12.05.2025: UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl has hailed the far-reaching benefits music can bring to people of all ages at Intergenerational England’s AAA: Access All Ages event.

The event, which took place at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on Monday May 12, celebrated the transformative power of music and its unique ability to connect people of all ages and backgrounds. It also coincided with the release of Intergenerational England’s new report ‘A Divided Kingdom: Steps Towards Intergenerational Solidarity’, which explores the growing age segregation across the UK and sets out a blueprint for rebuilding intergenerational connection across society – from health and housing to education, work, and community life.

There was a key focus on the importance of bridging the generational gap through music and how it can be used to tackle challenges like social isolation and wellbeing.

As part of the event, UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl delivered a keynote address highlighting the countless benefits music can bring across society, as well as UK Music’s five-point plan to turbocharge the music education sector.

You can read Tom Kiehl’s Access All Ages address in full below:

“It’s a real privilege to be here today with Intergenerational Music Making and Intergenerational England to celebrate Access All Ages, a powerful reminder of what music can do when it’s put into the heart of communities.

Music is one of the most powerful forces we have to bring people together. It transcends age, background, and culture, creating moments of connection, identity, and joy that stay with us for life.

I strongly believe music is the most powerful form of communication that we have and we must ensure that it flourishes across the country.

My organisation UK Music brings together the UK music industry as its collective voice. We collaborate, champion and campaign on behalf of the sector to ensure the music industry can continue to grow. We want to unlock talent across the country and work closely with central and local government, as well as Parliament to achieve these aims.

The music industry is worth £7.6 billion to the economy, generates exports of £4.6 billion and employs over 210,000 people.

While we have been consistent over the years in tracking the economic impact of the music industry, we recognised in more recent times that the social, cultural and wellbeing benefits of music are sometimes less well understood. As a result we pioneered an ambitious project called the Power of Music, to identify a number of steps and measures to ensure we maximise this potential.

In care homes, youth centres, community halls, we see time and again how music opens the door to wellbeing, to memory, to belonging. It’s not just entertainment it’s communication and connection.

I very much hope that UK Music’s Power of Music work has helped make the case to support a lot of the great work that many of you are already engaged with, as well as inspiring those who are new to this.

But we’re facing serious challenges. Cuts to music education, a lack of investment, and declining access for young people are putting the future of this vital force at risk.

At UK Music, we’re campaigning hard for change and recently released a five-point plan which we urge the government to commit to.

Firstly, we are seeking a commitment to hiring 1,000 new music teachers and a boost to the size of trainee music teacher bursaries so that they are in line with those of other subjects.

Secondly, we are asking for support for the development of new music rehearsal spaces in deprived areas and facilitate overdue upgrades to existing spaces.

Third, we want to reverse cuts by the previous Government to creative arts course grants at universities.

Fourth, there must be reform of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) to remove the prioritisation of non-arts subjects and to put music back at the heart of the curriculum.

Finally, we want to retain and promote non-examination and vocational-based qualifications as pathways into the music industry.

Artists like Ed Sheeran have joined us in pushing many of these messages, because they know, firsthand, what happens when young people are given the chance to find their voice through music.

We also know this work must go further, championing fair pay, mental health support, access and diversity, and protecting grassroots spaces where music lives and breathes.

Access All Ages shows that music doesn’t just bring generations together. It helps us understand one another, care for one another, and grow together.

Let’s keep building a society where everyone across all ages can access the life-changing power of music.

Thank you.”