POP superstar Ed Sheeran surprised young aspiring musicians in an exciting visit to the city on Thursday (January 9).
The Castle on the Hill star was hosted by Coventry Music and visited three different venues across the city where he was introduced to the service’s inclusive programmes and the breadth of inspiring work they do.
He took part in a creative beat making, rap and grime session at an alternative provision setting, Coventry Academy.
Ed then led a creative music making session hosted by Barr’s Hill School, led by Coventry Music programme SoundLab-Cov and attended by pupils from schools across the city.
He rounded off his visit at grassroots music venue The TIN Music and Arts, where he was introduced to groups involved in local music initiatives Live On Stage, Positive Choices and Band Together.
During his visit, Ed met students from Barr’s Hill, Coundon Court, Lyng Hall, Stoke Park and President Kennedy, heard some of their original work, and learned more about their aspirations and how music services in the city support their ambitions of having a career in music.
Ed said: “Music education has shaped who I am. I’ve always enjoyed playing music, and it’s led to some of the best moments of my life.”
Joel Miles, 15, from Barr’s Hill School said: “It was a great experience. It was the last thing I expected today and just seeing him in person was just… wow!
“Seeing him perform and seeing how much he cared about music was just a really nice experience. I’m really glad I met him.”
Mark Steele, Coventry Music Lead at Coventry City Council, said: “We were delighted that Ed wanted to come to Coventry to see our work and really enjoyed showing him all the fantastic work that happens here.
“I agree with Ed that music is a great way for self-expression and development of young people socially.
“We would love more of the music industry to support programmes working with young people to encourage and inspire them to do more – but also to leave lasting support through mentoring, opportunities, advocacy and access to equipment.
“The talent is out there but there needs to be additional support to allow all young people to flourish.”
Live On Stage enables young people to meet like-minded musically inspired musicians from across the city and form bands in a supportive and nurturing environment.
Positive Choices is a programme designed to enable young people to engage in music as a safe and supportive way to express themselves.
Band Together is Coventry Music’s band for those in care who can make music with those in similar circumstances, supported by the Children’s Services team and Virtual School.
As part of the Heart of England Music Hub (the music hub for Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull), Coventry Music teaches over 7,500 students a week across the city, with programmes ranging across many genres and styles. Around a third of students are on free school meals, whilst around a quarter have known special educational needs barriers.
