The Highland Council has proposed making severe cuts to funding of Instrumental Tuition in schools from financial year 2011/12 onwards.

The level of proposed cuts would deny Highland of a comprehensive tuition system which promotes access and excellence, for ever. It would not only mean removing the only source of tuition for many who wish to pursue music as a career, but would also mean that many young people would not be able to experience the sense of achievement and satisfaction gained from learning musical skills. The Regional Music Groups (all eight of them) and Area Music Groups would be severely restricted in the experiences they can give talented young musicians (www.highland-young-musicians.com) which would mean a sad loss to the whole area, once again denying access to musical training of the highest calibre and an important social contact network.
This proposal goes against every aspect of Curriculum for Excellence and we urge The Highland Council to reconsider this option and invest in the area's talent and abilities rather than denying all our young people a vital opportunity to develop lifelong skills.

Music tuition and region-wide music support is at the very foundation of the Highland Young Musicians activities, their exceptional performances and the rounded education our young people experience from participating in all of the above Music Groups that presently support some 350 pupils across the region as a whole.  It includes the professional music Instructors in all tuition genres and the infrastructure that supports them and the 2500-3000 young people who receive weekly tuition in our schools.

The Committee of the Friends of Highland Young Musicians is concerned that such a budget cut would have a devastating and terminal impact on the future of Highland Regional Music Groups, their professional tutors and the infrastructure which underpins the sterling work taking place in music teaching within our formal education structure and which percolates into all communities across Highland.

We urge Elected members to support the proposals submitted by Council Officers and Instrumental Instructors in the knowledge that a large body of public support for this service exists.