5. To improve the support structures for young people making music
Music thrives on the great variety of its formal and informal provision, both within and outside school hours.
We know that many young people receive instrumental and vocal lessons through their LEA Music Services.
Many more are taking private lessons outside of school, making music in youth and community settings, forming 'garage' bands, and writing and playing music in their bedrooms and on their home PCs.
The challenge is to bring all these activities together in a way that makes sense to young musicians and music leaders. This requires a stable infrastructure that is sufficiently coherent to be understood by providers and young musicians, yet broad and flexible enough to cater for all ambitions and tastes.
- We will find out more about all types of young people's music-making - who is doing what and where, and what support they need - so that support structures can be designed to serve their needs better
- We will examine existing support structures and identify areas where further development is required
- We will encourage support structures to work more closely together in developing existing information resources and providing joint professional development activities
- We will work with private, independent and voluntary sector organisations to ensure that their contribution to music education is recognised and utilised to the full
- We will build cross-sector support for the Music Manifesto by pledging specific activities linked to the five priority areas