Grant helps Bradford College music students hit the right note

The award of a grant to buy instruments has proved music to the ears of students at Bradford College.

The college’s music department has been boosted by the purchase of new guitars, an electric keyboard, African djembe drums and bongo drums thanks to Universal Music UK Sound Foundation.

The education charity awarded the college more than £1,200 to spend on music equipment and the new instruments are a hit with the college’s talented musicians.

Music lecturer John Dey said: “Our music students perform at college events and at outside events such as Bradford Festival so having the best instruments to enable them to show off their talent and showcase the music department is great.

“The new instruments will be used for rehearsals and performances by both our Further Education students and those on the Higher Education courses at our University Centre.

“The new purchases are updates and additions to the instruments we had already and will give more students access to the best equipment possible.

“Having a range of top-class instruments also ensures that our courses remain inclusive by ensuring students can access high-quality equipment regardless of their financial circumstances.

“This is just the latest in some recent investment in our music department that means we now have two excellent performance spaces and high-quality sound and lighting systems meaning that we can stage a variety of events in college from musical theatre to small jazz gigs and music recitals.

“Everyone in the music department is grateful to Universal Music UK Sound Foundation for the generosity and can assure the foundation that the instruments will be very well used.”

Universal Music UK Sound Foundation is an independent music education charity which aims to improve access to music education in the UK and Ireland.

The Foundation has helped over 7,000 schools, individual students and teachers improve their access to music through the purchase or upgrade of musical instruments and equipment.

The successful grant application was put together for the music department by the college’s Project Support Office.