I the undersigned oppose the plans for the City and County of Swansea Council to prematurely withdraw the music subsidy.  Neath Port Talbot Council are to freeze the subsidy and continue with the planned reduction over two years.  With no parity between the two authorities consultation has begun to end the West Glamorgan Music Service effective as of 31st August 2016 and create a single music service in each local authority under a Service Level Agreement with schools.

CONSEQUENCES FOR WEST GLAMORGAN MUSIC SERVICE

• Young peoples tuition could STOP from September 2016.
•  Young people from lower income families could be deprived of free music  tuition  in school, turning music into an elitist ghetto with the risk of losing  future  generations of musicians.
•  Lack of instrumental and music curriculum provision will adversely affect  standards in literacy and numeracy.
•  Opportunities will be lost for young people to develop life enhancing skills  such  as  communication, self-discipline, self-esteem, cognitive thinking, fine  motor  skills and team building which all contribute to their personal and social  development. 
•  Redundancies of Music Service teachers who will have to rely on private  supply  agencies for work with precarious and unfavourable terms and  conditions.  Remaining staff could be relocated.

West Glamorgan Music has been a first class flagship service for 42 years, delivering high quality instrumental, vocal and curriculum provision to thousands of young people.  Currently there are 16,500 young people at school and music centres with the opportunity to learn and participate in the Youth Arts wales structure from school through to County, Consortia and National Ensembles.

The service currently has a team of over 70 peripatetic music teachers who are a vastly talented team of musicians.  They have built up a strong working relationship with all schools and continue to maintain the highest quality of teaching provision.

WALES IS KNOWN AS THE LAND OF SONG IF WE ALLOW THIS PROPOSAL TO GO AHEAD THEN THE SOUND OF MUSIC WILL BE VERY DIMINISHED IN THIS PART OF WALES AND COULD SET A PRECEDENCE FOR THE REST OF OUR COUNTRY!

ONCE IT'S GONE IT'S GONE, IT WILL NEVER BE REPLACED!