A Case Study - Iain

Good news from Dansegate PSC in York

Music4U works in partnership with York Arts Education to offer music-making opportunities at Danesgate Pupil Support Centre - an alternative learning environment, with a curriculum and staff roles adapted to suit a range of support needs, including social, behavioural and emotional needs. Danesgate learners have weekly sessions with community musicians Billy Hickling and Christian Topman, who lead them through a range of different ensemble and individual music-making activities, including instrumental lessons, composition and music technology.

In the last academic year, there was one young man who worked particularly hard and overcame significant challenges to achieve excellent musical and personal progress. Music4U leaders told us the following story:

"Iain is 16 and lives with the struggle of very challenging behaviour. A lovely lad at heart but with serious issues in his home and personal life. He has difficulty with his temper and this has a big impact on his capacity to focus on and see projects through - something that was consistently being reflected in his low engagement and poor academic scores at school. During my time teaching him, I have seen him benefit enormously from one-to-one lesson interaction and have watched him flourish through being introduced to percussion as an art form.

I taught Iain to play drum kit - something he had never attempted before. He showed a real aptitude and enthusiasm for this. So much so that he was awarded a bursary to continue his drumming studies after he left Danesgate.