Live Music

Ed Sheeran launches foundation to promote music education

Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons

British musician Ed Sheeran has set up a new foundation to ensure that children in the UK are able to access high-quality music education, and view a career in music as a viable option.

Sheeran visited cities across the UK as part of the foundation launch, including Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh and Belfast.

The foundation aims to ensure that young people have access to instruments, performance opportunities and other industry pathways.

“I set up Ed Sheeran Foundation because recently there’s been less and less importance being put on music education,” said Sheeran in a post on Instagram.

He added that the subject of music in school was often “not taken seriously”.

“There’s a misconception that it’s ‘not a real job’ – when the music industry accounts for 216,000 jobs in so many different fields, and bringing as much as £7.6bn (€9bn/$9.2bn) in a year to the UK economy,” said Sheeran.

The foundation will also highlight the different roles that can be found in the music industry, as well as the benefits of learning an instrument or taking up music education.

“It was incredible for my mental health as a kid, feeling a sense of purpose and achievement, even just learning piano or cello at a young age way before songwriting. I want kids to be able to learn instruments, learn production and songwriting, performing, and have apprenticeship schemes help them learn different skills to enter the industry,” continued Sheeran.

“I employ 150 people on tour who all have different skill sets, there’s also labels, management, publishing, promoters. Music is such a key part of our society.”

Posted in Live Music | PeopleTagged