Music can be magic. It calls for and calls forth all human virtues: imagination, discipline, teamwork, determination. It enriches and inspires.
We have come together because we share a passion for the power of music. We believe that music is important in itself and for its ability to change how we think, feel and act. For this reason, music plays a prominent part in young people's lives, both in and out of school, and from the very earliest age.
We believe music has a unique contribution to make to education - and by that we mean the education of all children, not just those with the potential to become great professional musicians and composers. We know that the creativity at the heart of music-making can help raise attainment and motivate young people.
We believe that music is important for the social and cultural values it represents and promotes, and for the communities it can help to build and to unite. We share the conviction that music education should reflect the diversity of Britain today and should be accessible to everyone. We also recognise music for the important contribution it makes to the economy.
In the UK, we are extremely fortunate in the richness of our musical heritage - and in the breadth and quality of our contemporary resources. From professional orchestras to aspiring DJs, from composers and songwriters to music publishers, from adult and mixed age ensembles to the youngest musicians, we have many strengths. But we believe that music can do more.
The signatories to this manifesto are committed to working together to deliver an exciting range of musical experiences to all young people, helping to create the soundtrack to their lives.
The Music Manifesto is backed by the UK Government, has £10m in funding and has just appointed a school's Singing Ambassador. For the full story follow this link.
It's what On An Overgrown Path has been saying for a long time - Let the people sing. Now read how Benjamin Britten shows that everyone can make music
All my wonderful photos come from a children's concert at James Madison University - many thanks to them for the photos and inspirational work they do. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and other errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk