About Billy’s Band

The Brand

Billy’s band is a world of musical adventure inspiring children and families to have fun making music.

 

Billy’s Band became a reality in 2008 when Dan Newell, Principal Cornet of the Royal Opera House, created the first book of the series, The Bandstand, to give parents and school teachers; a fun and easy way to encourage young children to pick up an instrument and have a go.

 

The brand has since expanded from the single book to a series of three books, cartoons, workshops for schools, family concerts, activity packs for children, online resources for teachers, and a growing repertoire of specially written music.

 

Learning by doing, participants in Billy’s “inspirational” programme make music with a purpose that inspires and motivates future learning.

 

Covering the widest range of musical skills, abilities and tastes Billy’s Band makes it easy for all children to have a go, to grasp the basic foundation skills and, most of all, experience the joy of making music in an entertaining, educational and social way.

THE STORY SO FAR

Billy’s Band has come a long way since creator, Dan, first had the idea. Watch the story so far below!

BECOME A MAESTRO

Ever fancied yourself as a maestro? Billy shows you how to conduct in true R&B style below!

Support, Schools & Families

Supported by some of the biggest names in the music business, with ongoing support from Arts Council England, Dan and the Billy’s Band team are currently using a rich array of online and printed materials and live music workshops to engage more and more schools with Billy’s Band.

 

Schools and families throughout the UK and as far beyond as Australia, Germany, India, South Africa, Japan, and USA, are enjoying making music with Billy’s Band, inspiring children with the lifetime love of music.

In schools, through live music events, Billy’s Band activities meet the aims of the National Plan for Music Education and provide schools with teacher-friendly resources enabling them to deliver Billy’s Band classroom activities with confidence.

 

The Character

Everyone wants to be in Billy’s Band and travel the world having amazing musical adventures. He’s the finest, wisest and most whiskery musical conductor that ever lived. Nobody knows how old he is, but he seems to have been around forever, making music for us all!

 

He has the warmth and kindness of a favourite grandad but the energy and moves of a young Pharrell Williams! With the wisdom and insight of an old wizard, Billy is a whirlwind of energy and joy, spreading his enthusiasm for music to every child in the band and every audience member lucky enough to hear his brilliant band play!

 

He takes his band to play all kinds of music in weird and wonderful locations. Wherever the gig, the band are always faced with some problem to be solved, or obstacle to overcome. By pulling together and using teamwork, the band members always find a solution to the problem. And with each story adventure comes an opportunity to make music culminating in a rousing finale!