularly donating our disused equipment for free to the community. So, to close 2025, we’re giving away this Presonus 24.4.2 Studiolive digital mixing desk complete with custom flight case!
It has built-in effects and dynamics on every channel, designed for both studio and live use.
Winner chosen at random on 31 December 2025. Winner must collect from our studio OR arrange their own shipping (Do not send any payment… this is a 100% free giveaway)
Good luck and enjoy the festive break!
Yorkshire Music Industry Expo (Yorkshire MIX…) drops this October. This series of events is designed to support access to the music industry. Delivered by Higher Rhythm through Music Industry Yorkshire, Y-MIX will run across Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th of October in Doncaster.
Our previous events have featured established artists, venues and festivals, funders, royalty collection agencies, manufacturers and more. This year’s Yorkshire Music Industry Expo rounds up more industry leaders to inform and inspire through sharing their experience. Staying true to Music Industry Yorkshire’s mission, they are all linked to Yorkshire.
It’s free to attend for registered members of Music Industry Yorkshire. If you’re not already a member as you can still join MIY for free here
09.45 to 11.15
Industry Panel: Finding Your Niche
A panel exploring how staying true to your vision can help forge a successful career in the music industry. Featuring, Ellie Giles (STEP Music Management) Danni S (music artist Dirty Freud) and Kristina Jones (Beckview Recording Studios). Chaired by Zawedde Walusimbi (Higher Rhythm).
11.30 to 12.00
Funder Session: Youth music
Zawedde Walusimbi in conversation with Michelle Myrie of Youth Music, about funding opportunities available through this national music funder.
12.00 to 12.30
Networking
13.00 to 15.00
Master class: Releasing Music
Invite only master-class led by Ellie Giles.
09.45 to 11.15
Industry Panel: What next?
A panel discussing the opportunities and challenges in the new and developing music industry. Featuring, Harriet McBain (Deer Shed Festival), Skinny Pelembe (music artist on Partisan Records) and David Cox (Summit PR). Chaired by Paul Littlewood (Higher Rhythm).
11.30 to 12.00
Funder Session: Help Musicians
Paul Littlewood in conversation with David Culbert of Help Musicians, about funding and support opportunities available through this National organisation.
12.00 to 12.30
Networking
13.00 to 15.00
Master Class: What’s behind a successful event?
Invite only master-class led by David Cox.
Register for Y-MIX below and indicate your preferred events
★ PLEASE NOTE: Selecting an event does not guarantee a place. Places are limited so allocated on a first come first served basis. You will receive an auto-notification on registration, but we will send you an ADDITIONAL email as soon as we can, to notify you if you’ve secured a place at your chosen event(s) and provide venue details. Please only register for events that you will 100% attend.
Yorkshire-based festival organiser Harriet McBain is currently Manager of Deer Shed, a 3-day music & arts festival. Running since 2010 the festival is known nationally for its strong focus on artistic integrity. Alongside this role, Harriet also runs her own micro-festival which specifically champions artists from the North East.
Dirty Freud is an electronic recording artist known for Cinematic Electronica, which blends elements of dubstep, 2-step garage, bassline, and reggae. Dirty Freud have performed at major UK festivals like Glastonbury and Boomtown, and have gained support from labels such as Ninja Tune.
A native Doncastrian, Ellie previously worked as A & R for major record labels. She now manages producers through her company STEP, working with artists such as Bill Ryder-Jones, Erland Cooper, Joel Sunny, Warmduscher and Maruja. Ellie currently sits on the board of both EMMA (European music manager alliance) and MMF (Music Managers Forum)
David has 25 years in entertainment publicity across film, music, festivals and events. He’s coordinated album and tour campaigns for The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Blondie, Aerosmith and Alice Cooper, and headed up red carpets for the Ivor Novello’s, BRIT’s and Q Awards, also leading accreditation, press and photo pits at major festivals.
As the cofounder and manager of Beckview residential recording studio, in Scarborough, Kristina leads on business development. Alongside recording sessions, she organises live events, developing the studio’s reputation as a creative hub. Kristina has built a diverse career across the arts, cultural, and events management sectors, forging relationships with industry partners and clients.
Skinny Pelembe initially signed with Giles Peterson’s label, Brownswood Recordings, playing sell out tours and festivals, being championed by BBC and releasing his debut album. He is now signed to Partisan Records with another LP under his belt, playing major festivals including Glastonbury, alongside dates in Europe and the US.
Michelle gives guidance and support to Youth Music grant holders and applicants, also leading the Industry Connect Fund, working to widen employment in the music and creative industries. Michelle is also a working musician with over 20 years’ experience performing and touring.
With a previous career as a sound engineer, studio owner, and musician, David became Help Musicians’ first employee in Scotland, before moving to his current role working across the UK as Engagement Officer. He currently also owns and operates the record and publishing company, In Black Records.
As a Folk and Soul singer-songwriter, Zawedde is a recipient of a PRS Foundation Women Make Music grant. Zawedde also brings her wide experience as a music creator and event organiser into her tutoring and project coordination roles at Higher Rhythm.
Paul is a musician, educator, singer-songwriter, and music producer. His works have been published by Third Side Music (Canada) and released by Xtra Mile Recordings (UK) and Three Sixty Records (US). Paul has also mentored music artists across Yorkshire.
Yorkshire MIX 2025 is funded as a partnership project by Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy
It’s that time again ! The Stage Invasion 2025 project finale live music event will be at Doncaster Dome on the evening of Thursday, the 16th of October.
Make sure you get there on the night for a fabulous line-up of Young music artists from schools, academies and colleges from around Doncaster.
e-tickets are FREE via booking on the Dome website. Use the link below.
Stage Invasion is an initiative of Higher Rhythm in partnership with Doncaster Music Hub, made possible with funding from Youth Music.
TICKETS > https://www.dclt.co.uk/the-dome/whats-on/stage-invasion-2025
This is our premises, stretching resplendently along Nether Hall road…
See that yellow box at the top of the wheelchair ramp? That’s a defibrillator, the only public defibrillator accessible 24/7 in this area of Doncaster.
We installed this last year not just to look after the users of our building, but for the whole community (that’s why it’s on the front of our building).
Many neighbouring businesses, such as the restaurants on our street, are aware of this, but there will be hundreds of other businesses and establishments in our area of Doncaster who probably aren’t aware. The general public should be aware also.
To access the defibrillator dial 999. If the emergency operator decides a defibrillator is needed, and no paramedic is available, they will provide a code to unlock the cabinet, providing access. After use, simply return the defibrillator to the cabinet and it will recharge, ready for someone else to use.
Our building is on Nether Hall road , Doncaster, at the crossroads of Christ Church Road.
All you need to do is share this info with anyone who should know about it. Saving a life really could be that simple.
As well as the cost of installing the defibrillator, keeping this important community resource maintained (electricity to keep it charging, and new electrode pads every time it’s used) is a continuing expense. Please consider donating towards the cost of keeping this defibrillator running for the community.
Higher Rhythm’s higher education programme has received high praise from the national awarding body in the latest course moderation.
Our HND in Music Technology Sound Engineering is proving to be a popular course option for higher education adult learners. Our model of a real industry based programme delivered by a team of experienced pros is perfectly in sync with current music industry trends, with today’s music students opting for smaller, more bespoke / specialist programmes rather than traditional college routes.
The latest moderation for our HND recognise many of the areas we’ve focused on developing,. Specifically, the moderator highlighted that Higher Rhythm has:
“Highly effective management systems“
“Articulate, confident students who are both practically able and knowledgeable”
“Excellent, professional, industry-standard facilities“
The moderator also stated that, “there are no recommendations to enhance the good practice“
We obviously couldn’t be happier. Read the full report here.
We are looking for another part-time tutor to expand our small, higher education team delivering our HND in Music Technology and Sound Engineering.
After delivering accredited courses and national diplomas up to further education level for many years, last year we expanded our provision into higher education, to include a HND in Music Technology and Sound Engineering.
This Higher Education programme is unique nationally, only accepting 12 students per intake and being delivered within our professional music industry facility.
Our first year one students will progress onto year two in October and another 12 students will start year one. This is therefore the perfect time to come on board.
This role offers an exciting opportunity for any music industry tutor who is passionate about making real impacts on students’ development and supporting people towards sustainable careers in the music industry.
Two days per week, (0.4 FTE) part-time position based at our Doncaster headquarters.
Relevant experience / qualifications required.
Salary £30450 pro rata per annum (£12180 for 0.4 FTE / two days weekly)
Please complete the Higher Rhythm Job Application form, available to download here and submit with your CV to chrissymoog@higherrhythm.co.uk
A full Job Description is available to view and download here.
Closing date for applications, Friday, 30th of May 2025
The successful candidate will be subject to qualification checks, satisfactory references and enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.
View the course details here: https://www.higherrhythm.co.uk/courses/hnd-music-technology-and-sound-engineering/
Join us at the Higher Rhythm HQ for a music industry panel discussing how to get ahead as an artist in today’s music industry.
Covering topics from marketing strategies, income streams and the threats and opportunities offered by the rise of AI, the panel of music industry experts will host this discussion and answer your questions.
Panellists on the day are:
Justin Lockey (editors), Skinny Pelembe, Dan Jones (PRS for music) and Zawe Walusimbi.
Thursday 27th of March, starts 10 am. Free admission. 27th of March, starts 10 am. Free admission.
Thursday
We are excited to be able to announce that we are receiving funding for a 3-year project for young people in Doncaster starting January 2025!
Amongst the music making activities which project participants can enjoy is Stage Invasion, our initiative to support young people into the live music industry which culminates each year in a large stage music event at Doncaster Dome.
This project is backed by Youth Music, thanks to the National Lottery via Arts Council England!
About Youth Music:
We believe that every young person should have the chance to change their life through music. Yet our research shows that many can’t because of who they are, where they’re from or what they’re going through.
Our insights, influence and investment in grassroots organisations and to young people themselves means that more 0–25-year-olds from can make, learn and earn in music.
Youth Music is a national charity funded thanks to the National Lottery via Arts Council England, players of People’s Postcode Lottery and support from partners, fundraisers and donors.
We are thrilled to announce that Higher Rhythm has been awarded funding from the National Lottery Awards for All program! This incredible support, made possible by the funding raised by National Lottery players for good causes, has enabled us to make essential improvements to our facilities and enhance accessibility and security for our community.
The project focused on making minor but impactful physical alterations to our building, including:
These improvements are vital steps in ensuring that Higher Rhythm continues to be a space where all members of our community feel safe, supported, and included.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the National Lottery and everyone who plays the lottery, making funding for good causes like this possible. Your contributions have a tangible impact on organisations like ours and the people we serve.
Thank you for helping us create a more accessible and secure space for our community.
Since 2007, Higher Rhythm has proudly operated Sine FM, Doncaster’s very own radio station. In our mission to further support local broadcasting, we’re excited to announce that we now own and operate Doncaster DAB (DonDAB for short), the town’s DAB radio multiplex service.
What does this mean for Doncaster? Through DonDAB, we provide a platform for multiple radio stations to broadcast across the entire borough via DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting), giving listeners more choice and variety in their radio experience. Whether you’re a new station or an established one looking for wider reach, DonDAB offers the opportunity to broadcast digitally to a larger audience.
If you’re interested in broadcasting on the Doncaster DAB multiplex or setting up your own radio station, find out more by visiting our DonDAB page.
Tickets are now available for this year’s Stage Invasion 2024 project final live music event.
Come join us for an exciting night of grass roots music, showcasing young musicians, bands, and solo artists from Doncaster.
Book your tickets now!
It’s been yet another productive year for Higher Rhythm. As well as continuing to develop our main building with the addition of new and improved space in the cellars, Doncaster DAB is primed for launch bringing new radio services to Doncaster and a new income stream for Higher Rhythm.
We’re also excited to be able to say that, having completed the registration process with the Office For Students several months back, our HND higher education programme (a HND in music technology) launches in a few weeks. This is a major landmark for Higher Rhythm and we are genuinely excited to welcome our first cohort of students on board.
Our financial performance over the last financial year has been equally as productive. We achieved a 65% increase in earned income, as well as generating a 17% surplus, on a gross turnover of £544K. Audited accounts for the financial year can be found here.
How to Apply
Please complete the Higher Rhythm Job Application form, available to download here and submit with your CV to mail@higherrhythm.co.uk
A full Job Description is available to view and download here.
The closing date for applications is Friday 19th July 5.00 pm
The successful candidate will be subject to qualification checks, satisfactory references and enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Please note it is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
Attend one of our free, Creativity Counts, learning sessions in July. As well as enjoying learning about something new, you’ll also get £25 for attending!
With support from Doncaster City Council we’re offering these free, 1-day creative learning sessions for Doncaster and South Yorkshire adults aged 19+ throughout the summer.
Based around music technology and radio broadcasting, the Creativity Counts sessions will also explore the role of numbers in these industries. These small, exciting workshops will only accommodate 5 people each day, and are just 4 hours long.
You don’t need any previous experience in music or media to participate. Just come along with an open mind and an appetite to learn something new. We have designed these sessions to be fun and they won’t cost you a penny…
At the end of the session, every participant also gets a £25 cash for attending!
If you’re 19+ and live in South Yorkshire, complete the form below to reserve your place. Each session only has 5 places so make sure you reserve your place straight away to avoid missing out.
This programme is funded by Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority through the Department of Education’s Multiply programme.
Wonderful news for young people in Doncaster! Higher Rhythm has been awarded a Youth Investment Fund Refurbishment Grant to renovate our building.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Social Investment Business have announced that we are one of the 140 organisations across England to be awarded a grant. The funding will enable organisations like ours to transform health, wellbeing, skills and opportunities for young people.
The grant will renovate our cellar rooms into more usable space enhancing the activities available to young people.
The Youth Investment Fund has been developed to create, expand and improve local youth facilities. This aims to drive positive outcomes for young people including skills for life and work. Visit www.youthinvestmentfund.org.uk
Higher Rhythm Presents: Doncaster Music Industry Expo, funded by Youth Music. This will bring together young musicians and music industry experts in a series of events aimed at improving access to the music industry. After all, who better to explain the music industry than music industry professionals!
Another key point of Higher Rhythm Presents: Doncaster Music Industry Expo is to introduce aspiring young musicians and music producers to Music industry professionals. During the panel our guest speakers will discuss how to build a sustainable career in the live music industry. The session is for year 11 learners from schools with a specific interest in building a career in the music industries.
Panel members are:
Christian Carlisle (panel compere) BBC Music Introducing.
Skinny Pelembe, major record label music artist from Doncaster, appearing at major festivals (Glastonbury, Green Man) and UK, US, and Europeon touring.
Rose Wilcox, Head of Programming at The Leadmill, Sheffield, with over 15 years of experience within the live music industry.
Stewart Baxter (LIFE), toured extensively playing festivals such as Glastonbury, Latitude, Leeds Reading, SxSW and touring with artists IDLES, Slaves and Nadine Shah
This panel event will be held at Higher Rhythm’s city centre music facility, with a choice of 2 time-slots:
10.00-11.20 – Reserve place
11.30-12.50 – Reserve place
Stew Baxter (LIFE), creative development Chrysalis Records, leads a day of sessions focusing on the skills and techniques required to remix and rework music for release on a global scale.
Stewart and Adam, are owners of renowned microphone manufacturers Extinct Audio. They will deliver a fascinating insight in how music tech skills can develop exciting and innovative businesses.
We’re delighted to be joined by Ellie Giles, Step Music Management, who will discuss how to work effectively as part of a professional production team.
Gary Lingard (Multi-track Electrical) imparts decades’ worth of wisdom on what it takes to sustain a successful career as a live sound engineer.
Join our Post-16 open afternoon for Music Technology National Diploma Course on Tuesday 17th October, 4pm-6pm, and take the first step toward your dream career in the world of music production and technology.
What we offer:
*Cutting-edge Music Tech education
*Experienced Instructors
*Hands-on studio time
*Industry-standard equipment
*Collaboration with fellow music aficionados
Transform your passion for music into a career with our BTEC Vocational National Diploma in Music Technology course which is designed for 16-18 year-olds who are ready to make their mark in the music industry.
Whether you dream of producing chart-topping hits, engineering live performances, or crafting unique soundscapes, our course will empower you to reach your full potential. Our Music Technology course paves the way for an array of thrilling opportunities in the world of sound and music!
Unlock your potential:
*Music Producer: Craft chart-topping hits and shape the future of music!
*Sound Engineer: Elevate live performances and studio recordings to perfection!
*Film and Game Audio Specialist: Create immersive soundscapes for movies and video games!
*Music Educator: Inspire the next generation of musicians and tech-savvy creators!
With our expert guidance, hands-on experience, and industry-standard equipment, you’ll be well -prepared to follow your passion and succeed in the dynamic Music Tech industry.
For more information and to apply, visit the course page and complete the form to express your interest or contact us on (01302) 327769, email: mail@higherrhythm.co.uk.
Your journey to a vibrant musical future starts here!
We are delighted to share the news that Higher Rhythm is now a registered provider with the Office for Students. We will be taking expressions of interest soon for our HND Music Technology and Sound Engineering commencing September 2024.
We’re very excited to be providing students with the very best academic experience, all at a professional music industry organisation.
With our HND Music Technology and Sound Engineering you will get a qualification, grow your network, and build professional experience all at the same time, and graduate industry-ready in just 2 years!
Our tutors and guest lecturers have worked with the biggest names in music. These include, Sir George Martin, The Rolling Stones, UNKLE, Idlewild, Skinny Pelembe, Paul van Dyk, Sister Bliss, Editors, and more….
Most importantly, Higher Rhythm is a prominent music industry player regionally and nationally. Our team aren’t just qualified tutors, they’re established industry-pros. With us, you will study in REAL recording studios filled with high-end equipment (such as the SSL Origin console in our main studio). We’re proud of our reputation of producing highly-skilled pros who go on to work in all sectors of the industry.
At Higher Rhythm, we don’t just get you through a qualification. We will give you the skills and experience that you will need to be at the front of the queue for work opportunities as soon as you graduate from the course.
Our NCS Community Experiences programme funded by National Citizen Service that will support young people across Doncaster.
The grant is part of a significant £20m funding package that NCS Trust have awarded to organisations across England.
Furthermore, these new experiences will complement NCS’ away from home residential offer, and engage more teenagers in local activities. Grants will support organisations that cater to specific groups of young people who may not have participated in NCS initiatives.
In collaboration with the National Youth Agency and StreetGames, NCS assessed more than 400 applications. Higher Rhythm was selected as one of around 100 organisations to receive funding.
“I am delighted to welcome a diverse range of local, grassroots and community organisations from across the youth sector to deliver reimagined NCS experiences. This allows us to reach more young people than ever before, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and perspective to become work ready and world ready. Additionally, our grants for targeted experiences will enable us to reach underserved young people and communities.”
“Together, we will work towards creating a country of confident, connected, caring citizens where everyone feels at home.”
Over the past decade, more than 800,000 young people have benefitted from an NCS experience. They have dedicated over 18 million hours to community based social action, while gaining invaluable life experiences.
To book a place, please visit our NCS Community Experiences page and complete an expression of interest.
| Position | Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Music Technology Course Leader |
| Location | Doncaster |
| Hours and days of work | Between 9.00 pm – 5.30pm (Working hours to be agreed) 4 days per week |
| Reporting to | Senior Manager |
| Purpose of the position | The Level 3 Course Leader has the ultimate responsibility for making sure that all students are engaging fully in the Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Music Technology course and achieving to expected standards. The successful applicant will lead a small team of tutors and engage with students and tutors on a daily basis. |
| Working Relationships | Internal: Level 3 team of tutors Exams officer SENCO Lead Internal Verifier Admin CEO External: External Quality Assurers Pearson Awarding body Key education partners |
| Salaries and Benefits | £32064 pro rata at 4 days weekly |
| Key Areas | Accountabilities |
| Key duties | Lead on curriculum delivery Teach units in the Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Music Technology course. Coordinate and manage all activities associated with the Level 3 National Diploma in Music Technology. Ensure consistent, high-quality teaching and learning on the programme. Maintain close liaison with key education partners to ensure all academic requirements are met. Review and develop teaching and learning methods and strategies for the enhancement of quality and student engagement and achievement. Work closely and collaboratively with the wider Higher Rhythm team to secure the successful delivery of all course key performance indicators. |
| Person Specification | At least 2 years’ experience within education management roles. A teaching qualification (PGCE, DTTLS, CertEd or equivalent) Experience in the use and development of VLEs. Friendly disposition with excellent interpersonal skills. Highly organised and able to implement processes and procedures. Great communication, grammar and proofing skills. Ability to work from own initiative. Great attention to detail. Reliable with excellent timekeeping and time management. Knowledge and interest in music, preferably as an active musician. |
How to Apply
Please submit your CV with a cover letter (of no more than 1 side of A4) which supports your application with details of two references to: mail@higherrhythm.co.uk
A full Job Description is available to view and download here
The closing date for applications is Monday 7th August 5.00 pm
Interviews will be held in-person at Higher Rhythm on Friday 11th August between 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
The successful candidate will be subject to qualification checks, satisfactory references and enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Stage Invasion is our annual initiative providing opportunities for young people to gain real-world experience within the live music industry. Stage Invasion 2023 will end with a live finale event just like previous years. The event is being held at Doncaster Dome Leisure Centre on Thursday 13th July.
Tickets are FREE but seats are limited so grab one now as the last event was a capacity audience.
Stage invasion is run in partnership with Doncaster Music Education Hub. It has happened this year thanks to funding from Youth Music through Arts Council England. We work with young songwriters / music artists who enter Stage Invasion each year, to develop music they have created. This is developed until they are able to perform it live, at a high-standard.
We then offer the opportunity to play at a professionally-produced live event, held at a music venue, where the audience votes and the winner gets to record their music in the pro studio at Higher Rhythm. We work with schools (including academies and colleges) to provide opportunities for students to participate in Stage Invasion each year. This is currently a FREE opportunity due to working with a range of funders and partners.
Huge thank you to Doncaster Culture & Leisure Trust for once again, providing the venue for the Stage Invasion 2023 annual live music event.
FREE TICKETS HERE
