fri 08/11/2024

What price musical learning? | reviews, news & interviews

What price musical learning?

What price musical learning?

The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain at the Proms: In future will they all be privately educated?

Last year I took my musical instrument to Tower Hamlets. The heartland of the capital’s huge Bangladeshi community is not a part of London where you expect to hear much orchestral playing. Nor are boroughs like Hackney and Newham ordinarily seen as wellsprings of classical musicians. But they all have a dedicated music services department among whose tasks it is to stimulate instrumental learning.

Last year I took my musical instrument to Tower Hamlets. The heartland of the capital’s huge Bangladeshi community is not a part of London where you expect to hear much orchestral playing. Nor are boroughs like Hackney and Newham ordinarily seen as wellsprings of classical musicians. But they all have a dedicated music services department among whose tasks it is to stimulate instrumental learning.

Of course you could argue that music services are a luxury we cannot afford in the current economic climate

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A Luxury that can't be afforded? It's about educationalists and politicians alike started recognising that a musical training is about the most cost effective form of education a child can receive. Unless there is another subject out there that builds team work, self discipline, self-confidence, and communication skills while measurably increasing cognitive powers - all in one hit ! Michael is spot on. The net effect will (ironically) be to make music lessons the elistist activity that I suspect many prejudiced and ill-informed politicians already believe it to be.

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