SBBA members air their concerns over Midlothian’s proposed cuts to instrumental music tuition in schools

Prominent members of the Scottish Brass Band Association have added their voices to the crescendo of protest at proposals by the Midlothian Council to cut instrumental music tuition in schools in a bid to save money in its annual budget.

The council, based just south of Edinburgh, has announced it plans to cut its instrumental music service by 60 per cent, reducing its funding by £444,000 from 2023/24 to combat a £14.481 million budget deficit.

Included in the money-saving options is a proposal to slim down the instrumental music programme from 12.4 full-time members of staff to 3.8. The plans, which also include cutting other teaching jobs, the closure of school libraries and axing of community librarians and school crossing patrols, have now been put out for public consultation.

“Not only would this seriously affect students' chances of gaining qualifications in music – as instruction would only be offered to Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) pupils at High School – but it also contradicts the manifesto pledge given by the Scottish Government at the last Holyrood election,” explained Alan Fernie, musician, educator and conductor, best known as one of the UK's leading arrangers and composers of brass band music.

Alan, himself a Midlothian instrumental music teacher, added: “There are, quite naturally, not only fears for the jobs of the dedicated staff, who are still recovering from similarly controversial proposals only four years ago, but also for the long-term future of music education in the region.”

It took a concerted effort by parents and pupils, including a musical flash mob protest which brought the traffic outside council HQ in Dalkeith to a standstill, which overturned those council plans four years ago. Now Alan is hoping for a similar reaction to the plans by music campaigners.

Carrie Boax, president of the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA), has been similarly outraged by an ostensible change from the pledge that instrumental music tuition in schools would be free of charge that was hard won from the Scottish Government after a national campaign.

“Music education isn’t just about learning to play an instrument and reading dots on a page,” she said. “It teaches children life skills like discipline, confidence, self-assurance, competitiveness, application, teamwork and inter-personal relationships, among other things, and so the sooner that this type of tuition can start in schools the better the long-term advantages.”

She continued: “In Scotland, we have an established pyramid of learning for brass, pipes, orchestral and choral tuition which is strengthened by the relevant music organisations right up to the peak of excellence. But, at the base, there needs to be a strong foundation for this system to work – take that away and Scotland will become much the poorer as a musical nation.

“In brass banding, we have our outstanding National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) within which the senior band has achieved a skill level to compete at European championships every year. If music education isn’t free to all, irrespective of ability to pay, then the fabric of our musical heritage will be seriously weakened.”

NYBBS at last year's European Championships

Last October, the Scottish Government repeated its commitment to funding the removal of fees for music tuition, so that income would not be a barrier to taking up instrumental music tuition. It stressed “there should be no hidden costs associated with the provision of instrumental music tuition in schools under the management of local authorities”.

And it added it was aiming to create a “professionally-recognised national music teaching force, and will ensure Scotland’s school-based instrumental music teachers receive General Teaching Council for Scotland registration and regulation”.

Ralph Riddiough, leading advocate for free instrumental music tuition in schools, was delighted when the Scottish Government confirmed that all fees for being taught a musical instrument at school would be removed just 18 months ago.

Solicitor Ralph, who is solo trombonist with Kilmarnock Concert Brass, said: “The goals of the Scottish Government are stated clearly. They are good goals, well conceived, with some depth of thinking. Councils, on the other hand, seem incapable of any depth of thinking whatsoever.

“Midlothian is seeking to use the funding it got to plug the hole in its budget left by the abolition of fees to run the whole service. This is a misuse of funds.”

He went on: “I am disgusted by such a cynical, provocative move which would see only those pupils sitting SQA music examinations receiving music tuition. Running the music service in this way would choke off those receiving tuition in primary schools and in early secondary. Effectively, over time, the service would die.

“The proposed cuts are a disgrace.”

Opposition to the proposals has already started to mobilise. Young brass banders were among parents, pupils, teachers and musicians who were present outside council offices last Tuesday morning while councillors were meeting inside, in the hope their protests could result in the most extreme plans being revised or cancelled.

You can see the young instrumentalists making their musical protest here.

John Wallace, leader of the world-renowned The Wallace Collection brass ensemble, convenor of the Music Education Partnership Group and patron of SBBA, has described the Midlothian Council proposals as “absolutely ludicrous”.

He remarked: “The question arises as to how kids will get good enough to take their SQA exams in the future if they don’t have anything before this age, so it seems totally absurd to me.

“We know everyone is cash strapped at the moment, but they must be joking with these plans.”

A Midlothian Council spokesman said: “As a result of an agreement with the Scottish Government, there are no charging fees for children learning a musical instrument and this would remain the case. Instead, we would operate the instrumental music service within the £206,000 funding provided by the government. Priority would be given to those studying for music qualifications in secondary schools. The proposed saving of £444,000 is what we spend over and above the government funding and that would come largely from staffing costs.”

If you oppose the proposed cuts, you should email the Midlothian councillors or you can have your say by completing this questionnaire.