Music is a cornerstone of Manchester culture, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a Mancunian whose life hasn’t been touched by music. But for many young people in Manchester today, learning music is simply beyond their reach. In a time of increasing financial hardship, music lessons are seen as a luxury - with no music provision in many local schools, the only lucky kids who get to learn music are those from wealthy families with the means to pay for private tuition.
That’s why Olympias Music Foundation and Mark Goodwin Pianos are teaming up to make music education accessible for everyone.
Olympias Music Foundation is an award-winning music charity, and since 2015 they have provided over 16,000 music lessons to over 250 children in Manchester. Founder and CEO, Jo Yee Cheung, told us that, “We believe that learning music should be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford it. Music opens doors to new worlds and unites communities, and we’re proud to be helping Manchester’s youth forge exciting musical futures.”
Jasibe (aged 12) has been learning music with OMF since 2018. Her family came from Argentina to Manchester. She now has dreams of becoming a professional musician, but there was no way her family would have been able to afford to buy her an instrument of her own.
Thanks to Mark Goodwin Pianos, Jasibe’s on the road to making her dreams a reality! Mark Goodwin Pianos is a family run piano showroom and workshop based in Oldham, and when they heard Jasibe’s story they knew they wanted to do something to help. The team sprang into action, and gave Jasibe her very own piano for free! CEO Mark told us that, “We often take in good quality pianos in part-exchange for one of our Yamaha pianos. We've always enjoyed giving those part-ex pianos away for free but it isn't always easy to find the right new home for them. Working with Olympias has made that much easier for us. We recommend a piano and they connect it with the right student. Perfect!”
Jasibe’s mother Paola said, “We are very grateful and Jasibe is getting more confident in singing and playing the piano. I can see a little seed growing up like a beautiful plant.”
Thanks to the combined efforts of Olympias Music Foundation and Mark Goodwin Pianos, Jasibe’s future is looking bright. Together we’re on the road to ensuring music continues to be a pillar of Manchester culture, so that everyone can experience the joy, self-confidence, and wellbeing that music brings.
If you’d like to support Olympias Music Foundation to help even more children like Jasibe, you can find out more or make a donation at https://www.olympiasmusicfoundation.com/.
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