The FMS warmly welcomes the second Music Manifesto Report and fully supports the key recommendations.Firstly, music services have not forgotten that it was the introduction of the Music Standards Fund in 1999 “to protect and expand LEA music services” that helps to explain why music services continue to be at the forefront of music education provision. For that we are still extremely grateful.

We fully endorse the recommendation that this funding should be extended until 2011 so that we can provide more children with more musical opportunities and ensure that the aims of the Music Manifesto are achieved. However, we also recognise that when Marc Jaffrey calls for an “end to the postcode lottery” in music education, there remains a huge task ahead for all of us involved in the partnership that provides essential musical opportunities for young people. We believe that the members of the Federation of Music Services must have a major role to play in the “change process” that will inevitably be required.

Perhaps the most inclusive of all musical activities is singing. Everyone has a voice and people throughout the world and throughout history have expressed themselves by singing together. How is it then that we have managed to lose singing as an essential activity in so many primary schools? We fully support a major national singing campaign to ensure that children from early years are again given the opportunity to sing and experience music-making in its most fundamental and instinctive form. We are delighted to see that the Manifesto Report identifies that there will need to be significant investment in professional development for this ideal to meet its full potential.

We also recognise that we all need to do more to ensure that children do not become marginalised because of the way that music is offered to them. This means looking carefully at how and where we try to engage young people in music. We agree that the offer may need to be “out of school” for some young people and that we must recognise that formal tuition is not the universal solution to engagement with music. As much of our contact with pupils already takes place “out of school” we are well placed to develop this role further in a sustainable and structured framework.

FMS members recognise that music services need to be broad and inclusive and we now provide a wider range of services than ever before. Nevertheless, we also recognise that we cannot provide everything that is required in every area by every child. We therefore appreciate that in order to make “every child’s music matter” we need to collaborate effectively with other providers to ensure that young people know where they can go to ensure their musical needs are met. The evolving role of music services will be to act as partner, collaborator, gate-keeper and conduit as well as provider.

The Manifesto Report describes this collaborative partnership as music education hubs, but we look forward to working with others in developing a clear understanding of what a hub could potentially be in practice. In many places we are already regarded as the natural providers of “hubs” for music education, not least because of our close relationships with Local Authorities, extended schools and children’s centres. However, it should be pointed out that a principle aim of the FMS is to ensure that young people throughout the United Kingdom, including those in Northern Ireland and Wales, have equal opportunities brought about through the development of music education hubs.

The Music Manifesto provides a vision for flourishing music education provision in the future. If it can be backed up by realistic funding, the nature of music-making for young people throughout the United Kingdom could be transformed. Music Services will do all they can to support these fundamental and inspiring aims in the Music Manifesto.

Graham StandleyFMS Chair