MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS
practice rooms in schools across the country, an important resource as they are used by students to practise, develop their musicianship, and make friends. Bottisham Village College in Cambridgeshire, another beneficiary of Piano Equals, has welcomed the initiative with open arms: while they are offered pianos regularly, they often have to decline due to the lack of instrumental expertise or logistics to transport and maintain them.
Jez Brewer, Head of Performing Arts at Bottisham Village College, adds: “Piano Equals has been fantastic for us as we know the pianos will be in good condition and provide our young people with a high-quality musical experience. It’s also reassuring to know the whole process is sustainable and prevents waste that would otherwise go to landfill. The donated pianos were used from the day they arrived and have been played every day since.”
music provision in the three areas of curriculum, co-curricular and enrichment.
Reusing older, quality pianos We believe that quality instruments are fundamental to delivering excellent music education, and this is where our flagship sustainability programme, Piano Equals, was born. While pianos are often expensive, difficult to move and require specialist knowledge to repair, they have the potential to last for a long time. So, the programme leverages our expertise in sustainability to assess the potential of older instruments to be used by schools. Piano Equals simultaneously tackles unequal access to music education and sustainability in the music industry by reusing and refurbishing the thousands of older, quality pianos that sit idle in homes across the UK before matching them with local schools and organisations that can truly benefit from them, making quality instruments more accessible and sustainable for all children and young people.
Most instruments have historically been made in a way that is inherently sustainable. However, over the past few years, some areas of musical instrument production have become less sustainable with lack of spare parts or repairers. Many schools may have purchased cheaper instruments (due to lack of funds) which are imported from halfway around the world, implying an additional significant environmental cost to factor into any instrument purchase. The incremental carbon cost of using an existing instrument saves an estimated 97% of the carbon footprint of shipping a new one from the other side of the world.*
By installing an older piano of better quality, those schools that have received a donation through Piano Equals not only benefit from quality musical instruments that support inclusive access to music education, but are helping to build a more sustainable way of facilitating their music provision.
School feedback
The feedback that we have received from schools regarding their piano donations through Piano
November 2024
Equals has been overwhelming. Music education, in many areas, is in crisis and a number of local secondary schools which either lacked the budget to buy a new piano or had unusable instruments have commented that the donations they have received through Piano Equals have transformed the quality of music teaching almost immediately. The pianos, which have become the main teaching piano for music lessons or have been placed in rehearsal rooms, have facilitated more opportunities to practise, while offering students a music education of a higher quality. Princes Risborough School in Buckinghamshire was one of the first to receive a piano through the initiative. The school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) put in a request to Piano Equals to help realise the school’s vision of securing a grand piano for the school hall as a way of giving students the opportunity to play on a wonderful instrument for years to come.
The grand piano was unveiled at the school’s annual End of Year Celebration of Achievements, where it was played by a number of gifted student pianists and widely enjoyed by all who attended. The piano now takes pride of place in the school hall and is a valuable asset to the school’s music programme, providing students with the opportunity to learn and perform on a world class instrument.
Anya Keene, a member of the school’s PTA, added: “The Piano Equals programme aligns perfectly with our own mission to provide enriching opportunities to all students. The respect that our students have demonstrated towards the piano has earned them free access to the instrument during break times, and budding pianists can often be heard tinkling the ivories for all to enjoy!
“The impact of the piano donation has been especially profound for a number of students, with teachers noticing an improved focus and attendance in lessons from those children who have found a creative output on the piano between lessons. The instrument will inspire creativity, foster a love of music and enhance the overall educational experience for students for many years to come.”
The scheme has been key to upgrading music
www.education-today.co.uk 41
Does your school need a piano? Primary and secondary schools across the UK are welcome to apply for a piano donation by submitting an enquiry to Piano Equals. Millers Music will assess the needs of each application before matching schools with a repaired instrument and overseeing the piano tuning and delivery. If your school is interested in applying for a donation, please visit:
https://millersmusic.co.uk/ pages/piano-equals
** Calculations made based on the following government source:
https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/greenhouse-gas-reporting-conversion- factors-2020
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