Musical Tots - Music Magazine for Children

The Queen’s composer, Peter Maxwell Davies, has recently spoken out against the UK’s education system and its “elitist” dealings with classical music. This, alongside shocking claims from 2012 OFSTED reports that "one in five of the schools visited were judged inadequate for music”, the current climate for classical music is shaping up for a bleak future. The lack of musical education in primary schools is cutting off the musical future, and without intervention at these early stages, classical music will simply be a thing of the past for the younger generations.

 Musical Tots is a classical music magazine for primary school children in the UK. It is a fun, vibrant magazine that aims to educate children about music in an exciting, innovative way. Musical Tots is a response to criticisms in the press that classical music is too elitist and strives to overturn the idea that classical music is only for a minority. The magazine will aim to present classical music in a way that targets the stories behind the music and encourages children to make intelligent links between different creative arts.

Musical Tots will be sold directly to primary schools in its first year before expanding to a supplement in another publication in alternate months. In its third year the magazine will reduce its production as a supplement to one magazine quarterly whilst developing as a magazine on the newsstand and with subscription.

The magazine will be sold for £5 per issue and with advertising as another revenue stream, it will make a profit of £1,414 end the end of its first year. As the sales increase, the price of the magazine will decrease to be more competitive. Total profit at the end of Year two will be £19,500 and £33,871 at the end of its third. 

The magazine is a brand and has the scope to expand into a number of different fields. Once established as a brand, I intend to expand into podcasts, CD audio books, print books and perhaps even a television channel. 

Musical Tots is a breath a fresh air that allows young people to engage with a subject too often deemed to be stagnant and old fashioned. This magazine will nourish the imagination of children and restore the beauty of one of our most ancient art forms.

Right on TREND

TREND is an online magazine which will generate income through subscriptions. The content of the magazine is specifically based in the north-west region of the UK and will feature local issues that affect 18 – 30 year olds living and working in this area. The magazine will be focused on social and cultural events, activities and places to visit with an easy to use listing system that will make planning a day or night out in the north-west easy and accessible.

TREND will look for independent businesses in these locations that provide quality services but are often overlooked due to mainstream businesses taking their customers. TREND will review these businesses to allow customers a real insight into what each provides.

TREND will also offer local offers and deals, as an incentive to subscribe to the magazine and also to generate interest in the local areas that it covers. It will be a magazine that caters for more than one age range so that students will find it as useful and functional as young professionals. This will be a big focus for TREND, as the economic position of 18 – 30 year olds can differ greatly due to varied careers and education choices.

Social media will be a massive part of the brand, Twitter and Instagram will offer immediacy and allow customers to be involved with TREND and its content 'as it happens' whilst Facebook and Pinterest will promote material after it has been published. TREND will put emphasis on building that relationship with its customer so the brand is formed by their input and really concentrate on what they want to see in the magazine.

The magazine will focus on Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Lancashire and Cheshire and so will cover a wide range of up and coming locations throughout the north-west, particularly because BBC have now relocated to Media City in Salford and job opportunities are much more varied and prosperous.

 Looking forward, TREND will aim to be a real part of the north-west community, hosting events around the region encouraging customers to get involved and build an online magazine that they know they love.