Whether it’s Ariana Grande or something grand from Aïda, music is both inescapable in our society, and of incalculable value to it. This is the starting point of a new report from The Music Commission, set up by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, which offers a manifesto for ‘music learning’ and finding ways of ‘enabling all young people to make progress in their musical knowledge, understanding and skills.’
We lucky ones had parents who spent countless hours driving us from instrumental lesson to youth orchestra rehearsal, from music festival to summer course. But there are thousands upon thousands who are not so blessed, whether by time or by money, whose only chance to be part of music comes at school.
And music in schools is under severe threat. The numbers are disquieting: between 2010 and 2017 the number of secondary school curriculum-hours devoted to music declined by 13.5
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