Sixteen music students were presented with a special letter of reference at an event celebrating the involvement of the Department of Music in Nottingham’s ground-breaking In Harmony programme.
The event, which was held at Lakeside Arts Centre’s Angear Visitors Centre, featured performances by children from Mellers Primary School, speeches from Councillor David Mellen and Nottingham Music Hub director Ian Burton, and reflections from two of the student mentors on their experience with the scheme. Ian Burton and In Harmony Project Manager Lesley Lyon warmly commended the student mentors, who have assisted delivery of the project in four primary schools in Nottingham. Dr Nanette Nielsen, who has coordinated the project for the Department of Music, emphasised the value of the project for the students’ future careers, and the connections of the project to the Department’s teaching and research. Each student mentor was awarded a special letter of reference on behalf of Nottingham City Council by Councillor Mellen. The event was also attended by Paul Roberts OBE, representatives of the Arts Council and Sinfonia Viva, and headteachers from the participating schools.
In Harmony is an innovative music education programme modelled on the Venezuelan El Sistema. It aims to raise the expectations and improve the life chances of children from disadvantaged communities through intensive exposure to ensemble music-making. Funded by the Arts Council and the Department for Education, it is currently running in six English cities. The Nottingham In Harmony programme is the only one to involve student mentors from the local university.
Posted on Monday 13th May 2013