Create Music will offer music education across East Sussex

It brings together the educational services of Brighton & Hove Music & Arts (BHMA) and East Sussex Music (ESM) and will offer music tuition to more people across the south-east region.

As one of the largest providers of music education in the UK, Create Music reaches over 18,500 children and young people across 262 participating schools and music centres, spanning from Hove to Hastings.

The service is managed by Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, as part of their remit to “remove barriers to cultural experiences across age, ability and communities.”

The service has recently expanded its offer to online courses for adults from beginners to advanced level.

Chairman of Create Music and director of De La Warr Pavilion, Stewart Drew said: “We’re really excited to be launching Create Music as the new name for the music services in the south-east region with a fantastic new website. Create Music aims to offer easy access to music making across more communities, from school pupils to older learners. The benefits of singing, learning an instrument and playing together is immeasurable and we’ve seen how it can improve people’s lives for the better.

“Research from the University of Sussex School of Psychology found that music education can have a profoundly positive impact on young people’s wellbeing, mental health and social skills, particularly those who are marginalised, at risk, or in need of support. It concluded that making music, writing lyrics and developing personal music tastes allows young people to explore and express their emotions and discover their identity, empowering individuals and giving them a community in which they can thrive.”

Andrew Comben, chief executive, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, added: “Whether someone is picking up an instrument for the first time, or studying at a professional level, we want to inspire everyone to enjoy and take part in making music.”

Both services have a long history in teaching music and have an impressive list of alumni who have forged successful professional careers, including Grammy nominated composer John Powell, known for his work on films such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon and percussionist Rosie Bergonzi who has performed with Neneh Cherry and Chineke! Orchestra.

Rosie said: “I joined the music service aged 15, after stumbling into the world of classical music at the back of my school orchestra. I was exposed to so many different forms of music, things that still feed into my playing and teaching today and I was given opportunities that stretched me and enabled me to shine. My family weren’t well off, but the bursaries meant that I could follow my passion to learn and grow. I’m so grateful to the music service and the way it broadened my horizons. It helped me to realise music making could be my life.”

Create Music services are in participating schools, music centres and online. Tuition fees aim to be affordable, with funding available for families who may need support.

Full details can be found at createmusic.org.uk.