Fund Violins for Young Pupils & Remove Boundaries to Music Tuition!

The Music Department at South Devon Steiner School (an independent Steiner Waldorf school and registered charity) is trying to raise the funds necessary, to buy enough violins to allow the tuition of a whole class of children at the same time, in the art of playing the violin. This would provide every child with the opportunity to learn to play an instrument, and develop the many skills which come from such a practise; an achievement for the school which removes social and economic boundaries to music tuition for children.

The rationale behind teaching the violin to children from age 9, is to develop cross laterality - the two hands are involved in fundamentally different activities. It is important for what happens unconsciously in singing, to be experienced consciously. In the violin everything is visible; the breathing activity has become the movement of the right arm (bowing correctly has a therapeutic element) and the muscular activity in the larynx has moved into the left hand digits. The instrument itself is the human heart (and used to be held just over the heart) while the breath has become the movement of horsehair against the strings. The vowel element, the breath, moves against the consonant element, the resistant string. Thus we aim to 'sing' on this instrument.

So, with this in mind, please support our fundraiser to purchase this collection of violins, and allow us to fully introduce the magic of music into the lives of our youngest children, providing them with opportunities they may not otherwise be able to access, skills for life and inspiring lessons at school.

Thank you for the very bottom of our hearts for your support.