As well as music skills, the course also helps improve participants’ literacy and numeracy skills. ‘The course has helped me meet new people and I also like music quite a bit more now,’ said 16 year old Anna Watkinson, who found that it also helped to build her confidence and teach her how to work in a group environment. Sean Ostler has learnt Djing skills, and wants to turn his learning into a career. He plans to approach the Prince’s Trust for a grant to set up as a DJ.

The scheme is part of CME’s burgeoning workload, which has seen programme activity triple in the past year, and staff more than double to 25. As well as its part in the east England YMAZ (Youth Music Action Zone) Music life project, the organisation has run the Brite trash junk band, worked with the parenting organisation Homestart, planned projects on operas including Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and worked with pupils with behavioural and attendance problems through its I Can’t Play Music’ project.
FURTHER INFORMATION : Community Music East, 70 King Street, Norwich NR1 1PG Tel: 01603 628367 Fax 01603 767863
EMAIL: enquiries@​cme.​org.​uk