An Instrument for Every Child
Children playing music / Photo: "An Instrument for Every Child" Foundation
When it comes to musical education, the earlier the start, the better the results. Consequently, from 2010, all children in the first year of primary school in the Ruhr region will have the opportunity to learn the musical instrument of their choice. What's more, during the cultural capital year, the young musicians will be able to show off their skills to the entire Ruhr Metropolis in a series of more than 50 concerts.
Entitled "An Instrument for Every Child", the project will offer the children a playful introduction to the key elements of music such as beating time, rhythm and reading music. In addition to conventional instruments like the violin and recorder, they will learn about the trombone, French horn, mandolin and the baglama from Turkey. They will be encouraged to explore the formal principles of music and learn one of the instruments themselves. From the second year of primary school, the children will be loaned the instrument of their choice to enable them to take lessons and practice at home.
"An Instrument for Every Child" was set up in Bochum in 2003 as a municipal initiative. During the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010, it will be extended throughout the entire Ruhr Metropolis and, after 2010, to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as a whole. In the future, it is intended that all 175,000 schoolchildren at 900 primary schools will be involved in the project. Almost 40 local music schools will provide assistance to the participating primary schools. The project patron is Horst Köhler, President of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Organising body: "An Instrument for Every Child" Foundation
Initiators: Federal Cultural Foundation, the Minister-President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Zukunftsstiftung Bildung in der GLS Treuhand e.V.
All Year:
Ruhr Metropolis (over 50 concerts)
You can find further information at:
An Instrument for Every Child
(and in many other languages)