Our services 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. Our status as a Department for Education approved supplier for the Musical Instruments, Equipment & Technology framework will allow us to help you as a partner in fulfilling your needs; we look forward to sharing how our services can support Music Hubs in fostering creativity and excellence in education.
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 Music Education 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 expert ICT consultation and design service.
- Free of charge bulk storage, invoicing, and drop-ship options.
- Free 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 & My School Ukulele instruments, two-year extended warranty for a selection of Percussion Plus products, and a lifetime warranty on Manhasset music stands!
- Suppliers of major brands including Apple, Fender, JP, Kawai, Roland, Shure, Stentor, Yamaha, and 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
Sustainability and recycling
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
The 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.
Make an enquiryOur music education team
Jon Caton
Sales Director
Jon studied music at the University of Kingston and then worked for a well-respected London piano dealer before joining Yamaha’s Acoustic Piano division, where he spent eight years as a regional sales manager before joining our team. Jon is a fabulous jazz pianist and saxophonist whose enthusiasm and dedication are boundless, and you can be assured of receiving warm, friendly advice.
Tel: 01428 647593
jon.caton@chamberlainmusic.com
William Thompson
Director of Education and Music ICT consultant
A music graduate of King’s College, Cambridge, where he also sang in the world-famous choir, William taught in schools in Belfast and Dublin, before becoming a music advisor for schools in N Ireland, and examiner for GCSE and A Level Music Technology. He advises schools and colleges on the development of their creative education learning spaces, working with design and construction professionals throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and providing music teachers with training and support on the relevant use of technology
in the classroom.
Tel: 02891 274886
william.thompson@chamberlainmusic.com
Dom Barnett
Director of Pianos
Dom began his music industry career in 2004 and has spent the last 15 years overseeing the extensive acoustic and digital piano department at Chamberlain Music. With over twenty years of experience, he has amassed a vast wealth of piano knowledge. A keen performer, Dom can often be found adjusting a piano action in our workshops. His technical expertise in the workings of acoustic pianos provides invaluable insight when offering advice.
Tel: 01428 647608
dominic.barnett@chamberlainmusic.com
Holly Baker
Holly Baker
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 Music Hubs over the years.
Tel: 01428 647592
holly.baker@chamberlainmusic.com
David McClean
Operations Director
David started learning the piano and violin
at the age of 4 and had amassed four grade 8's and a diploma by his mid-teens. Studying music at the University of Surrey led to him leaving his native Northern Ireland and settling 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
More ways we can help
Colour & Play by Percussion Plus
Izzo Samba Percussion
Jumbie Jam
Majestic Percussion
Manhasset - The world’s most popular music stands!
My School Ukulele
Octopus Ukulele
Percussion Plus
Honestly Made
Wak-A-Tubes
Recorder Workshop
Chamberlain Music Whiteboards
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 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. Our range now includes the World Slap Djembes, made by the world’s leading djembe manufacturer in Bali. They feature a lightweight, one-piece synthetic construction and a design inspired by our award-winning Slap Djembe book.
Andy Gleadhill’s Slap Djembe is an excellent guide for playing and studying drum rhythms from around the world. This resource introduces our revolutionary and accessible notation, designed for use with any drum, but particularly effective with Slap Djembes, where the Bass, Tone, and Slap are displayed on the heads.
To enhance the learning experience, we provide free interactive audio and video materials, along with PDF classroom resources suitable for interactive whiteboards. Additionally, a structured 10-week lesson plan developed for KS2 and KS3 can be applied to any tune in the book, making it easier for educators to implement engaging lessons.
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
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.
jSax
With a traditional fingering system, it serves to enable newcomers to develop embouchure and tuning skills which will be directly transferable to a full-size saxophone.
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.
ABRSM exam compatible
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.
ABRSM exam compatible
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.
ABRSM exam compatible
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.
ABRSM exam compatible
NUVOBand
Ready to use straight out of the box, requiring no adjustments ... and with a five-year parts warranty!
NUVOBand Bb student clarinet outfit
The NUVOBand student clarinet is a game-changer for schools and beginner players, offering a lightweight, low-maintenance solution perfect for young musicians. At just 405g, it’s significantly lighter than traditional student clarinets, encouraging good posture and extended practice sessions. Its durable polymer construction is 100% waterproof, making it easy to clean and ideal for shared or loaned use in school settings.
With features like self-levelling silicone pads, an adjustable thumb rest, and a fast-action ligature, the NUVOBand clarinet is designed for comfort, longevity, and ease of use. Complete with a 5-year parts warranty and eco-conscious “Pass It On” program, this instrument is a reliable, sustainable choice for music educators and students alike.
NUVOBand student flute outfit
The NUVOBand student flute is a low-maintenance marvel, perfect for schools and beginner musicians. With its waterproof polymer construction, it’s effortless to clean, making it ideal for shared use in classrooms and orchestras. The lightweight design, just 241g, is a game-changer, reducing fatigue and promoting excellent posture even during extended practice sessions.
Thoughtfully engineered for beginners, the flute features ergonomic keywork, silicone thumb rests, and alignment markings to make learning easy and enjoyable. Also supported by a 5-year parts warranty and Nuvo’s innovative “Pass It On” program, the NUVOBand flute offers unmatched reliability, practicality, and sustainability for aspiring flautists.
Nuvo WindStars
A brilliant method of learning for groups or individuals, WindStars is a book-based program with supplementary 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 available now!
Read more about the NUVOBand Bb student clarinet and NUVOBand student concert flute below.
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
A few great brands that we work with
Ocarina Workshop
pBone, pTrumpet, pCornet, pTrumpet, pBugle, pBuzz and the new pCorder
Percussion Play
A few great brands that we work with
Brass & Woodwind
Buffet, Elkhart, Howarth, John Packer, Jupiter, Leblanc, Nuvo, pBone, Trevor James, Yamaha.
Guitars & Ukuleles
Recorders, Ocarinas & whistles
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 Capital Grant for Musical Instruments is helping to address 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:
