Schools turn the volume down on classical music, allowing contemporary musicians to be heard

t has long been known that music has a restorative power, being able to soothe and relax. As the popular phrase goes: `Music has charms to soothe a savage breast,` many seek out sweet and concordant harmonies to provide a soothing sanctuary in our chaotic, noisy world. So addicted are we to its dulcet tones, that as a species we seem to have become permanently attached to our earphones, needing music at all times, even while on the move. It can sometimes even feel that we are becoming afraid of the absence of music, of silence itself, as evidenced by the soft muzak that often fills the spaces of restaurants and other communal areas.

A new study has just revealed that changing the way music is taught in schools could have a dramatic and positive effect on struggling students. A four-year project, called Exchanging Notes, monitored the attendance grades of students across the UK. Traditionally classical music is taught to students, but for the study, which involved 974 pupils aged between 11 and 15, grime, electronic and hip hop music were taught instead of the European composers from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The results of the study have apparently been extremely positive: pupils who were missing many classes, and were at high risk of being imminently expelled exhibited increased academic performance, and attendance records increased to 95% by the end of the course. Other pupils who had already been excluded were said to have been drawn back to classes, participating in the music lessons which now featured contemporary musicians.

Instead of Mozart and Beethoven, pupils studied artists like Stormzy, and were also taught about the industry itself, learning about recording, mixing, and the business side of music production. They were encouraged to get involved in local music making groups, participating in live music gigs, and often sharing their experiences with pupils from nearby schools.

An organisation called Drum Works was heavily involved in the project – they are a London based group, comprising of a number of professional musicians, who work with 500 young people each week in 7 London schools. They lead regular music sessions, which are designed to engender `confidence, creativity, social skills, concentration, individuality and group work.`

`Drum Works uses drumming as a tool to inspire creativity, build social cohesion and empower young people to direct their own futures`

Of the nearly one thousand pupils who took part in the study, 163 had their attendance and grades monitored over the four-year project, with results suggesting that the project had a positive impact.

Kori Dolby, a 17 year old pupil from Cheshire, explained how he found the study extremely uplifting:

`It has changed my life forever - it all clicked and I wanted to succeed`

`School life wasn`t as great as I wanted it to be. I was happy until year nine, when a lot of things went downhill. I had complications at home and started struggling a bit at school.`

`The first moment I laid my hands on a keyboard - that`s when it clicked. I wanted to succeed,`

`It`s not only about making music, it`s about connecting with people, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing something great.`

The British Recorded Music Industry (BPI) revealed earlier this year that music provision in state schools had fallen by 21% over the past five years - a huge decline, especially when the availability of music education rose by 7% in private schools over the same time period.

Youth Music, a charity whose aim is to assist under 25`s develop socially and personally, as well as musically, has voiced concerns about the lack of music education in mainstream schools, calling for an `urgent` change, and for music to be a more prominent part of students` education, whichever school they attend.

In a study involving more than 2000 teachers across the United Kingdom, the BPI found that, in deprived areas, only 12% of schools are in possession of their own orchestra. Geoff Taylor, chief executive of BPI, has lamented over the stark division between independent and state schools, saying that he is `profoundly concerned` over the growing divide, adding that:

`This inequality is not just deeply unfair to children in the state sector, it risks depriving our culture of future talents as diverse as Adele, Stormzy and Sheku Kanneh-Mason,`