Knowing that you're interested in making music but not knowing what to do next to make it a reality is a common problem that faces many aspiring young musicians.

There are so many opportunities out there and knowing which path to take, and what things you need to consider before setting off is a tricky business. If this sounds familiar, you might want to check out the visual 'pathway' that has been created on the Youth Music Network .

This particular pathway focusses on some of the things young people should consider, look for, or actually put into practice when trying to work out how to find opportunities and pick from the wealth of options out there.

The idea is that although everyone will make different decisions about what route to take on their personal musical 'journey' there are some core elements or 'ingredients' that will apply to everyone to help them realise their musical potential.

The guidance is divided into 5 key areas:

• Opportunities
• Your choices
• Your support
• Your skills
• Your musical journey

If you head over to the Youth Music Network site you can check out the interactive visual pathway and find out more about each area by clicking the relevant links. 

There's also plenty more information, resources and a chance to enagage in online discussion groups about music-making on the Youth Music Network. So if you already know where you're heading but want to share your knowledge or meet some like-minded musical folk then why not check it out?