21/11/2007
Leading lights of British music, Andrew and Julian Lloyd Webber have both chosen to sign up to support the Music Manifesto in light of today's fantastic announcements on funding for music education.
Julian (pictured) has been a critical friend of the Manifesto since its outset, engaging in an ongoing communication with Development Director Marc Jaffrey. Without doubting the Manifesto's aims, Julian's hesitance to embrace the Manifesto was always due to a lack of funding to back up its aspirations.
But not any more. This represents a real triumph for the Manifesto, which has successfully levered money out of the government to turn ideals into reality.
"I have always been one hundred per cent behind the aims and aspirations of the Music Manifesto," says Julian. "The reason I did not sign up to it before now was because there seemed to be too much wishful thinking without the wherewithal to deliver its promises.
"Today the government has proved that it really does mean business with this massive extra commitment towards music education. Today is a red letter day for music in the United Kingdom and I urge everyone involved in music to welcome this extraordinary opportunity and to seize it with both hands."
We absolutely concur.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has also agreed to sign the Music Manifesto and applauded today's decision, which comes as a result of the Music Manifesto's Report No.2, Making Every Child's Music Matter.
Andrew said: "Whether you want to take up music professionally or just to make music for fun, never has it been more important to learn to play a musical instrument than now.
"The music business as we know it is virtually dead. The day of lip-sync manufactured pop is dying. Now everything is about live performance. That is one of the reasons that I am thrilled by the government's initiative."
Welcome to the Music Manifesto Julian and Andrew, we're proud to have your support.