Shirebrook students turn to music to help with lockdown as demand for lessons rises

Twice the number of students than normal have taken up learning instruments at a Derbyshire school this year as they turn to music to boost their mental health during the coronavirus lockdown.
Twice the number of students than normal have taken up learning instruments.Twice the number of students than normal have taken up learning instruments.
Twice the number of students than normal have taken up learning instruments.

Shirebrook Academy has seen a significant increase in the number of year seven pupils wanting to learn a musical instrument this year, with 50 new starters boosting the total number of students taking lessons this year to 80, with plenty more on the waiting list.

The uptake is in defiance of national trends, with a study from the British Phonograph Industry last year reporting a 21 per cent decrease in music lesson availability in state schools over the previous five years and the Cultural Learning Alliance showing that there has been a 35 per cent decline in pupils choosing arts subjects at GCSE since 2010.

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However, Adam Case, head of arts at Shirebrook Academy, said that the combination of being in lockdown and seeing music being performed on online platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, as well as TV, has led to a renaissance and inspired students to learn how to play an instrument themselves.

And he says that for many students, being able to learn and play music may well be a way for them to maintain a healthy outlook during lockdown.

He said: “Music has always been a big part of Shirebrook and we recognise that now, more than ever, young people need the creative arts, so the fact that the number of students who have asked to learn an instrument has doubled is really welcome.

“Learning an instrument is an excellent way to support wellbeing and mental health, as well as offering students the means to process the complex emotions that they may be experiencing as a result of coronavirus.”

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He added that while guitar has proven to be the most popular, there has been a huge uptake in woodwind and violin – with the school’s peripatetic music teachers now working at maximum capacity and boasting an ever-growing waiting list.

Mr Case said: “It is really promising to think that there’s a new generation of potential musicians and artists who are beginning to emerge.”