The FMCjuniors ‘project’ was conceived in the autumn of 2016 and launched in February 2017 by Amy and Jo, two talented music educators who are members of Furness Music Centre.
Over the past ten years, music education and particularly the learning of classical instruments, has been sidelined in primary schools across the nation as a result of the pressure to succeed in the ‘core’ curriculum subjects. This is despite there being a wealth of evidence demonstrating that the learning of a musical instrument benefits a child’s education broadly, increasing their general levels of concentration and their ability to work with others. Children who learn instruments do better in SATs tests and national examinations than average.
FMCjuniors, working with local primary schools, seeks to reverse this trend and enable primary-age children to learn one of three instruments – flute, violin and clarinet, and also to experience playing in a junior orchestra and learn general musicianship – all in a fun way.
FMCjuniors seeks to remove as many barriers as possible that prevent children learning an instrument. These barriers apply to both children and parents:
Over the past ten years, music education and particularly the learning of classical instruments, has been sidelined in primary schools across the nation as a result of the pressure to succeed in the ‘core’ curriculum subjects. This is despite there being a wealth of evidence demonstrating that the learning of a musical instrument benefits a child’s education broadly, increasing their general levels of concentration and their ability to work with others. Children who learn instruments do better in SATs tests and national examinations than average.
FMCjuniors, working with local primary schools, seeks to reverse this trend and enable primary-age children to learn one of three instruments – flute, violin and clarinet, and also to experience playing in a junior orchestra and learn general musicianship – all in a fun way.
FMCjuniors seeks to remove as many barriers as possible that prevent children learning an instrument. These barriers apply to both children and parents:
- The cost of tuition
- The accessibility of lessons and a progression route to other forms of music-making
- The cost of buying an instrument before your son or daughter has started lessons
