The Scottish Premier League Trust is set to deliver a vibrant community music project called Music Box.

Young people across Scotland will be given the chance to take part in music making at their local SPL football club free of charge, thanks to a partnership between all Scottish Premier League football clubs and Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative.  There will be a wealth of opportunities for young people to learn about the music industry, make their own recordings and take part in performance events.

Music and football have always had a close relationship. Young people not only define themselves by their choice of football team, but their lifestyles and friendships are also formed through their musical choices. Music matters in shaping our community and cultural identities. Football can lead to lifetime friendships, indeed a number of very successful Scottish bands have grown out of friendships made on the terraces.

The powerful draw of professional football clubs creates a unique opportunity for young people to engage with high quality learning experiences through Music Box. In particular it creates access opportunities for young people who would not normally participate in music making activities.  In return, music is a great equaliser. It transcends perceived barriers of community or sporting allegiances.

Music Box will kick off in the October school holiday with a series of taster sessions for young people to come and try a range of music making from Dj’ing to drumming or strumming a guitar. These sessions will be followed by a weekly (30 weeks) music club where young people can form bands, write their own songs and compose their own tunes in whatever style of music they’re interested in playing. Each club will hold a sharing event where the budding musical talent of the future can perform to their peers, family and friends.

The launch at Hampden will be attended by Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland; Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, and Billy Singh, General Manager, Scottish Premier League Trust.

There will also be performances by a number of Scottish musicians, including Stanley Odd, Bigg Taj and Yuptae, who have been previously supported by the Youth Music Initiative to record a demo. Also playing at the event will be Kevin Rutkiewicz, Dunfermline Athletic player and musician, who recently supported Midge Ure on tour.

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs:

‘Music Box is an innovative collaboration, funded by our Youth Music Initiative, which will support, inspire and cultivate budding musicians of the future.  The powerful draw of Scotland’s 12 SPL clubs will entice young people from communities across Scotland to get creative and learn new skills, improving their confidence and providing opportunities which will make a real difference to their lives.’

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland said:

‘Music Box is an enormously exciting programme, that combines the credibility that professional football clubs have in our communities with the magnetic draw of music and its ability to empower and transform young people’s lives. Music Box will create new opportunities for young people to take part in free, weekly creative music making.’

Billy Singh, General Manager, Scottish Premier League Trust said:

‘This is a great initiative developed by the SPL Clubs and supported by Creative Scotland. We are beginning to see how football clubs can be a focal point within local communities and make a real difference to people’s lives.’

The Youth Music Initiative is driven by the ethos of putting music at the heart of young people’s lives and, because of the Youth Music Initiative, children now have access to one year’s free music tuition by the time they reach Primary 6, as well as more out of school hours participation.

Source: Creative Scotland