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Dartford Musical School
FREE MUSIC TUITION FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS
By Dartford Music School
Sir Mick Jagger and the Dartford Music School have been providing local primary schools with free class music tuition to aid the students’ recovery from the latest lockdowns.
The Red Rooster project is generously funded by Sir Mick Jagger and normally runs concurrently in local primary schools and at the Mick Jagger Centre. For the past several years, primary school students from around Dartford have gathered every Tuesday afternoon at the MJC to receive two hours of music tuition, including learning an instrument, singing and drumming. This hugely popular project even managed to carry on online through the lockdowns and subsequent temporary closures of the MJC.
The tutors are full of enthusiasm and energy and the centre buzzes with excitement during these sessions. One Red Rooster parent writes, “My child enjoys the challenge of learning the ukulele, it’s a bit like learning a new language! The teacher is good and he really enjoys the lessons.”
The Red Rooster sessions in the MJC are supported by outreach work which is heavily subsidised. Our Red Rooster teachers visit several primary schools every week to deliver whole class instrumental provision to groups of children in years 3 to 6. Many of these children also attend the MJC sessions and go on to continue learning their instrument to a high standard.
DartfordMusicSchool
Patron: Sir Mick Jagger themickjaggercentre
Red Rooster Enrichment
It has been scientifically proven that music and singing aid mental health and emotional wellbeing. Dartford Music School are proud that thanks to the generous funding from Sir Mick Jagger they have been able to DartfordMusicSchool Patron: Sir Mick Jagger offer a free Enrichment Package to themickjaggercentre a number of local primary schools to contribute to the wellbeing of the students at a time when many schools are struggling to catch up with lost learning from the national lockdowns. Children in Reception and Key Stage 2 are receiving free weekly music lessons delivered by
specialist music teachers on sets of instruments fully funded by the Red Rooster project. These sessions are a welcome break from academic lessons for both students and their teachers, who are under considerable pressure to ensure children’s academic progress has not suffered in the past 18 months.
Headteacher of Wentworth Primary, Paul Langridge, “We greatly appreciate the support of the Red Rooster outreach team in providing first class music tuition for our children. Across the school we have our Foundation Stage children learning percussion, our year 4 children playing the violin and year 6 doing their best George Formby impressions while learning the ukulele. That’s 270 children developing their musical interest and talent through the expertise of the Red Rooster project. These children are being given quality teaching that motivates them to become top musicians of the future.”
This Enrichment Package has also been running in the following primary schools: Gateway, Stone St. Mary’s and Sutton at Hone. Red Rooster will be offering this free package from September to a new set of schools. Please contact us now to apply!
Individual Music Lessons
Dartford Music School has been running fairly under the radar for many years, serving children and adults in the community to enhance their love of music. Based at the Mick Jagger Centre at Dartford Grammar School, the music school offers 1-1 Instrumental lessons to DGS pupils during the school day and is open to the public in the evenings providing high quality music tuition in many instruments including singing.
Throughout both lockdowns, Dartford Music School has continued to offer music lessons, smoothly transitioning between on site and online as necessary. Dartford Music School Manager, Gina Streeks, is passionate about music education and the importance of enabling access for all. “The loyalty and support from the community has been amazing, we feel privileged to have been able to continue our services by adapting to an online provision but it has been so exciting to see everyone in person and fill the MJC with music again since reopening in June. We want to thank everyone for bearing with us through this difficult time and hope that continuing with music has brought some enjoyment to you and your children.”
Future projects include: Red Rooster Summer School on 29th and 30th July. Follow us on social media for more details!
Dartford Children’s Choir hopes to start in September on Wednesday evenings. Ages 6-8 at 4pm and ages 9-11 at 5pm at the MJC.
Dartford Music School and the Red Rooster project are accepting applications both from individuals and schools who are interested in being involved or applying for lessons.
Contact: dartfordmusicschool@themickjaggercentre. com for any enquiries. See our website for more details http://www.themickjaggercentre.com/ dartford-music-school.html Follow us on Instagram @dartfordmusicschool, Twitter @Dartford_Music
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