Hitting the right notes through the transformative power of music
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
So said legendary reggae singer, songwriter and musician Bob Marley.
Since the first hums and taps of sticks on rock for the earliest humans living in caves to the inescapable soundtracks of our lives today, music has always had the power to elevate our spirits in a beautifully intangible way.
Having launched a second branch of the PATRIZIA Foundation in the UK last year, music formed the focus of its first project in the country.
Not only can music transcend the struggles of our daily lives, but access to music and musical education can harness talent, strengthen self-confidence and positively impact the personal and academic development of children and young people.
A musical partnership with MiSST
For these reasons, supporting the Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST), which provides schools in underprivileged areas with access to music lessons for children from less educated backgrounds, made perfect sense for the PATRIZIA Foundation UK’s debut project.
MiSST not only supplies financial resources, but also provides instruments, lessons and performance opportunities. The idea behind this initiative is to use this comprehensive musical education to foster critical thinking and creativity.
“This approach fits perfectly with our mission,” comments Astrid Gabler – Chairwoman of the PATRIZIA Foundation. “Our goal is to empower children and young people. By giving them access to quality education, we want to enable them to shape their own lives.”
Carol Gillanders, Director of the PATRIZIA Foundation UK, adds: “Through regular, high-quality music lessons, students benefit from cognitive and social advantages that positively impact their lives and circumstances. That’s why we are delighted that our partnership with MiSST is our first UK project.”
More specifically, this partnership will translate into the PATRIZIA Foundation supporting the MiSST program in two schools in northern England: the Bay Leadership Academy in Morecambe and The Lowry Academy in Greater Manchester. This support includes the provision and funding of 300 new musical instruments every year for a period of three years.
A shared understanding and sense of belonging
But, ultimately, the best judges of its success are the children and young people who benefit from the programme.
“Music made me feel like I belonged”, “music improved my teamwork and multitasking skills, which helped me excel in core subjects” and “playing the viola inspired me to create my own music and become more creative” are just three snapshots of the appreciation by beneficiaries of MiSST.
Further still, ask Kerry Ballantyne. She participated in the MiSST programme for six years and had previously struggled significantly with dyslexia. “I felt stupid and behind everyone else, but music gave me the chance to do something I loved and excelled at,” she reflects. “Being part of MiSST for the past six years has been fantastic and is the reason why I’ve done so well academically.”
With this project, the PATRIZIA Foundation continues to make a strong statement for equal opportunities and education, through the lens of music and its universal language, which can transform lives.