Our service for Music Education and Music Hubs
A welcome message from Jon Caton
Hello, and thank you very much for visiting this page.
As passionate advocates for music education, we at Chamberlain Music understand the importance of providing students with top-quality instruments and resources. That's why we're outlining how we can help as your partner in fulfilling these needs.
With the National Plan for Music Education pledging unparalleled investment to music hubs specifically for new instruments, now is the time to invest in high quality equipment that will stand your hub in good stead for the future. From the time-honoured craftsmanship of Yamaha and Kawai to the innovative education-focused designs of our in-house brands like Nuvo and Percussion Plus, Chamberlain Music can always cater for your music hub, whatever diverse requirements you might have.
Our unique position as a manufacturer, distributor, and supplier allows us to provide our customers with a genuinely comprehensive and stress-free service. We are with you every step of the way, from your initial inquiry to seamless delivery or installation, and beyond.
If you would like a competitive quotation for the supply of musical instruments or equipment please email me: Jon.Caton@chamberlainmusic.com
Our commitment to Music Hubs extends to…
- A sales department who love what they do! Please reach out for a friendly knowledgeable service, competitive pricing, and assistance with maximising on that all important budget.
- An assured focus on environmentally friendly operations, sustainability, and fair trade.
- Pre-made classroom packs and teaching methods to assist with Whole Class Ensemble Teaching (WCET), and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
- SEND – suppliers of an extensive range of thoughtful, exciting and inspiring instruments to support inclusivity, diversity, and equality in the classroom.
- Passionate advocates for the National Plan for Education (NPE) in support of endangered instruments.
- Free delivery on every purchase with no minimum order requirements.
- Free bespoke branding options for your hub or school (bulk purchases only).
- Free of charge expert ICT consultation and design service.
- Free of charge bulk storage, invoicing, and drop-ship options.
- Free of charge samples across all our brands.
- Complimentary instrument set-up prior to dispatch.
- Exclusive extended warranty as standard: five-year free parts warranty for all Nuvo instruments, five-year extended warranty for all Octopus & MySchoolUkulele instruments, two-year extended warranty for a selection of Percussion Plus products, and a lifetime warranty on Manhasset music stands!
- Suppliers of all the major brands from Apple, Fender, JP, Kawai, Roland, Shure, Stentor, Yamaha, and so many more.
- Extended payment terms - please ask for details.
- Quotations upon request.
We very much look forward to exploring how we can collaborate with you further.
Thanks again,
Jon Caton
Sales Director
Jon.Caton@chamberlainmusic.com
Tel: 01428 647596
More ways we can help
Try before you buy samples
If you are in the position where you are not quite certain about going ahead with a purchase, or if you find yourself trying to decide between a couple of models of an instrument, then we can help. Get in touch and we would be delighted to send you a sample item for evaluation, or a couple of instruments to choose between; you can simply return the one you don’t want to keep. We will do all we can to help the decision-making process be as straightforward as possible.
Packaging and waste
Where possible we may be able to deliver your order in our own van. This could allow us to remove the packaging and take it away with us, thereby relieving you of the responsibility of having to deal with any packaging waste.
Free storage and call off service for Hubs
When you don't have the space at school it's reassuring to know we have ample room for storage in our modern and secure warehousing facilities. This means you can take advantage of our amazing bulk discounts, and we can forward your goods whenever and wherever they are needed.
Contact us for more details
Music ICT
Good music education demands quality resources. To teach effectively we need the right tools. This is just as important when considering Music Technology as it is when choosing reliable orchestral instruments. Away from the traditional classroom, recording studios and multimedia performance areas offer extra learning opportunities.
We believe it is vital when making a purchase that you receive the very best advice and service.
We have many years’ experiences in planning and developing creative facilities for schools and colleges. We will work closely with you to arrive at the best solution, ensuring that any project is implemented efficiently, on time, and on budget. Whatever you need, we have a range of services and solutions that will help your pupils achieve their full potential.
Akai, Apple, Audio Technica, Focusrite, Numark, Presonus, Rode, Samson, Sennheiser, Sibelius.
View and download our Music and the creative arts brochure
The Chamberlain Music Teacher Hub
Launched in September 2023, and there to encourage teachers and those with an interest in music education to write and share articles that are of interest to our community. If you would like to contribute to these pages, we would love to hear from you.
Visit the Teacher hub
Bespoke branding for your hub
Chamberlain Music offers our customers who purchase in bulk a FREE bespoke branding service on lots of instruments including: djembes, recorders, hand percussion, ukuleles, music cases, & choral folders.
School percussion repairs
We find so many schools and music hubs that have a cupboard full of broken percussion instruments. Simply arrange with us to ship them to Percussion Plus where we will do our best to give them a second life and return them to you for a very small cost. We do this because we have the know-how, and crucially we have instrument makers with years of experience who are ready to help.
Instrument repairs and servicing
Complete technical services are provided for orchestral strings, brass and wind instruments, percussion, and piano. When required our technicians are able to setup and check instruments prior to shipping and are always available to complete services or repairs with FREE collection and RETURN all part of the service from Chamberlain Music.
Maintenance & repairs
AIPS Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme
The Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme (AIPS) allows a parent or guardian to purchase a musical instrument for their child without paying VAT, in addition to savings offered by Chamberlain Music's already reduced prices, leading to a huge discount off the RRP. There are a few simple rules:
The pupil must be in full-time education at a Local Education Authority or Academy School.
The pupil must either be receiving tuition at the school as part of their curriculum or receiving private tuition in support of a curricular activity such as GCSE music.
The instrument must be appropriate for the pupil's needs.
The instrument must be portable (e.g. no pianos).
The instrument must be purchased via the school or Music service / Hub and passed on to the pupil.
Read more about the scheme below:
Assisted purchase schemeThe Chamberlain Music competitive edge
We supply the full range of key music education products and services from all of the important manufacturers, meaning that whatever make or model you might want, we can get it for you. The list of manufacturers below is a cross-section of brands we have built relationships with over the years and is by no means exhaustive. Please get in touch if there are specific products you are trying to source, or any suppliers of interest not listed below.
Brands offered by Chamberlain Music include:
ABRSM, Adams, Admira, Akai, AKG, Alesis, Alto, Antoni, Apple, Ashdown, Audio Technica, Aulos, AV Link, Bechstein, Bluthner, Boss, Buffet, Carlsbro, Casio, Champion, Chord, Citronic, Club Salsa, Conn-Selmer, D’addario, Denis Wick, Dogal, Electrovision, Elkhart, Encore, Ernie Ball, Feadog, Fender, Focusrite, FZone, Gator, Genelec, Genesis Images, Gewa, Gopak, Hal Leonard, Halilit, Hardcase, Hartke, Hercules, Hidersine, Hidrau, Hiscox Cases, Hofner, Hohner, Howarth, Ibanez, Izzo, Jargar, JAS Musicals, John Packer, Jose Ferrer, Jumbie Jam, Jupiter, KAM, Kawai, Kinsman, Konig & Meyer, Korg, Kun, Laney, Larsen, Leblanc, Line 6, LP Percussion, Mackie, Magiboard, Mahalo, Majestic, Manhasset, Mapac, Mapex, M-Audio, Meinl, MMX, Monarch, Musisca, My School Ukulele, Nektar, Neotech, Numark, Nuvo, Ocarina Workshop, Octopus, Oxford Traditional Leather, Ozark, Panyard, pBone, Pearl, Peavey, Percussion Play, Percussion Plus, Pirastro, Planet Waves, Presonus, Primavera, Promark, QTX, Quiklok Stands, RAT Music Stands, Recorder Workshop, Remo, Rico, Rode, Roland, Rovner, Roxtone, Sabian, Samson, SE Electronics, Sennheiser, Shubb, Shure, Skytronic, Soho Sound System, Sonix, Sontronics, Sound Post, Soundcraft, Soundlab, Stagg, Steinberg, Steinway, Stentor, Studio 49, Suzuki, Takamine, Tanglewood, Tascam, TGI, Thomastik, Toca Percussion, Tokai, Tom & Will, Trevor James, Valencia, Vandoren, Vic Firth, Vicoustic, Vincent Bach, Vintage, Welmar, Wittner, Wolf, Yamaha, Zildjian, Zoom.
Our music education team
Jon Caton
Sales & Key Accounts Director
Jon studied music at the University of Kingston, then worked for a well-respected London piano dealer before joining Yamaha’s Acoustic Piano Division, where he spent 8 years as regional sales manager before joining our team. Jon is a fabulous jazz pianist and saxophonist whose enthusiasm and dedication is boundless, and you are guaranteed to receive warm friendly advice.
Tel: 01428 647593
jon.caton@chamberlainmusic.com
Holly Baker
Sheet Music Consultant
Having been at Chamberlain Music since 2007, Holly is an indispensable member of our education team. She originally worked in our old Weyhill showroom before moving across to the sheet music department, sourcing rare and specialist scores for choirs, orchestras and other musical institutions. Holly’s wealth of knowledge in this area has come in handy for countless schools and education hubs over the years.
Tel: 01428 647592
holly.baker@chamberlainmusic.com
William Thompson
Director of Education and Music ICT consultant
Many schools around the world have benefitted from William’s considerable expertise and experience, on every step of the journey from aspiration to implementation. William excels in working with all parties involved in a school project, including architects, consulting engineers and other professionals, along with school or music hub staff. The aim is always to provide a result that is affordable, relevant, future proof and on target.
Tel: 02891 274886
william.thompson@chamberlainmusic.com
Abbie Stokes
Marketing Team
Abbie joined us just weeks after graduating from university and has become a valued member of our ever-expanding marketing team. She’s responsible for many aspects of our website including product pages and photography, as well as designing the graphics that go into our education resources.
David McClean
Operations Director
David started learning the piano and violin at the age of four and had amassed 4 grade 8s and a diploma by his mid-teens. Studying music at the University of Surrey led to him leaving his native Northern Ireland and settle in the Haslemere area, where a chance visit to the local music shop to buy violin strings led to a job application. More than 25 years later David is responsible for many facets of the company.
Tel: 01428 647597
david.mcclean@chamberlainmusic.com
Kate Broom
Accounts Administrator
As a key member of our finance team, Kate can often be found on the phone liaising with schools and music hubs. The finance team is vital in supporting and coordinating with teachers and hub managers to ensure that we offer the best possible service.
Dom Barnett
Director of Pianos and expert in everything piano related
Dom started his music industry career in 2004 and has spent the last 15 years overseeing our extensive acoustic and digital piano department at Chamberlain Music . Twenty years’ experience has given Dom a huge wealth of piano knowledge. A keen performer, Dom can also often be found adjusting a piano action in our workshops, this technical knowledge of acoustic piano workings gives Dom an insight which can be invaluable when offering advice.
Tel: 01428 647608
dominic.barnett@chamberlainmusic.com
Some key Education brands that we bring to the UK market
Colour & Play by Percussion Plus
Percussion Plus offer a wide selection of percussion instruments specially designed for young children. Desk bells, hand bells, glockenspiels, Wak-a-tubes, hand chimes, chime bars and more – all utilising our popular colour note matching system.
Many of these instruments are still made in the same small partner factory in Taiwan which is operated by the son of the original man who came up with the idea of colour matching bells – They are superb quality and tuned to within +/- 5 cents. Several interesting resources are available for schools including our free downloadable Wak-a-tune songbook.
Read more about Colour and Play - enlivening early years music education on our Teacher Hub.
Izzo Samba Percussion
We discovered Izzo around fifteen years ago and have been steadily increasing sales in the UK since. Izzo manufactures a comprehensive range of high-quality Samba Percussion instruments in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and is now considered one of the world's leading Samba makers. We are exclusive UK and Ireland distributors for Izzo items, which are available through Chamberlain Music and a variety of valued dealer partners such as Drums for Schools, Normans, and Knock on Wood.
There are a number of popular Samba resources that we offer and our Teacher Hub contains a few fascinating articles about Samba.
Read this one by Andy Gleadhill, a well-known authority in world percussion and education, on The Educational Power of Samba Bands.
Jumbie Jam
Jumbie Jam authentic steel pans provide a mix of simple design and layout along with an ease of learning. Jumbies are manufactured in the United States and supplied throughout the UK and Europe by Chamberlain Music. They are available directly from us as well as from key partner education suppliers such as Drums for Schools, Gear4Music, and Normans.
Jumbies come with a desktop or floor stand, and the surface of the pan features a G major scale spanning one octave from G4 to G5. Non-specialist teachers can quickly learn the fundamentals and stay a step ahead of their pupils, and students will not be intimidated or overwhelmed by the note range accessible.
This offers a fun, efficient, and rapid learning experience. Jumbie Jams are very popular for classroom group instruction and SEND, with a large number of books and online resources available.
Majestic Percussion
One of the most important manufacturers of Orchestral and Marching percussion instruments in the world and part of the KHS group of companies that include such key brands as Altus flutes, Azumi flutes, Hercules stands, Jupiter band instruments, Mapex drums, Majestic Percussion and Xo Professional Brass – see our Majestic range here.
Manhasset - The world’s most popular music stands!
Manhasset Symphony stands are liked by orchestras, schools, and colleges - they are functional, extremely strong, and do not break - that is why we offer a lifetime warranty.
Chamberlain Music is the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for the entire range of Manhasset Music Stands which are all made in Washington State, USA.
Music Hubs that purchase Manhasset stands from Chamberlain Music or one of our dealer customers should never have to replace them; if they fail, simply call us and we will fix or replace them at no cost - which never happens because they don't break!
My School Ukulele
My School Ukulele instruments are nearly identical to Octopus. Manufactured in the same factory with Octopus strings, they also come with five-year warranty for Music Hubs. We avoid all unnecessary use of SUP packaging and fancy bespoke printed cartons. These are packaged in bulk as they are primarily supplied to schools and music hubs.
Octopus Ukulele
Simply put, Octopus makes the best beginner ukuleles available today, with superb quality products manufactured in the same factory as many of the world’s most successful brands and fitted with Aquila strings.
Our Academy UK205 models are used in thousands of schools and are built to withstand the rigours of schoolwork, allowing us to provide a five-year warranty for Music Hubs on all Octopus Ukuleles ordered directly from Chamberlain Music. Academy Ukuleles are available in a wide range of fun colours and designs, with the UK206 model becoming increasingly popular for its KIDS coloured strings, which aid in simple note recognition.
Percussion Plus
A British Percussion company started in Market Harborough in the UK in 1989 Percussion Plus produces around 500 percussion musical instruments most of which are designed with Music Education and SEND considerations at their core.
We are especially proud of our reputation in the educational sector and have a strong interest in designing instruments for young musicians. Our distinctive Classic Red Box xylophones and glockenspiels have become essential purchases for schools all over the world, and our Colour and Play series of primary percussion and Wak-a-tubes are now commonplace in primary schools throughout the UK and beyond. And our SLAP Djembes are proving to be so popular that we can hardly make them fast enough!
Honestly Made
First introduced in 2020, Honestly Made Instruments from Percussion Plus are all manufactured in independent small workshops, often located in in rural settings and all follow strict fair-trade principles. The range now exceeds a hundred mostly hand percussion products sourced from around the world and significantly from Bali Indonesia, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nepal, Peru, Senegal, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
We use a lot of recycled materials in both production and packaging when we import and ship these products to our customers. However when we need to individually repackage, we use Glassine paper bags. These are made from wood pulp that has been pressed, dried, and processed to ensure that all of the fibres face the same direction, resulting in a smooth semi-transparent surface. Glassine is a sustainable packaging material because it is made of paper, giving it full recyclability and biodegradability like any conventional paper products. Customers can dispose of these glassine paper bags in the same way they would any other card or paper item: put them out for recycling collection. Glassine's unique translucent qualities allow it to replace clear plastic, making it a groundbreaking eco-friendly packaging initiative, and we love it!
Honestly Made fair trade principles include: agreeing a fair price; use of recycled materials as much as possible; paying significant amounts upfront; being loyal and reasonable in all dealings; negotiating a fair price - never imposing one; prioritising smaller suppliers over large factories; manufacturing methods that do not damage the environment.
Wak-A-Tubes
Made by Percussion Plus in Saddington Leicestershire, our brightly coloured Wak-a-Tubes are made from different lengths of REACH compliant plastic tubing and supplied in FSC certified recycled cardboard carrying cases. They’re fun and easy for young musicians of all ages and abilities - simply whack them against a hard surface, hit them against each other, or lay them out on a flat surface and strike them with beaters. We offer a wide range of classroom packs, and you can also purchase individual tubes should you even misplace one.
Recorder Workshop
Recorder Workshop descant recorders are used by tens of thousands of children in schools around the UK - put simply our recorders are the classic school order, with a well made 3-piece construction and supplied in a branded and matching draw-string cloth bag. Superb quality, a nice sound, easy to play and virtually unbreakable!
Ask about our bespoke branded descant recorders – with your logo design on the instrument and bag – MOQ applies and FOC artwork and print.
Chamberlain Music Whiteboards
Designed specifically for education, our Mini Music Whiteboards are versatile and durable learning tools suitable for both the classroom and home environments.
Available plain or with two, three or four staves, singly or in packs of twelve and with a selection of pens and erasers. Hugely popular in schools, excellent tool for individual practice, group work, or as a helpful aid for musical revision, these really are a great tool for schools.
Some of the products that we make here in the UK
By no means everything is made in the UK but where possible and practical we will manufacture in our workshops in Saddington Leicestershire. At present UK made products include all our Wak-a-tubes sets and classroom packs, and our extensive range of mallets and beaters. Finally we also make our famous Musisca Castor Glide digital piano movers in our Leicestershire workshops.
Percussion Plus products are available from Chamberlain Music as well as from our key education partners including Band Supplies, Gear4Music, Haydock Music and Normans as well as many other UK retail and education suppliers.
Slap Percussion & Slap Djembes
We first brought our Slap Djembes to the market in 2020 and it didn’t take long for teachers and schools to start using them, the interactive nature of learning djembe drumming is ideal in music education for youngsters and a great therapeutic activity.
Andy Gleadhill’s Slap Djembe, a guide to playing and studying drum rhythms from around the world is an excellent introduction to playing and teaching the djembe. It introduces and uses our revolutionary and accessible notation, which can be used with any drum but works especially well with Slap Djembes where the Bass, Tone, and Slap are displayed on the heads. Free interactive audio and video supporting material is provided.
A structured 10 week lesson plan developed for KS2 & KS3 can be applied to any tune in the book.
Schools and Hubs - If you would like to know more about SLAP percussion or receive a sample of our fabulous djembes - please email me now: Jon.Caton@chamberlainmusic.com
Download our Slap product information flyer here
Nuvo Instruments – British innovation, making music around the world!
The mission is to enable kids from all walks in life to enjoy the power of music making, and hundreds of thousands of kids are now achieving that aim. We are hugely proud to have been Nuvo's official UK and Ireland distributor since its inception. Nuvo create instruments that are:
- Suitable - lightweight, and easy to handle
- Playable from the box without the need to make any adjustments.
- Tuneful - Designed to make note production easy for beginners without compromise.
- Durable - Able to withstand extreme use making them particularly suited to the classroom.
- Personal - Providing a choice of colours and styles.
- Practical - Easy to carry around, assemble and clean. The materials used are 100% washable in warm soapy water, and are easily maintained with little expertise or skill.
- Accessible - Affordable for school programs and full class teaching at all levels.
A few more interesting facts about Nuvo instruments:
- Nuvo instruments play straight out of the box – no preparation is required.
- All instruments are totally washable in the bath with soapy water.
- No technical expertise required, if a key is lost or breaks, we supply a replacement, and you can pop it on in seconds.
- Silicon pads are pivoted, always fit, and never leak.
Nuvo pre-Band beginner instruments
Recorder
Nuvo recorders have a resonant tone, are available in fun colours and include reward rings, a fun feature to help kids celebrate reaching learning milestones.
Recorder+
The recorder becomes easier to play by adding silicon flap keys to ensure the holes are always covered. This creative adaptation opens up all sorts of opportunities for less abled children. It’s a simple idea when you think about it, but one only Nuvo has!
Dood
A fun way to introduce single reed skills at an early age and a natural next step for children playing the recorder. The Dood has a clarinet-like mellow tone.
Toot
For a child ready to progress from the recorder, the Toot is a perfect next step to ultimately playing the flute.
jFlute
Weighing in at about half the weight of a traditional flute, the jFlute plays chromatically with a standard flute fingering down to low D and, if required, can be upgraded with a C foot joint.
Student Flute
Also roughly half the weight of a typical flute, fully chromatic, and with a straight head joint, the student flute has silicone pads for comfortable playing, also eliminating any issues caused by nickel allergies.
Clarineo
A junior clarinet in the key of C and ideal for young beginners. Much lighter and smaller than a Bb clarinet with easy finger stretches, but still with a fully chromatic 3.5 octave range
jHorn
A revolutionary brass training instrument suitable for beginners and casual players of any age, the jHorn offers the opportunity to learn important brass playing skills from as young as four years old.
Nuvo Windstars
A brilliant method of learning for groups or individuals, WindStars is a book-based program with supplemental materials available online (instructional videos, audio backing tracks, and printable PDFs).
Level 1 - designed for ages 5-9 with an emphasis on Sound before Sight – for Dood and Toot instruments.
Level 2 - designed for ages 6-10 with an emphasis on transitioning to notation – for jSax, jFlute, jHorn and Clarineo instruments.
Level 3 - designed for ages 7-10 emphasizing pre-band ensemble playing.
The Windstars publications provide effective lesson plans to accompany the Nuvo range and assist with WCET. Read all about it here and see previews of the books also.
Nuvo Band – the next level coming soon.
Bb student clarinet and student concert flute coming soon – Spring 2024.
Nuvo instruments are available from Chamberlain Music or from one of our key partner education suppliers throughout the UK.
Schools and Hubs - If you would like to know more about Nuvo instruments or receive a sample - please email me now Jon.Caton@chamberlainmusic.com
Read more about Nuvo
A few great brands that we work with
Ocarina Workshop
This popular alternative to the recorder was first introduced into British schools 40 years ago. Following simple notation, most beginners are able to play a full scale and a simple tune such as 'twinkle twinkle' in their first lesson.
Read this fascinating article from David Liggins of Ocarina Workshop, written for our Teacher Hub, discussing whole class ocarina teaching in schools.
pBone, pTrumpet, pCornet, pTrumpet, pBugle, pBuzz and the new pCorder
Genuinely sustainable Carbon neutral musical instruments for everyone.
The pBone was first developed in 2010, lightweight, affordable, and fun – and this evolution of brass instruments continued with the pBone mini for younger players, and was swiftly followed by the pTrumpet and more. Brilliant design and great value.
Adam McCulloch from pBone provided us with an invaluable resource about using pInstruments in primary education, which you can read on our Teacher Hub.
Percussion Play
Percussion Play is a leading manufacturer of outdoor musical instruments, adding harmony, soul, and energy to inclusive and accessible outdoor play environments in schools around the UK and abroad.
With over 20 years of experience in the play industry, Percussion Play has one goal in mind - to lead the market in innovative outdoor music solutions accessible for all, offering cognitive, emotional, physical, and inclusive play opportunities for everyone, everywhere. All instruments are manufactured by hand in rural Hampshire, UK.
Instruments are played in so many different locations, from busy city parks and playgrounds to locations where they are used for music therapy, dementia care, music education and to create interactive community spaces designed to bring people together.
Whether your outdoor area (or budget) is large or small, there is an outdoor music solution for you. Please contact us today and together we can bring a little creative harmony to your play spaces.
More of the important brands that we offer by instrument
Brass & Woodwind
Buffet, Elkhart, Howarth, John Packer, Jupiter, Leblanc, Nuvo, pBone, Trevor James, Yamaha.
Guitars & Ukuleles
Admira, Fender, Jose Ferrer, My School Ukulele, Octopus, Tanglewood, Valencia, Yamaha.
Recorders, Ocarinas & whistles
Aulos, Feadog, Ocarina Workshop, Percussion Plus, Recorder Workshop, Yamaha.
Endangered species: Oboe, bassoon, double bass, viola, French horn
Endangered instruments are those that have been defined by a decline in popularity and market changes. The industry is now making a concerted effort to encourage adoption via independent grants, initiatives, and learning schemes.
The NPE National Plan for Education is keenly addressing this issue. We look forward to a new generation of musicians and discovering the potential of these instruments with their unique tonal colour and much needed presence in the orchestral environment.
Read more about preserving endangered instruments in music education on our Teacher Hub.
We are members of the following Music and Music education organisations:
