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Warkworth Big Band is offering primary school students the chance to learn to play a brass instrument for free with a new one-year scholarship.
Thanks to funding from Pub Charity and an individual sponsor, there are seven spots up for grabs to learn saxophone, trumpet or trombone.
Band manager Aaron Rodgers says this first round of scholarships will be based at Warkworth School and is aimed at students in Years 4 to 6.
Would-be young brass players were given a taste of what they might do when Warkworth Big Band and reggae funksters The Dirty Happys transformed a school assembly into a 45-minute concert just before the Easter holidays.
Rodgers said the show was intended to inspire students and give them a taste of what was possible with brass instruments.
“They loved it, the kids were just so into it,” he said. “We ramped them up a bit and played all our funky rock numbers that they could identify with.
“They could see trumpets and saxes played in a different environment than they’re used to seeing, playing funk, rock, reggae and dub music to show them these instruments are not just for a brass band playing on Anzac Day.”
Each scholarship includes free instrument rental and weekly lessons for a year, plus affiliate membership of Warkworth Big Band and ad hoc coaching and mentoring from band members.
Tuition is being provided by itinerant music teachers and big band members, Moana Lyndon and Jackie Niccolls.
Pub Charity has funded tuition for six scholarships, the band and donors are supplying most of the instruments, and friend of the band ‘Old Mike’ Read has donated an alto sax and a year’s tuition fees in memory of his late wife for the Myra Read scholarship.
Rodgers says the band has developed the scheme to help those who can’t afford private music lessons at primary school level and to encourage them to start playing instruments earlier.
“These instruments are all subsidised at high school, but we believe kids should be getting into playing music earlier, ideally from Years 4 and 5 onwards,” he said.
“We’re offering the scholarships to interest and encourage kids who can’t afford these instruments and lessons. It’s not a long-term sausage factory to get musicians for the band, it’s just to get them into music and kick-start the process.
“This is such a cool town for music, there’s so much going on, but we’ve got to get the schools and younger people into it.”
Rodgers said it was hoped to expand the scholarship scheme beyond Warkworth in future, and added that anyone who didn’t attend the town’s primary school but was keen on the scheme was welcome to get in touch. The band would also like to hear from anyone who may have instruments to donate.
Info: Email Aaron Rodgers at warkworthbigband@gmail.com
