Poorer pupils missing out on music opportunities

From boosting confidence and concentration to improving academic performance and happiness, the benefits of learning a musical instrument are well established.

But new research has found that children from low-income families are missing out on the chance to play an instrument.

A study by the Musicians’ Union has shown that families whose income is under £28,000 a year are half as likely to have a child who learns an instrument as those with incomes of £48,000 or more.

Nineteen per cent of poorer families said their children learned an instrument compared to 40 per cent of wealthier families.

The cost of music lessons is the biggest barrier. Forty-one per cent of lower income families said lessons were beyond their household budgets. Youngsters from low and mid-income families were more likely to teach themselves, thereby missing out on specialised music tuition.