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Highland music pupils hit the high notes in record numbers

Highland Young Musicians at a concert in 2018. High Life Highland has been providing music education since 2017.

The High Life Highland music programme is bringing the joy of music to over 4,000 pupils, the most in its history.

The Covid-19 lockdowns put a temporary damper on music lessons. For months, in-person classes and sharing equipment were heavily restricted or at a dead-stop.

But with the end of the lockdown interlude came a renewed interest in music education. The excitement of a return to normality helped. But so did the Scottish Government’s decision to extend free music tuition to all pupils.

4,000 budding musicians and counting

High Life Highland’s music programme reached the 4,000-pupil mark this week when Cromarty Primary P6 Joni Munro registered for violin lessons with instructor Jan Anderson.

Joni Munro, a Cromarty Primary P6 and the 4,000th music pupil with High Life Highland, shows off her new violin.
Joni Munro, a P6 at Cromarty Primary, became the 4,000th music pupil with High Life Highland. Supplied by High Life Highland

The 10-year-old of Townlands Park said: “I was shocked when my head teacher told me that I was the 4000th person. I’ve wanted to play the violin since my dad bought me a pretty pink violin when I was little.

“I’m really looking forward to my lessons. I enjoy listening to Scottish Folk Music and I hope to be able to play that genre of music soon.”

Keep the tunes coming

Now, it’s even easier for pupils like Joni to pursue an interest in music. This summer, the Scottish Government’s recent decision to make music tuition free to most pupils.

Now, a new generation of Highlanders is answering the call to pick up an instrument of their own. And High Life’s head of music development, Norman Bolton, said that lessons are more accessible than ever.

“Now that instructors can once again recruit pupils, and the announcement from Scottish Government that music tuition fees no longer apply, I’m delighted to say we’ve now exceeded 4,000 pupils.

“These numbers are very much due to the flexibility of our instructors, adopting a blend of in-person and online tuition.

High Life Highland music students from Miller Academy in Thurso are shown with their new guitars in hand.
The budding guitarists at Miller Academy Primary in Thurso are starting lessons with instructor Andy Macleod. Supplied by High Life Highland

“We’ve made many changes to what we do and how we do it over the past couple of years and are all looking forward to exciting times ahead and some more wonderful music making in Highland schools and communities.”

“With these blended strategies we can reach some of our more remote schools for the first time.”

Is High Life Highland training the next award-winning musician?

There’s a rich history of music in the Highlands. It may even be that one of the many pupils learning with High Life Highland is en route to stardom. If so, they would be following in the footsteps of another north east star, Jenna Stewart.

Jenna recently won the title of BBC Young Composer of the Year, just a few weeks after leaving St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen.

 Jenna Stewart, an Aberdeen musician who recently won BBC Young Composer of the year, playing guitar.
Jenna Stewart, Aberdeen musician who recently won BBC Young Composer of the year. Supplied by Spey PR

She listed the natural beauty and rich culture of the Highlands among her inspirations.

And with 49 music instructors working to teach in even the more remote Highland schools, it’s no stretch to imagine there are plenty of potential stars in the current crop of Highland musicians.

Read more from the Schools and Family team

Top north-east music stars beat the drum to welcome free tuition

Free music tuition: What you need to know and how to get it

Young Composer of the Year: Aberdeen’s Jenna is triumphant