Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall on the amazing musical opportunities open to her at school, and why all children today should have the same chances...

"I was very lucky growing up as the music department was considered an important and rich part of your curriculum. And so if I wanted to play something we would go to the music department, pick up an instrument and play it. If I wanted to learn an instrument they would say: "Well go and see the woodwind teacher and ask them what instrument they think you’d be good at", and you could pick something up as a given. I very much took that for granted.

Most of my positive memories at school were in music and art. These departments are reliant on having the tools to offer the children an experience and an education in these subjects. You can’t expect a kid to learn maths in their head; they need a pen and paper, and a calculator and books. The same thing is true of music.

By giving children access to instruments you’re also giving them an opportunity to express themselves. 

I think that in today’s modern world, which is way crazier than the world that I grew up in, kids are under new and more varied pressures than I was ever under, and it’s really important that they have outlets and opportunities to be creative and expressive. Otherwise it stays inside, and life gets tough as a kid if you've not got a way to be completely open with how you feel. And we’re British, which means we’re not particularly good at telling each other how we feel!

So music can be this incredibly efficient system for kids to express themselves without feeling they’re going to be criticised or analysed. They’re just going to make something to let that expression out. They also have the pride in themselves that they've created something, learned something and achieved something. And instruments are integral to that."

Instrument Amnesty