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Music drive strikes a chord with Sting
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor14.01.09
STING is to donate a guitar to the Mayor's instrument amnesty in a drive to give every child in London the chance to learn to play music.
The Grammy award-winning musician's bass will join 150 other instruments already donated to the No Strings Attached project.
They include unclaimed instruments from the TfL lost property office - which include a didgeridoo.
The instruments will be distributed to young Londoners in Lambeth through a music education scheme run by Julian Lloyd Webber, who has donated a cello.
Boris Johnson will also host a major summit at City Hall to boost his plans to increase music education across the capital. He is bringing together musicians, orchestras, venues, promoters, colleges, local music services and funding bodies.
Arts Council England, the BBC, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal College of Music are all also among the attendees.
Mr Johnson - who aides say plays the piano, badly - believes arts chiefs should stop patronising young people by targeting them with hip-hop and movies and instead offer them access to high culture.
He said: "I'd like every kid in the capital to play an instrument, and the prospect of learning on one owned by Sting must be absolutely thrilling." Sting added: "The music amnesty is a really important initiative and I'm delighted to support it. Young people deserve the chance to learn a musical instrument, whatever background they come from."
Other supporters of the scheme include internationally renowned conductor Sir Simon Rattle and Madness singer Graham "Suggs" McPherson. Suggs said: "Music is a great way for kids to socialise and interact."
