Send a letter to your MP
The ISM has prepared a new letter you can send to your MP to help campaign specifically for the Music Grant, an £86 million fund for local authorities to spend on music education in their area. If it is cut or has its ring-fencing removed, this could seriously harm music and other music services. With this in mind, and a desire from members to be involved in campaigning on behalf of music and musicians, we have prepared another draft letter which you can send to your MP.
The draft letter is set out below, and to find out how to contact your local MP, you can visit the website http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/ and enter your postcode.
Should you receive a response from your MP, please forward it to the Public Affairs and Policy Officer Henry Vann at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
DRAFT LETTER
[NAME MP]
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
[DATE]
Dear [NAME],
Supporting your local music service
Young people’s music making in the UK is world class and [NAME OF MUSIC SERVICE] is crucial in delivering music education in [NAME OF CONSITUENCY].
Music education is key to improving standards in [NAME OF CONSTITUENCY] and there is research showing that music improves student attainment in English and maths[1]. As a specific example, research has shown that students who study music can remember 17% more verbal information than those without musical training. It also improves social skills and is key in promoting diversity and inclusivity.
Music education, primarily provided by music services, has always focussed on excellence, and progression. They are front line services and operate with very low administrative costs. Schemes such as Wider Opportunities which have been delivered by music services ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, something which is backed by 91% of the public according to polling conducted by YouGov and the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM).
Music services are not just crucial in promoting academic attainment in our schools and providing excellent value for money. They also help generate economic growth and private enterprise. Ten per cent of the UK’s GDP is derived from the creative sector and this was the only sector to grow during the recession apart from the public sector.
Please can you commit to supporting your music service and for it to continue to receive government ring-fenced funding to 2015? Without this funding – the ‘music grant’ – there is a real possibility that music services will not survive.
Music services make a great impact with very little central government funding and I would very much like to hear from you as to whether you support their critical work.
Yours sincerely,
[1] The power of music: its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people, Susan Hallam, 10 September 2009
END OF DRAFT LETTER
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