At Shropshire Music Service, our motto really says it all: we teach music to change lives, specifically the lives of children and young people throughout our entire county. Established in 1967, the Music Service’s offer has evolved alongside the changing nature of music education. Our work in both schools and in the community recognises how young people engage with music: through composition, technology, creativity and most importantly, imagination.
Shropshire Music Service works with 98% of state schools in Shropshire. We offer a range of activities to schools including instrumental tuition (both individual and whole class), music curriculum delivery, workshops, and extra-curricular music clubs. We offer Discovery Days for children to hear a demonstration from a professional musician and try out a selection of instruments. Every year we deliver Live Music Week to over 50 schools across the county, providing the opportunity for children to experience live music and listen to a wide range of musical genres. Our annual singing festival, ‘Shropshire Sings’ attracts nearly 2,000 children, joining together in a massed choir to sing their hearts out. But our work expands even further to ensure that every child – from early years to late teens – has the opportunity to express themselves through music and benefit from the skills that high-quality music education nurtures.
Supported by Shropshire Council, our Early Years workshops are extremely popular with nursery settings across the county; offering a free five-week workshop package ensures that, from a very young age, children can develop speech, language, and co-ordination skills by singing and making music together. Our skilled delivery practitioners know how to make music time fun and enjoyable, whilst focusing activities on a child’s cognitive development.
A core element of the work of Shropshire Music Service is our regular ensembles. Completely free-of-charge and open to every child across the county, our music groups are focused on helping children and young people develop not just their musical skills, but a wide range of cognitive and social skills. Our beginners’ group – Stompers – is particularly inclusive: all instruments are welcome, and our groups meet weekly in various locations across the county. If a child can play five notes on their chosen instrument, they will be right at home in their local Stompers group. These groups are especially helpful for building confidence: children at the earliest stage in their musical learning are afforded the opportunity to join an orchestra, make friends and, most importantly, develop their confidence by participating in the fantastic performance opportunities the music service offers. A Stompers concert is always a brilliant occasion!
To support a child’s music-making journey, our more advanced musical ensembles provide further opportunities for instrumentalists to develop their skills. Shropshire Youth Orchestra and World Folk Ensemble allow our musicians to explore a wide range of musical genres, broadening their world view and understanding of the cultural aspects of music. From film music to folk, musicals to mambo, we ensure our repertoire is as diverse and colourful as the world around us. Our rock and pop ensemble – Riffs – is particularly popular with guitarists, drummers and vocalists; during these workshops, instrumentalists can foster their creativity through performance, composition and songwriting. Reflecting the 21st Century music industry, our Riffs participants are also given the opportunity to produce their songs in professional recording studios, using technology to bring their creations to life.
It is often said that music is a universal language. Whilst that’s not strictly true (music is an important element of identify formation and no identity is universal), we have seen children of all ages improve their communication skills through the language of music. We encourage young players to listen to others when performing, teaching them to be sensitive to the sound they produce and to work together as a team to produce a professional performance. This kind of teamwork is invaluable, helping young people to learn to work together, collaborate and problem solve are valuable skills that are intrinsic to music and the arts and essential to, well, pretty much every aspect of life! Moreover, numerous studies – and our own work with children – tells us that music improves mental health and wellbeing. Listening to and making music reduces anxiety, provides a positive outlet for emotional expression, and – as scientific studies show us – produces those lovely hormones that lift mood!
Each week we see hundreds of children and young people develop their confidence and communication skills through regular attendance at our ensembles. Learning an instrument teaches discipline, perseverance and tenacity; playing with others in musical ensembles and the sense of achievement that brings, is the reward for all that hard work.
Music for All
At Shropshire Music Service we believe that no child in Shropshire should face any barrier to making music. That’s why our ensembles are accessible and inclusive and – when joining an ensemble – we offer an instrument for free. From now until the end of the school term, all our regular ensembles are open to any child to come along and try one (or more) of our groups. Registering your interest is quick and easy: choose your music group on our website and complete our short form, then simply turn up at your chosen ensemble the same week. Pop along to one of our rehearsals or catch our groups in action as they perform on the bandstand in Quarry Park, Shrewsbury on July 5th. These are perfect opportunities for you to meet our ensemble leaders: our teachers are passionate and are highly-skilled at working with children with a range of learning differences: they care about the young people they work with and understand how music can transform lives.
Over the years, Shropshire Music Service has helped thousands of young people make new friends, become confident communicators and skilled musicians, and develop creativity and imagination, so when we say we ‘teach music’ and ‘change lives’, we really do mean it!
Find out more about the range of services we offer by visiting shropshiremusicservice.org.uk, drop us an email: [email protected] or give us a call on 01743 874145.
