We are passionate about ensuring that all young people have access to high‑quality musical experiences. Working collaboratively with schools, we deliver a wide range of projects that align with Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes, including those focused on health and wellbeing.
Participation in music is widely recognised as strengthening key academic skills such as numeracy, literacy, memory, focus, and concentration. Beyond the classroom, engaging with music helps young people build emotional and mental resilience, develop confidence, and experience a sense of personal achievement — all essential skills for thriving in today’s world.
If you would like to be considered for a future StAMP project in your school, please complete this simple FORM and we will be in touch.
StAMP Forward
StAMP Forward focuses on developing the fundamentals of music for pupils in P1–4. Launched in 2026, this three‑year project is currently delivered in four primary schools in Methil and Kirkcaldy. For many children, early musical experiences in school shape how they feel about music for the rest of their lives. StAMP Forward aims to ensure these first encounters are positive, practical, and enjoyable.
The project introduces core musical skills — pulse, rhythm, and pitch — through games, movement, songs, group work, and body percussion. These playful, hands‑on activities help children build confidence while laying strong foundations for future musical learning. Alongside musical development, we place a strong emphasis on building positive relationships with pupils. By supporting children to recognise their potential and see themselves differently through music, we hope to strengthen their overall wellbeing and nurture emotional resilience and coping strategies that will support them as they progress through school.
Creating Creative Composition funded by ABRSM
The Scottish Curriculum states that ‘creating music should be a prominent activity for all learners, using their imagination and skills to create musical ideas and compositions and play with sound and rhythm’. However, we have observed anecdotally that composition is usually the most neglected area of music, particularly in primary schools. We are committed to giving all pupils a chance to express themselves and learn specific skills required to develop creative composition from an early age.
Creating Creative Composition is a three-year project working with composers and primary schools in areas with limited opportunities to take part in music both in and outside of school. The project gives pupils the opportunity to explore the world of sound using melody, rhythm, harmony and texture, experiment with musical instruments and techniques, work as a team and develop skills in expression, creativity, communication and storytelling.
Interdisciplinary Projects
StAMP collaborates with colleagues across the university academic community to create opportunities for pupils to learn about the work of university researchers and explore different subjects combined with music in new and exciting ways. Examples include:
The Musical Universe: The stars and planets in our galaxy are all different. Pupils learn about these characteristics through science presentations combined with creative composition.
Making Music for El Nino: A project exploring the El Niño weather phenomenon in Peru with researchers from the School of Geography & Sustainable and PRISMA (NGO in Peru). Participants learnt about new places and issues connected to climate change faced by both communities.
Finding Harmony with Numbers: Exploring patterns and mathematical concepts through music composition, codes and tables.
Discovering Brass: From the conch shell to modern brass instruments, explore the history of musical instruments whilst learning the trumpet.
Research & Innovation Services: Connecting pupils to researchers working in ecological conservation and fluid dynamics through the School of Mathematics & Statistics through practical workshops and sessions with professional composers and musicians to write music inspired by research.