Gifted musicians to benefit from UK’s first BA Community Music programme

Jun 9 2009 by Nicola Juncar, The Journal

GIFTED musicians in our region will be nurtured thanks to a pioneering programme.

The Sage Gateshead, Gateshead College and Sunderland University have joined forces to create the first musical degree programme of its kind in the UK. Not only does the course hope to help musicians hone their skills, it could also improve how music is taught in schools and community venues.

The innovative BA Community Music programme is aimed at anyone who is musically gifted, from school leavers to professional musicians, who want to put their talents into teaching others.

This includes those who want a career in youth work carried out in community centres and those who want to teach in schools. The announcement of the collaborative project comes just days after Wallsend-born rock star Sting, who is a former teacher, made a plea for school music lessons to be improved.

General director of The Sage, Anthony Sargent, said: “Partnerships have always been at the very centre of our working approach, but this enormously exciting new relationship with Gateshead College and Sunderland University is opening up opportunities none of us could have realised on our own, which have now born fruit in Britain’s very first degree programme in Community Music.

“We’ve seen a huge growth in the energy and quality of the region’s community music scene through this decade. Working closely with our Gateshead and Sunderland partners we believe that, between us, we’ve created an excitingly distinctive route for young musicians to develop their skills in this richly rewarding field.”

Richard Thorold, principal of Gateshead College, said: “Our region has an excellent reputation for creativity and this degree is a great way for even more people to get involved and develop their talent. The new degree has also allowed us to further strengthen our partnership with The Sage Gateshead and Sunderland University and demonstrates that by working together we’re able to offer unique and exciting opportunities.”

The course is open to a diverse range of musicians across all genres of music, from jazz, popular and world to folk and classical.

Steve Cram, Chancellor of Sunderland University, added: “This unique degree programme is a fantastic opportunity for people who want to use their skills to help inspire and release the potential of those in communities that, for one reason or another, may not otherwise get the chance to engage with music.”