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Pioneering Scheme for School Music Lessons

A whole year group in every Primary School throughout East Chester is now receiving whole class instrumental or vocal tuition with Music for Life, a unique “not for profit” music education scheme working in partnership with Cheshire County Council.

Lessons are provided on guitar, samba drumming and singing and are incorporated into the school’s curriculum in line with the government’s Wider Opportunities initiative and the recently publicised Music Manifesto. Each term-long course will rotate around the schools so that throughout a whole school year pupils will have enjoyed high-quality guitar, samba and singing experiences.

Lessons are taught to the whole class – over 30 beginner musicians grappling with their newfound talent is quite a spectacle! At the end of this Spring Term pupils will perform to family and friends in a special Celebration Assembly.

On 13th July all 10 schools will join together for a spectacular collaborative concert in Chester. Following this, the children will be given the chance to decide if they would like to continue having instrumental lessons; in Music for Life’s experience the response has been overwhelmingly positive – around 70% of pupils have continued to learn in a number of schools!

Ashley Thompson, Music for Life’s Special Projects Manager said:
“It is great to see so many children enjoying music throughout Chester. This is the first year of a project that could in time to transform the musical landscape of the community, smashing the old stereotypes of instrumental music-making in schools. This project is pioneering many innovative techniques which are benefitting the children of Chester and are now gaining national recognition.
Music for Life is proud to be nationally recognised as the only independent organisation to be accepted as a member of FMS (Federation of Music Services) and, because of this, I know that those pupils who choose to continue learning will receive quality tuition from a specialist tutor. Alongside the lessons there will, of course, be opportunities to perform; it is the combination of excellent teaching, exciting group work and concerts that is vital to the motivation of young musicians.”