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22 Feb, 2016

An ode to joy from our musical youth

The Guardian | Kevin McKenna | 21 February 2016

A project that began in Venezuela to bring music education to deprived areas is doing fabulous work in a number of Scottish council estates

Since the Raploch orchestra was established, two others have materialised: in Glasgow’s Govanhill and in Aberdeen’s Torry estate. Each of these communities, like those in Raploch, experiences ingrained challenges in health and social deprivation rooted in poverty and inequality. The results they have achieved in helping children recognise their gifts and to acknowledge that they can be best utilised by being equal parts of a bigger whole, an orchestra, are beyond argument.
 
In last year’s evaluation report of Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise programme the economic worth to the nation was laid out thoroughly. This was commissioned by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health and Education Scotland and revealed in fine detail the hugely positive economic projections over a 70-year period, which began to materialise as early as year six of programme delivery.

The improvement in the lives of individuals and in the community of Govanhill, if the Big Noise programme is sustained for the long term, are not difficult to translate into the dismal argot of financial profit and loss. After six years this is estimated to be £9.18m then rises to £15.57m and £28.91m at years nine and 15 respectively. This is surely a conservative estimate for a sprawling community just south of the Clyde, which has become run down and delinquent over the past 20 years or so. It factors in thousands of lifetimes of health gains, employment activity, increases in social aspiration and associated reductions in criminal behaviour.

In the UK, we confer the title “national treasure” far too readily on mere troubadours and chroniclers. It is a title that ought to be reserved for Sistema Scotland and its Big Noise programme. As such, it ought to be ringfenced by Holyrood to protect it from the depredations of austerity.

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