Madam,

I write in response to Cllr Catrin Miles’ letter regarding the Ceredigion Music Service (‘Music Service will still be highest funded in Wales’, 18 April).

Whether or not the Ceredigion Music Service is the ‘highest funded in Wales’ is neither here or there. I have already applauded Ceredigion County Council for its continuation of a music service where other authorities have not.

It is easy to say Ceredigion’s is the ‘highest funded’ in comparison to authorities that have nothing resembling a music service! I would be interested to see the figures that Ceredigion are using as I know that other authorities fund in different ways, or not at all.

Secondly, Cllr Miles calls the music service an ‘extracurricular service’ to try to trivialise and demean it. I was never aware in 27 years with the service that I was only providing an ‘extracurricular’ activity.

In primary schools, where children get their first opportunity for lessons, a far higher percentage of children learn an instrument or have specialist tuition from a music service teacher. Of course, they may only play for one, two or three years but this tuition is giving them music skills and other transferable skills benefiting them in so many ways.

To say only 14 per cent of children benefit is a misleading use of statistics.

Music teachers in our comprehensive schools do not see the Music Service as ‘extra-curricular’. I think if they were able to speak out, they would say the peripatetic staff are an essential part of delivering GCSE and AS and A-level music. A high percentage of marks (40 per cent) is based on a pupil’s performance as a soloist and part of an ensemble. Who do you think prepares this? Not the classroom teacher.

I have seen charges to pupils in schools increase and, where children are passionate and parents do fund extra private tuition, many now opt out of paying in school as it becomes more and more expensive. This also skews the figures!

I wonder what the actual percentage is of children who benefit or have benefitted from Music Service tuition? I am not going to try to guess but it is certainly a lot more than 14 per cent.

Please reconsider such a hefty cut to our Music Service as it will be to the detriment of our young people in Ceredigion.

Yours etc, Isobelle McGuinness formerly Head of Strings and Assistant Music Service Manager for Ceredigion, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth.

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