An innovative scheme offering free music lessons and workshops to pupils has been expanded in Shropshire.
The Take it Up! Initiative is funded by Shropshire Music Trust and aims to encourage youngsters to learn an instrument. Pupils at Greenacres Primary School in Shrewsbury have taken up the saxophone, trumpet, clarinet and trombone – all provided free of charge by Shropshire Music Service.
Shropshire Music Trust is funding lessons and has now rolled out the pilot programme to more schools, including Wilfred Owen School in Monkmoor.
Caroline Anne Nowotarski, education coordinator for the Trust, said: “The children picked the instruments after trying out various ones and the schools chose pupils who they thought would benefit holistically.
“We are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to children in Shropshire and very much hope to extend the scheme to reach even more pupils in the county. From small acorns, our greatest musicians are born.”
Sarah Browne of Shropshire Music Service said that every child should have the chance to learn to play an instrument and make music.
She added: “One of the barriers to that is cost so we seek to break these down wherever possible and with the assistance of Shropshire Music Trust we’ve been able to do that. We know that music improves wellbeing but it also fosters a wider range of skills, including enhancing memory, coordination, and concentration. Learning an instrument improves confidence and boosts team-working and collaborative skills.”
The tuition will be a springboard into the Music Service’s free groups which include rock and pop groups, ‘riffs’, orchestras of all standards and a world folk ensemble.
Sarah added: “We hope that the children will continue to make progress in their instrumental skills and in a few months can join our beginners ensembles ‘Stompers’ to have the opportunity to play with other children in an orchestral setting.”
In addition to ‘Take it Up!’, the Music Trust arranged for five Belvidere School pupils to benefit from a string-playing workshop with leading classical music group The Dante Quarte.
CAPTION: Belvidere pupils at their string-playing workshop.
