Warwickshire News Mine

Warwickshire County Council’s Music Service has gained the Diploma of Merit, from the National Music Council, in recognition of its major achievements in music education across all areas in the County. Dame Cleo Laine formally presented the award at a glittering ceremony in London.

Warwickshire has entered for this award only once before, when it was awarded the Major Trophy for the "Most Successful Music Service in Great Britain." Judges from the National Music Council, set up to celebrate and promote the value and enjoyment of music, have again recognised the contributions of staff from the County Music Service in a wide range of musical activity. 

The County Music Service (CMS) has been especially successful in increasing the numbers of children it benefits through its universal Widening Opportunities programmes, which allow all the county’s children to have the experience of learning a musical instrument! A recent reorganisation has also allowed many more children in each area across the county to have equal access to expert music tuition and to playing and singing music performance groups of high quality.

Warwickshire Music Service provides lessons on a wide range of instruments, including brass, guitar, keyboard, percussion, string, voice and woodwind. It also provides regular classroom support and a wide range of additional opportunities supporting music in schools and the community, including music workshops, area bands, choirs and orchestras.

“We strive to benefit as many young people as possible through our wide range of provision and excellent teaching”, says Garry Jones, Director of the County Music Service. “We also teach over 40 steel pan groups, a network of rock and pop groups, and we are very proud of our music therapy and special needs team.”

“This is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of The Music Service teachers. They provide the highest quality education to children of all ages and abilities. The support we get from our schools is outstanding and it is our aim to further improve access to all our young people through increasing provision at a local level”.

At county level, staff also direct a variety of orchestras, bands and choirs, including the Warwickshire Youth Orchestra, Wind Orchestra and Youth Jazz Orchestra, Youth Chorale, County Rock Group, County Steel Pan Group, and Youth Waits.
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For more information please contact Rebecca Davidson at the Warwickshire County Council press office on 01926 414142.

Link to WCC