What is the Prime Minister saying about music education?

On Sunday 26th October, Sir Keir Starmer took to the airwaves with Michael Berkeley on BBC Radio 3’s Private Passions. Starmer’s reputation as a flautist who attended Guildhall School of Music and Drama on a scholarship programme, as well as playing the piano, violin and recorder, is well known. So, what did he have to say about music, and specifically music education, at a time when the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) bursary for music has been withdrawn, the Curriculum and Assessment Review is due, and the National Centre for Music and Arts is in sight?  

Music Education 

Berkeley asked Starmer the million-dollar question: “How can you ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to high-quality music education?”. Starmer offered three primary solutions:  

• “Put funding into musical instruments so that all children get the chance to play an instrument, not just those that can afford it.” 
• “Making sure that it counts within what is taught at school so that it matters.” 
• “Breaking down any sense that music, particularly classical music, is only for certain types of children, and that it’s something that everyone can get joy from.” 

When questioned about whether music should have a larger place in the curriculum, Starmer confirmed, “I would like it to, and I think that’s one of the challenges that we need to rise to”, and admitted that “we need a broader sense of education, I think, and I think we’ve let music, creatives and art slip too much.” 

Berkeley commented on the recruitment crisis in music education, as well as highlighting that 42% of state schools do not enter any students for GCSE Music, and fewer than 5,000 students were entered for A-level music last year. Acknowledging this concern, Starmer stated the need for championing where music can take you, whether in music or other disciplines. 

Transferable Skills  

In the broadcast, Starmer speaks fondly about his violin lessons, which he shared with Fat Boy Slim(!), and his time playing in the Croydon Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. When talking about music-making with others, he expressed: 

“It’s instilled in me a lifelong belief in the importance of music, over and above the beauty and joy of listening to music.” 

He explained that performing in ensembles “taught me skills such as watching someone’s eye, so you know when to come in – having responsibility. If you’re playing in a quartet, you have to be fully playing your part and communicating.”  

He emphasised:  

“These are the skills […] you need for life. So many businesses will say to me “what we most need is young people who are able to communicate, work in a team, to take real responsibility. It taught me more than just a greater love of music.”  

We hope that the government’s recognition of creative industries as a priority sector reflects Starmer’s comments, especially as he acknowledges that “music, and other artforms, but music in particular, gives children and young people the skills that they’re going to need in other walks of life, and a confidence.” 

Inclusion 

Echoing back to the three solutions stated above, one of Starmer’s choices, Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, was played by cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, whose mother has publicly voiced her concern about music in state schools, doubting that her family would have been as successful in music if they attended school now. Starmer was vocal about the role that classical music has played in his life, and seven of his nine pieces were from the classical genre, the only genre his father would listen to. Starmer is fortunate to have been exposed to classical experiences, such as seeing Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall and playing in an orchestra, and it is vital to ensure that parents’ or carers’ preferences aren’t the only way children encounter different genres. 

Wellbeing and Memory 

Each of Starmer’s choices reminds us of music as a form of connection with important life events, from processing grief and remembering lost loved ones, to the joy of dancing with his children in the kitchen and seeing his wife walking down the aisle on their wedding day. Starmer recognised the cathartic nature of music and the role that it plays for wellbeing, and opened up about the tragic loss of his younger brother on Boxing Day in 2024. He tells Berkeley, “I just wanted to grieve my little brother, and music gave me a place to go to escape.” 

Music Industry 

Berkeley raised the “urgency” of the ongoing issue of Brexit’s impact on touring musicians as artists, and their associated crews, are not being hired abroad due to the laborious administrative processes involved. Starmer vowed to address this concern as “we should be making it as easy as possible for our brilliant artists.” He agreed that “the creative industries are an incredible contributor to our economy”, adding that “we need to see the real value of our creative sector.”  

Music Mark hopes to see this passion for music and the arts in the government’s commitment to music education from early years to higher education and beyond. When advocating for music education, remember that it can even lead you to becoming the prime minister!