Music service

The Music Service provides instrumental and vocal tuition in schools. The service aims to provide every school child with the opportunity to participate in music and to inspire a lifelong love of music.

A team of experienced, specialist teachers offers guitar, woodwind, strings and brass tuition from year 5, plus drumkit, percussion and singing from year 7. From the very beginning all students are taught to read music and to play with the correct technique. Pupils progress from the initial Red and Blue Badge awards to more formally assessed graded examinations, grades 1 – 8 via the Department’s own exam system grades 1-4 and higher graded externally assessed exams through the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) or Trinity College London. Visiting examiners come to the Island 3 times a year and the exams are held at the Music Centre.

As students progress they may join one or more of the centrally run groups which take place on Saturday mornings:

• Junior and Senior String Orchestras
• Junior Band and Concert Band
• The Manx Youth Training Orchestra
• The Manx Youth Wind Orchestra
• The Manx Youth Guitar Ensemble
• The Manx Youth Jazz Orchestra
• The Manx Youth Orchestra
• The Manx Children’s Choir – which rehearses on Thursday evenings

All groups give public concerts throughout the year and senior groups tour to the UK or further afield. Once a term the Music Service also holds a Young Music Forum concert whereby players of any standard from grade 1 may perform in an informal setting to families and friends. Young musicians also may take part in the many musical ensembles and performing opportunities offered in their own schools.

Every two years the Music Service runs a longer term primary schools’ singing project, Children in Song in partnership with the Douglas Buxton Music Trust and this culminates in the performance of a larger scale work in the Villa Marina. Also every two years the Manx Youth Orchestra gives 2 concerts of music suitable for primary school pupils so they may experience the thrill of live music, also in the Villa Marina.

For further details of the Music Service please email or call us.