What we do and why we do it

Music is powerful: it unites us, inspires us, and moves us like nothing else.

Making music is an amazing experience, and it also gives us so much more. It helps us to develop our learning and listening skills, work with other people, express our ideas, explore our creativity, think differently and improve our confidence and self-esteem. It can, quite literally, change lives.

We think music is important, and as the County Council's Music Service, we’re here to help people in Gloucestershire – particularly children and young people – to learn, share and enjoy music-making.  We do this by providing:

Instrumental tuition – lessons in primary, secondary, special and independent schools, organised through each school and provided by our team of experienced and enthusiastic tutors. See the Schools section for more information.

County music groups – a chance for young people and adults to make music – rehearsing, and performing in concerts across the County - as part of our 20 groups and ensembles (from learn as you play groups to big bands to orchestras).

Music centres – out of school hours centres which each run a comprehensive range of musical activities for children and young people, and occasionally adults as well.

Instruments for hire – from bassoons to xylophones, available to anyone in the County (not just pupils) at competitive rates.

A summer orchestral course, offering further opportunities for pupils to develop their skills and enjoy making music together and the Gloucestershire Young Musician competition, a chance for musicians to challenge themselves, and their peers.

A range of other services for schools including our Wider Opportunities programme (which gives all primary school pupils the opportunity to play an instrument or sing), concerts and workshops, whole class tuition, special projects, and support for classroom teachers in primary and secondary schools.

 

A recent report by our Music Service Evaluation Partner, part of a process supported by the Department for Children, School and Families  (DCSF) and the Federation of Music Services (FMS), described Gloucestershire Music as a good service with some outstanding features. These features included

• the breadth of and access to provision
• the engagement of pupils and their ability to enjoy and achieve 
• the facilitation of opportunities from collaborative partnerships

The quality of our work has also been recognised by the National Music Council LA Music Awards. In 2009, we received an honourable mention for our overall submission, and the Jazz Services Will Michael Diploma for our work in jazz.   In 2010 the Gloucestershire Youth Brass Band, Youth Sinfonia and Youth Wind Band all successfully performed at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham as part of the Music for Youth National Festival. 

We believe that every child and young person should have the opportunity to participate in music.

We believe that every child’s music making really does matter – to them, to us, to our County and our society.