In the past, our students and teachers have enjoyed visiting care homes to play for the residents. This was well received by the homes and provided a great experience for our children. Unfortunately the pandemic meant that these visit were stopped, and it's something we would now like to return to.

In those previous visits, we found it necessary to take a small digital piano with us, as there wasn’t an piano available, or it was a very old and unreliable instrument. We had no problem in providing this, but it did mean that the sound wasn’t ideal, and we were a little limited in the level we could perform to.

With this in mind, we are working with Park Pianos in Atherton to place high-quality pianos in up to five care homes in Bolton. Students are raising funds through a sponsored practice streak, called 'Streak Weeks', where they have to add a sticker to their calendar for every day they make progress, and we are hoping their friends and family will support them and donate to this excellent cause!

The benefits of having a piano in a communal area in a care home are huge. Many studies suggest that music is a powerful tool in the care of dementia, and our students are already asking when they can go perform on the pianos once they are in place! A good quality instrument will also mean our concert performer Madalina Rusu will be able to work her musical magic.