London


<p>Summer holidays are looming and if, like Muddy, you&#8217;re already thinking of ways you can get your kids off screens 24/7, help is at hand. <a href="https://www.thestringsclub.org/collections" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Strings Club</a> are award-winning, London-based holiday camps where children aged 4-11 years are encouraged to pick up an instrument and have a go, alongside lots of other fun activities like craft, drama and sport.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="974" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/TSC-Amy-974x1024.jpg" alt="Amy Cunningham " class="wp-image-23023" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/TSC-Amy-974x1024.jpg 974w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/TSC-Amy-285x300.jpg 285w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/TSC-Amy-768x807.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/TSC-Amy-1461x1536.jpg 1461w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/TSC-Amy.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 974px) 100vw, 974px" /></figure>



<p>Founded by mumpreneur musician Amy Cunningham back in 2012, it now has more than <a href="https://www.thestringsclub.org/collections" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">18 locations</a> across the city, from Bow to Wimbledon, plus it&#8217;s also expanding to other locations around the UK, such as Nunhead and Leamington Spa. Muddy caught up with her just before the summer holidays to find out more&#8230;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-re-a-violinist-teacher-and-mum-how-are-you-juggling-all-this">You&#8217;re a violinist, teacher and mum &#8211; how are you juggling all this?</h2>



<p>My life these days mainly revolves around running The Strings Club, being mum to my wonderful daughter, Anja, and making the most out of life. I no longer teach violin myself. I used to work as a violin teacher when I lived in London, but over the years my focus has shifted to growing and leading the business. Today, we have around 500 incredible musicians and childcare practitioners on our database who help bring The Strings Club to life.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/231026_Str_Club_0318-1024x683.jpg" alt="The Strings Club " class="wp-image-23025" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/231026_Str_Club_0318-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/231026_Str_Club_0318-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/231026_Str_Club_0318-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/231026_Str_Club_0318.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-inspired-the-idea-for-the-strings-club">What inspired the idea for The Strings Club?</h2>



<p>The idea came from combining my two greatest passions &#8211; music and working with children. As a violin teacher, I saw first-hand the positive impact music could have on children&#8217;s confidence, creativity and wellbeing. I wanted to create something that made music accessible, fun and inspiring for all children, not just those already learning an instrument. What started as one Holiday Camp in Camden with just six children has since inspired almost half a million children across the UK.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-important-is-learning-a-musical-instrument-when-you-re-young">How important is learning a musical instrument when you&#8217;re young?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;m obviously slightly biased, but I think it&#8217;s incredibly valuable. Learning an instrument isn&#8217;t just about becoming a musician. It helps children develop confidence, perseverance, listening skills, creativity and problem-solving abilities. It also gives children a wonderful sense of achievement and self-expression.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-if-you-re-more-of-a-bash-some-drums-type-of-child">What if you&#8217;re more of a &#8216;bash some drums&#8217; type of child?</h2>



<p>That&#8217;s absolutely fine! At The Strings Club, we&#8217;re not trying to create professional musicians. We&#8217;re trying to help children discover the joy of music.<br>Some children love rhythm, some love singing and others simply enjoy making lots of noise! Music should be playful and enjoyable, and there&#8217;s room for every type of learner.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-your-musical-background-we-hear-you-re-a-talented-violinist">Tell us about your musical background &#8211; we hear you&#8217;re a talented violinist…</h2>



<p>I started playing the violin as a child and quickly fell in love with it. I went on to study music at the University of Birmingham and later completed a Masters in Ethnomusicology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Music has given me some incredible experiences and opportunities throughout my life, and I feel very fortunate that it eventually inspired me to create The Strings Club.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-piece-of-music-and-why">What&#8217;s your favourite piece of music and why?</h2>



<p>That&#8217;s a very difficult question! I have a real soft spot for <em>The Lark Ascending</em> by Vaughan Williams. It&#8217;s beautiful, uplifting and incredibly expressive. Every time I hear it, it reminds me why I fell in love with the violin in the first place.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-you-keep-children-interested-in-playing-a-musical-instrument-past-primary-school-asking-for-a-friend">How do you keep children interested in playing a musical instrument past primary school (asking for a friend…)</h2>



<p>Keep it fun and let children have some ownership. Children are much more likely to stay engaged if they&#8217;re playing music they enjoy, learning alongside friends and celebrating small achievements. It doesn&#8217;t always have to be formal grades and practice schedules. Sometimes it&#8217;s simply about keeping the joy alive.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-could-take-one-instrument-to-a-desert-island-what-would-it-be">If you could take one instrument to a desert island, what would it be?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;d have to say the violin. I&#8217;ve been playing it for most of my life and it feels like an extension of me. Plus, I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;d ever get bored of discovering new ways to play it!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-the-strings-club-tell-us-the-latest-news">What&#8217;s next for The Strings Club? Tell us the latest news!</h2>



<p>It&#8217;s an incredibly exciting time for us. We&#8217;re continuing to grow our award-winning Holiday Camps, launching in new locations and have recently reopened franchise opportunities outside London for people who want to build something meaningful of their own. At the heart of everything we do remains the same mission we&#8217;ve had from day one: inspiring children through the joys and benefits of music.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/Crafts-1024x1024.png" alt="the strings club " class="wp-image-23027" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/Crafts-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/Crafts-300x300.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/Crafts-150x150.png 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/Crafts-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/Crafts-500x500.png 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/Crafts-1100x1100.png 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/07/Crafts.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-holiday-camps-really-a-holiday-or-more-like-school">Are Holiday Camps really a holiday or more like school?</h2>



<p>Definitely a holiday! Of course, children learn new skills and make new discoveries, but our camps are all about having fun. Think music-making, creative workshops, games, outdoor activities and making new friends.<br>We often hear from parents that their children don&#8217;t want to go home at the end of the day &#8211; and I think that&#8217;s probably the best compliment we could ask for! </p>



<p><em><strong>For 10 per cent off your first booking with <a href="https://www.thestringsclub.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Strings Camp</a> use code NEWCUS10</strong></em></p>


Muddy meets: Amy Cunningham, founder of The Strings Club

You may also like