Online music service launched in record time to teach Wrexham and Denbighshire children

The platform, totally-music.com, has been created in record time by the North Wales Music Co-operative whose peripatetic teachers would normally tour the region providing singing and instrumental lessons to individuals and groups of pupils in different schools.

From a standing start once lockdown was imposed, it took just eight weeks to set up the online service with backing from the Welsh Government, Wrexham and Denbighshire county councils.

The North Wales Music Co-operative includes two sister organisations, Denbighshire Music Co-operative and Wrexham Music Co-operative, which were set up after funding for peripatetic music teachers was cut.

Now they have come together to offer a face-to-face live online platform via which they can directly teach pupils who are learning from home.

The hope is that schools and parents will get firmly behind totally-music.com and encourage pupils of all ages and skills levels to sign up.

Professional guitarist Wyn Pearson, the artistic lead of the new website who is also one of the tutors, said: “Totally Music is a brand new resource for teachers and parents and guardians aimed at ensuring the wellbeing of children of all ages.

“It’s a fun-filled website packed with video tutorials to promote the musical development of our youngsters.

“A project like this would normally have taken several months to complete, if not longer. But we have managed to get it up and running within weeks which is a real achievement.

“We’re all extremely proud of the service and the opportunities it offers to children who may not otherwise have access to music lessons. The aim is to provide access to high quality music resources, with a focus on fun.”

Fallou and Seris Davies-Ngom with Mum Sophie and the family dog Leo

Wrexham violin teacher Sophie Davies-Ngom says the feedback from her online pupils and their parents has been hugely positive.

She said: “I love doing the lessons online. It’s safe for everyone involved and all my pupils have taken to it quite naturally. I’ve found their concentration is increased and they see it as an entertaining thing to do, in no way a chore.”

Her sons, double bass learner Fallou, 10 and cellist, Seris, particularly love the free, fun challenges part of the package.

Fallou said: “I love music and, because I’m tall, the double bass is the perfect instrument for me.

“Though Seris and I don’t currently do the online lessons we can still access the fun inter-active tasks which are a big part of totally-music.com and are fantastic.”

Sophie added: “In the longer term it will also make learning an instrument so much easier for children faced with time constraints or who have no transport to get to lessons in the wider community.

“I’m really hopeful that schools will endorse and support it, helping spread the news to pupils and their parents about the brilliant new service that is totally-music.com.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Austin Bowers, headteacher of St Mary’s School, Brymbo, near Wrexham, also welcomed the launch of totally-music.com.

He said: “It is a brilliant additional resource to schools who are keen to keep music alive in the curriculum and the community. I totally endorse it and would encourage all music learners to get on board.”

Heather Powell, the head of service in Wrexham, said plans were already underway to launch an online platform when the Coronavirus epidemic struck and that made the need for it all the more urgent.

She said: “We really had to act quickly to get things moving and make the service widely available to ensure the wellbeing of children of all ages.

“As well as lessons we put together a fun-filled package of online music challenges and games for children.

“For instance, we have a beat-box challenge with well-known Welsh Beatboxer Mr Ed Holden aka Mr Phormula. In this challenge we teach the children the basics of beatboxing and how the sounds are made.

“Children need no equipment to be able to do many of our sessions thus making it very accessible when in lockdown and at home’’

“We are adding more content to it all the time and every Monday we will send out the programme timetable to schools so they can send details out to kids learning at home or use as a quality resource in class.

“It is bilingual, too, so children can have lessons and enjoy music related activities in either English or Welsh.”

Heather added: “This is a service which we hope will continue to be widely used long after the lockdown is eased and social distancing measures are hopefully reduced.

“We see it as a valuable addition to our existing services, making music lessons more easily accessible to children of all ages. Learning to play an instrument out of school in the less pressured environment of their home is something children truly enjoy.”

Councillor Phil Wynn, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Education, said: “We’re very pleased that the Wrexham Music Co-operative has developed these online learning resources to support our schools during these difficult times.

“The interactive and engaging sessions were well-received by the pupils, parents and staff in the schools where they were piloted recently, and we’re excited to be able to rollout the offer now to all Wrexham schools.

“The resources can be used to supplement the schools’ own blended learning offer and can be accessed by pupils whether they are at school or at home. We look forward to seeing this valuable resource continuing to develop over the coming weeks.”

To find out more about the online service or to book lessons go to www.totally-music.com