The NYA Blog
Hitting a high note
29 September 2009
Last week saw the start of the Government supported National Year of Music. As one of those who never quite got around to mastering musical notation, managing just a squeak on the recorder and a mistimed clash on the triangle before the sports fields beckoned, I’d be one of the estimated 70 per cent of people who regret not learning an instrument as a young person. This is according to a new survey released to coincide with the launch by PRS for Music, the organisation that collects royalties on behalf of composers and songwriters.
It is calling for schools and parents to work together to encourage children to learn a musical instrument as early as possible. It might have added youth workers too of course, because as we all know so well, youth work provides ample opportunity to both nurture and showcase young musicians.
The call is supported by ex Police frontman, Sting, who says: “If you get the chance to learn an instrument when you’re young, take it, as who knows where it will lead you. Music and song writing can be great and rewarding careers. I hope more and more young people choose this path.”
And given the dearth of opportunity currently available to those who might have hoped to follow other career paths (yes, the latest unemployment figures show another rise in the number of jobless young people as it spirals inexorably towards the one million mark) this seems like sound advice.
But music is more, much more, than just the potential path to celebrity, fame and fortune that Sting advocates, and we can’t all hope to be famous, even for 15 minutes. Yes, yes, ... ‘the food of love’ and ‘charms to sooth a savage breast’ and all that, but Simon May, composer of the EastEnders theme, seems to me to have hit the nail on the head, or in this context perhaps struck the right chord might be more appropriate, when he says: “Learning an instrument provides kids with important developmental skills and gives them an opportunity to tap into their creativity and have some fun!”
So, art for art’s sake. Time to start rehearsing for next year’s Shine Week!
Andy Hopkinson is with the Media Services team at
The NYA. He can be contacted at andyh@nya.org.uk