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As part of the St Leonards School Grade 1-a-thon, I'm learning the French Horn from scratch and taking the Grade 1 exam in just 10 weeks! I've always admired the rich sound of the horn and been told how difficult it is to play - now I'm finding out just how difficult with the help of my patient teacher Ruth! For someone used to playing string instruments, the fact that you never quite know what note is going to come out when you play is quite a challenge!

I'm using this opportunity to raise money for the brilliant charity Arco, which enables talented children in Soweto, Johannesburg to learn string instruments through a distance-learning scheme set up in partnership between Birmingham Conservatoire and Cape Gate MIAGI Centre for Music (CMCM). The 24 students receive weekly instrumental lessons and chamber music coaching via Skype from a team of 24 UK based teachers (all current students or recent graduates of Birmingham Conservatoire) who volunteer their time for free. Regular events occurring within Birmingham Conservatoire’s String Department, such as master classes, workshops and performances are streamed live to South Africa for the benefit of the CMCM students. Each summer, Arco teachers from the UK travel to South Africa for the annual festival - an immersive musical experience, building on and solidifying skills learnt throughout the year.

The project is already a huge success, with both UK and South African participants benefitting tremendously, both musically and personally. However money needs to be continually raised to ensure it can continue.

Find out more about Arco here http://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/competitions-and-festivals/arco

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.