The Northern School of Music (NSM) started life (1920) as Manchester's branch of the Matthay School of Music. In 1943 it was properly incorporated as the Northern School of Music. In its later years it was accommodated in a building on Oxford Road (near Sidney Street), which later became the site of the students' union of Manchester Polytechnic. For most of the early years of its existence it focused on training music teachers but gradually performance came to play an increasing role. This was thanks to Ida Carroll.