Fanfare please. As promised, it's time to bring you further details of Sing Up, part of the Music Manifesto National Singing Programme, which is led by the Singing Ambassador Howard Goodall.
Produced by Youth Music, with Abbot Mead Vickers, Faber Music and the Sage Gateshead, Sing Up is one strand of the DCSF and DCMS's £10 million plan to ensure that singing is central to young people's lives, in primary schools, at home and in the wider community.
So what's it all about?
If you work in a primary school the Sing Up magazine will be winging its way to you after half term, featuring ten songs with teaching notes, singing news and inspiring examples of good practice from around the country. The magazine will be backed up by a Sing Up website with many, many more ideas, resources and songs.
If you are a primary school teacher you can register for the Sing Up magazine now at www.singup.org/registration
Workforce development is a large part of Sing Up, providing training for primary teachers who are non-music specialists to be able to confidently run singing activity in their schools. Plus there'll be opportunities for teachers already involved in singing to enhance their skills.
Funding has also been allocated to create 12 new Sing Up Communities and 16 Hearts and Minds projects providing imaginative opportunities for children to participate in singing all across the country, such as Ex Cathedra's successful Singing Playgrounds project.
There are two additional strands. The first is the Choir Schools Association outreach programme, linking choir schools with local primary schools. Then there's MusicStart , a scheme to provide free packs of songs, stories and small instruments to parents and their 2- to 4-year-olds. As well as fostering enjoyment in music, research into the area has shown that music-making can improve numeracy and literacy skills in pre-school children.
We'll keep updating you as things progress but if that's sparked your imagination and you want to get involved, get in touch via email: info@singup.org
Click here to download the full press release from Sing Up