THE TIME HAS COME to heave our weary bodies upright, emerge from our desks, blinking in the sunlight, and attempt to run A Long Way, in aid of the CBSO Shireland Academy, opening its doors for the first time in September 2023.

Spearheaded by our wonderful colleagues at City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, this amazing new school is the UK's first non-fee paying specialist music school (yes! FINALLY some good news about music education in the UK!).

It will provide secondary pupils who have a keen interest/aptitude in music with access to unparalleled facilities, tuition, instruments, music library, visiting artists, specialist classes with musicians from CBSO, attendance at inspirational CBSO concerts and lots more.

KD SCHMID wholeheartedly supports this, especially following the appointment in April 2023 of our own wonderful Kazuki Yamada as Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the CBSO. Kazuki has always been totally committed to music education.

We all know that when we study music, we're not just 'doing music'. We learn about teamwork, listening, memory skills, languages... the benefits are numerous. CBSO Shireland Academy has the potential to provide this opportunity to thousands of children, regardless of background, in addition to a foundation in and lifelong love of music. These kids will be the musicians, artists or audience members of tomorrow.

Additionally, KD SCHMID this year celebrates 25 years of our London office! Opened in 1998, we have gone from one employee (Karen McDonald) to over 20, from essentially a garden shed in Olympia to our current offices in Covent Garden.

Please give generously to show your support to Team ‘SCHMID HAPPENS’, your admiration of Kazuki, your overwhelming feelings for the fabulous people running, and - above all - for the inspirational and ground-breaking CBSO Shireland Academy.