Alison Balsom: Why State School Children Deserve Music Too
Alison Balsom warns of the decline in music education in UK state schools.
World-renowned trumpeter Alison Balsom, who will perform at this year’s Last Night of the Proms and has been presenting the Proms concerts on the BBC, recently gave an interview to The Times (30 August).
When asked about opportunities for children in today’s state schools, she said:
“I very much doubt whether, if I was at a state school today, like 94% of the children in the country, I would be playing an instrument. Of course, there are some outstanding teachers who make music happen despite very small budgets. But it is such a postcode lottery. And that’s a pity because there is more and more scientific evidence that music can help children with all sorts of mental and social problems.”
Speaking about the impact of the steep decline in state-educated pupils studying music, she added:
“Yes, that became clear to me when I was a judge for the most recent BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. After the preliminary rounds, there was barely a state-educated pupil left out of the 100 entrants remaining. It was so depressing.”
Her words underline why Cotswolds Arts Through Schools (CATS) is so vital: ensuring that children in state schools across our region have access to high-quality arts experiences that could shape their future.
