Services we offer

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What's New?

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Instrumental Tuition

The Hertfordshire Music Service provides over 4,800 hours of vocal and instrumental teaching in schools to over 24,000 pupils per week. We teach all instruments including folk, rock and ethnic music. Singing teaching takes place mainly in secondary schools and covers a wide range of styles. We offer a Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme for pupils having lessons with the County Music Service. Find out more...

Music Centres

There is a network of Music Centres across the County which offers individual instrumental teaching as well as a wide range of ensemble activities for students of all levels and abilities from pre school music to Youth Orchestras and Choirs. There is a progressive structure of activities in each music centre which complement the music making that goes on in schools. All the music centres run Music Making days for young players to come together to experience ensemble playing for perhaps the first time. All the Music Centre ensembles give regular concerts and for some groups there is the opportunity to tour and/or make recordings.

Music-making also reaches out to other arts: dance and drama are promoted in the Music Centres and our regular gala concerts involve thousands of children in collaborative arts presentations. Find out more...

County Activities

For the most advanced players and singers in the County, there are a range of activities which take place either at weekends or during school holidays. The County Youth Orchestra is regarded as one of the finest in the country. Other ensembles include the County Youth Wind Orchestra, Schools' Symphony Orchestra, County Youth Brass, County Choir, Jazz Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble and Recorder Ensemble.

These groups give concerts within Hertfordshire. They have also performed at London's major concert halls, across the UK and abroad, with several of them having recorded CDs. All these groups have the opportunity to work with our Music Service staff alongside distinguished visiting musicians. Find out more...

Fees

There are charges for tuition, both in schools and Music Centres. The Music Service maximises funds from the County Council to ensure that savings are passed on to schools and parents. There is a Remission of Fees scheme for families on low incomes, subject to the availability of tuition.

From time to time free tuition is provided on certain minority instruments, double bass and bassoon, for example. Music Centres provide details of these special schemes. The service always endeavours to provide a service that meets the needs of pupils, parents and schools. Please do not hesitate to contact your area music centre if you have any concerns about provision.

Music and the Arts

As part of the Local Authority's strategy for Arts integration, the Music Service is developing links with other arts wherever possible. It promotes theatre in education, including the SNAP theatre company and the Hertfordshire Teachers' Association. The Arts in Education Co-ordinator is based at Wheathampstead and provides details of arts projects and initiatives. If you wish to have a professional artist in your school, or find out about arts, please contact the Co-ordinator for Arts in Education on 01582 830293