Financial Aid from Music Venue Ensures Affordable Lessons

A mother has stated that securing music scholarships for her children, particularly while she was employed on a zero-hours contract, rendered the lessons affordable. Matti Imarhiagbe’s children, Etania (14), Eliannah (13), and Isaiah (12), are three of the hundreds of young people receiving subsidised tuition at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead. Management at the quayside venue, which commenced operations two decades prior, announced plans to establish a music academy for young individuals, intending for it to be among Europe’s most affordable. Ms. Imarhiagbe described the centre’s financial assistance as “amazing,” noting that it provided her children access to lessons they enjoyed. Having grown up in South Africa during the apartheid era, she stated that music served as a “tool of resilience” for people during that period and held significant importance in her own life. Ms. Imarhiagbe aims to inform other parents about the availability of financial aid. She commented, “For me, being able to get scholarships for my children when I was on a zero-hours contract was amazing.” She added, “I want everyone to know about the funding help you can get. As a parent, you want your children to access these things but some of them are really inaccessible and unaffordable, but here there is something for everyone.” Furthermore, she holds the belief that participation in these programmes contributes to “encourage diversity.” Etania, a euphonium player, expressed that music had positively impacted her mental health and characterized the tuition she received as “amazing.” Isaiah remarked that the music programmes were “better than school,” while Eliannah stated that the experience of playing alongside her peers was “incomparable.” Abigail Pogson, the venue’s managing director, affirmed, “This place is for everyone and it should be financially accessible through bursaries and ticket deals.” The centre, previously identified as Sage Gateshead, presently provides bursaries for musical instruction to children starting from age four, and Ms. Pogson indicated plans to allocate an additional £500,000 in bursaries. Adam Wood, 28, spent his childhood in Heaton, Newcastle, playing his father’s steel drums. He recalls sketching The Glasshouse with friends during his primary school years, describing it as a “shiny slug.” He participated in choirs and enrolled in the young musicians programme, where he acquired trumpet skills. Mr. Wood subsequently pursued studies at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, prior to his return to the North East. Currently, he performs professionally for the Royal Northern Sinfonia and attributed the youth music programmes as crucial to his discovery of classical music. Mr. Wood stated, “I’m still pinching myself – it’s crazy. I’ve been here just under a year and it’s incredible. I never really thought this would happen. The orchestra is brilliant and it feels like I’ve come home.” For updates, BBC North East can be followed on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas may be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.