Written evidence submitted by Development Officer Aisha Iqbal on behalf of the
Nottingham Music Service
We believe that music makes a difference. As a registered charity and lead partner for the Nottingham Music Education Hub, we are committed to making music more accessible and inclusive. We support young people from across the city to develop their musical skills, and participate in diverse ensembles and performances, contributing to the cultural life of Nottingham city.
Nottingham Music Service (NMS) started in 2002 as part of the city council and in 2014, became an independent registered charity.
NMS believes that all children and young people in Nottingham should have an inspiring and rewarding experience of making music with others. Prior to 2002, less than 15% of city schools offered children the chance to learn a musical instrument. NMS started with a vision to make music more inclusive and accessible. At present, NMS runs or supports instrumental tuition programmes in nearly 80% of the city primaries.
The organisation has designed teaching strategies for children of varying skill levels and interests. By providing high quality, affordable music making in and outside of schools, NMS has been able to ensure that the positive impacts of music reach a larger audience.
Myriad studies have been carried out to assess the impact of music on young people. According to the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California, just two years of music tuition can improve information processing, decision making and attention spans[1].
Another large-scale, longitudinal study in Netherlands reported that structured music lessons improve children’s cognitive abilities such as planning and verbal intelligence, which in turn has a positive impact on their academic achievement[2].
A study by Dr Hallam, from the Institute of Education, and Kevin Rogers of Hampshire Music Service, concluded that young people playing a musical instrument had better academic outcomes than those who do not play an instrument. These effects were greater for those young people who had been playing the longest.
Research also indicates that music making can have a positive impact on personal well-being, mental health, cognitive development, as well as social, personal and life skills.
Nottingham Music Service provides/supports instrumental tuition in nearly 80% of the city primary schools. NMS also runs a range of ensembles catered to different musical abilities and styles, so that young people can join the ensemble most suited to their level and interest. The social impact of music making on young people is higher the longer they continue with music making. By providing pupils a range of ensembles to progress through, these young people can continue learning and growing as musicians, and consequently, continue benefiting from their participation.
All our ensembles have performance opportunities throughout the year, which is an effective way of engaging family and community members, and encouraging participation from harder-to-reach groups.
In this report, we are sharing evidence of the social impact of two of our ensembles as we carried out surveys from their participants and family members, which adds to our data on the benefits of music making.
Area Bands are afterschool music programmes that run at 7 different venues across Nottingham City during term-time. 374 pupils from 41 primary schools currently take part in this programme.
Area Bands are designed for pupils who have completed one year of whole class ensemble tuition. Up until this year (2017-18), Area Bands were free for city pupils, which made them accessible to people of all backgrounds. More than 2/3rds of the 350+ participants came from the 20% most deprived wards of England (per the Multiple Deprivation Index 2015), which makes Area Bands one of the most inclusive ensembles in the country. Moreover, studies indicate that the advantages of music making are more prominent in children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Area Bands provide pupils a safe, positive environment to not only improve their musical skills but to meet children from different schools and learn to work with them, improving their social skills including communication, team work, discipline etc.
“There is something quite extraordinary about primary age pupils having the opportunity of playing in a full orchestra. Instead of just practicing and playing with children who are learning the same instrument as they are, the strings, brass and woodwind players experience the thrill of combining together to make an amazing sound,” wrote a head teacher of one of the primary schools that participates in Area Bands.
In 2017-18, Area Band participants took part in at least three major concerts. These concerts generally feature performances by other ensembles, which is always a source of inspiration and motivation for the children in beginner ensembles like Area Bands. These concerts were also attended by friends, family and community members.
For many parents and family members, this is the first time they are attending a live performance at a venue such as the Albert Hall or the Royal Concert Hall. The positive impact of Area Bands on the community can be seen in the attendance of concerts by groups that have generally low participation in the arts.
4.1 Parents Survey
We carried out a short survey from parents/carers of Area Band participants and received 102 individual responses. Survey analysis showed that 96% of the parents/carers felt that their children were more confident in playing their instruments and that their children’s musical knowledge and skills had improved. 97% said their child enjoys attending Area Band.
It can be extrapolated that Area Bands have a positive impact on children’s well-being by boosting their confidence and enjoyment in music making.
4.2 Children’s Survey
We also carried out a short survey with Area Band participants, receiving 53 individual responses. The survey results showed that Area Bands have a positive impact on children’s confidence, motivation and engagement in learning.
4.3 Case Studies
Area Bands have had a profound impact on many children. We would like to share two individual stories to show how the programme can change lives at a personal level.
Ramon’s Story
Ramon*, 10, struggles in school. This primary school pupil doesn’t have it easy – he has been in care for the last two years, has trouble managing his behaviour and is prone to temper tantrums that can be quite severe.
Nottingham Music Service (NMS) teachers were apprehensive about encouraging Ramon to join, especially because it would be a new environment with few familiar faces and children from other schools. Generally, school staff are not required to take part in the rehearsals which means less support for NMS staff.
The staff did go ahead with it and one year later, Ramon is still in Area Band which in itself is a big achievement for a young boy who has trouble staying focused and committed to tasks. Although there have been minor behaviour issues in the Area Band rehearsals, Ramon has stuck to playing his viola. He has performance anxiety but has been improving. He has participated in three events so far, two of them were major concerts at the Albert Hall and the Royal Concert Hall.
Area Band has had a significantly positive impact on Ramon, and this has been recognised by his school who gave an honourable mention to the NMS teachers and lauded their efforts for helping the young boy.
Alice’s Story
11-year-old Alice* was very shy and self-conscious when she first started attending Area Band, around 2 years ago.
She was very critical of herself and if she made a mistake, she would give up at once. Sometimes she would refuse to join in the rehearsals and sit at the back of the hall. Her Area Band teachers soon realised this was not because Alice wanted to be difficult – it was simply a defensive reaction because she did not like making mistakes. To counter this, a member of staff would spend extra time with Alice and talk her through new pieces, after which she started to take a more active part in the sessions.
Alice chose to play the trumpet and has improved over the course of her rehearsals, taking her grade 1 last year. Her grandmother has even bought Alice her own trumpet! She is one of the most vibrant players in the ensemble now and never misses an opportunity to play in a concert.
* Please note that the names have been changed to maintain anonymity.
The Robin Hood Youth Orchestra (RHYO) is the flagship orchestra for NMS. It is an evolving, creative ensemble that plays a range of musical styles. Participants are generally aged 11 to 19 and can play at grade 4 to diploma level. 65 young people participated in RHYO in 2017-18.
RHYO had fantastic performance opportunities this year, including a Jazz performance at the ‘Big Sleep Out’, an overnight event organised by our charity partner Framework to raise money for homeless and vulnerable people in Nottingham and surrounding areas. RHYO also performed as part of Young Hustlers at the lovely Nottingham Contemporary Museum, accompanied by the world-renowned DJ Mr. Switch and Nottingham’s very own singer/songwriter Rob Green.
5.1 Survey Analysis
We carried out an anonymous survey with members of RHYO. Surveys results show that all respondents feel they are more confident as musicians because of RHYO, while 79% of them felt they were more confident as a person. 94% felt that they are more motivated to continue music making and all of them felt their musical skills had improved. 84% of the respondents said they plan to continue making music after RHYO. 89% said they were happier because of playing in RHYO and 84% said that they felt like they “belonged” in RHYO, both indicators that playing in RHYO has a positive impact on young people’s well-being.
Conversations with RHYO highlight the social side of the youth orchestra, with many young people saying how it is a place where they can be themselves, meet their friends and make new ones. It offers a strong support network to its participants and their families.
5.2 Case Study
Eleanor, 19, plays the flute in RHYO and is the woodwind section leader. She is an excellent case study of a young person from the city who got an opportunity to join an ensemble and made steady progress over the years, getting a chance to perform at concerts and maturing as a musician to eventually become one of the young leaders of the youth orchestra.
She was inspired to join the Intermediate Orchestra (which is a stepping stone to RHYO) when she saw them perform at the Albert Hall during our Christmas Concert nearly 10 years ago. According to Eleanor’s mother, “Eleanor is a more rounded person as a result of her involvement with RHYO and Nottingham Music Service. Your enthusiasm for what you teach is infectious and continues to inspire our family with Flo and Felicity [Eleanor’s siblings] coming up through the ranks.”
Our experience of running ensembles and events in Nottingham City corroborates the evidence that already exists about the positive impact of music making on children and young people. We feel that there is a strong social dimension to these benefits.
July 2018
[1] https://musiceducationworks.wordpress.com/2017/11/24/music-training-can-improve-decision-making-focus-and-impulse-management/
[2] https://musiceducationworks.wordpress.com/2018/03/28/music-lessons-improve-childrens-cognitive-skills-and-academic-performance/