A high profile campaign to try and save free instrumental music services in Scotland will finally reach the Scottish Parliament next month.

The petition asking for Instrumental Music Services to become a statutory obligation will be heard at Holyrood in Edinburgh on the morning of 13th September.

Public hearing

The public hearing will receive evidence from a number of leading activists and supporters, whilst supporters are being asked to come along and provide a musical 'Flashmob' to ensure the politicians can also hear what is at stake.

The overall #changethetune campaign has gained widespread local, national and even international support from leading musicians such as John Wallace CBE, Ian Bousfield and Christian Lindberg, pop stars Nick Cook and Paolo Nutini and national music bodies such as the Scottish Brass Band Association.

Such has been the success following news that an increasing number of local authorities in Scotland were either contemplating or implementing charges for instrumental music services, that it has also garnered a groundswell of focused media coverage.

Catastrophic effects

Speaking to 4BR, one of the leading campaign activists Ralph Riddiough, said: "In just a six week period we managed to gain the level of support to bring our petition to Holyrood to be heard by a cross party group of MSPs linked to the Public Petitions Committee.

Now the time has come to highlight the catastrophic effects charging has, and will bring to generations of children. We have already heard that in some cases over 50% of instruments — in some cases up to 80% — have been returned as families cannot afford to pay for the services their children love.

This is a hugely successful service that has been over- subscribed for years and once employed over 1200 inspirational musical professionals.

Now that demand has been halved and numerous jobs lost. Bringing in charging has not widened musical opportunities for young children — especially those from the poorest homes, and it has not maintained jobs either."

Bringing in charging has not widened musical opportunities for young children — especially those from the poorest homes, and it has not maintained jobs eitherRalph Riddiough

Fundamentally wrong

Ralph added: "Only 4 of the 32 local authorities in Scotland now provide free instrumental music services. It is fast becoming a service that only families with means can afford to enjoy — and that is fundamentally wrong in a country that is renowned worldwide for its education provision."