Newlands School receive musical instruments

An accordion donated to Newlands School in Middleton

Newlands School in Middleton has received a number of instruments after benefiting from a nationwide instrument amnesty.

The school received an accordion, three trumpets and some tambourines donated by the public as part of the music amnesty. 

The instrument amnesty coincided with a two-part Channel 4 series – Don’t Stop The Music – last year, which followed internationally-renowned classical pianist James Rhodes visit to a primary school in Basildon, investigating the issue, gathering allies and gearing up to go nationwide.

After receiving the instruments before Christmas, the children at Newlands School got the chance to briefly explore them in assembly before they were put in the entrance hall so children could see and access them more easily.

The school then set an ‘accordion challenge’ to see who could play the instrument and create sounds on it. The challenge resulted in a series of short videos of the children exploring the accordion, some independently and sometimes together, making some “amazing and interesting sounds”.

Children have also been able to experiment with the instruments in their classes and in music enrichment sessions.

Newlands Headteacher, Deborah Rogers, said: “We are pleased we have been able to get involved in this initiative which has provided our children with new experiences and an opportunity to really explore the instruments in their own time and way.”