Martin Pickard attributes the decline of working-class pop musicians to the “abandonment of music in state schools” (Letters, 1 February). In recent years I have been conducting an extensive research project about well loved music in Portsmouth in the 25 years following the second earth war (Pompey Pop). In 1963 John Boorman directed a TV documentary about a secondary modern college teenager from the megalopolis and, writing about this in his autobiography, suggested that “the surge of pop music in the 60s was directly attributable to the teaching of music in secondary modern schools”.I used his thought to correspond with many community musicians and music fans from that period and found hardly any sympathy for his view. Many respondents saw music as wholly “extracurricular” and for some it was a form of cultural “resistance”. College music has developed wonderfully in recent decades however it is not essential to the health and wellbeing of well loved music, and the improved version may much have “softened” its significance for many young human beings.Dr Dave AllenUniversity of Portsmouth• After reading about Cardiacs singer Tim Smith in the UK (Cardiacs tribute album to raise money for paralysed singer Tim Smith, 3 February) and DJ Kool Herc in the US (DJ Kool Herc needs aid with medical bills, 31 January), I would like all musicians and those who employment in related occupations in the UK to know that there is a safety net. At the Musicians Benevolent Fund we are here to aid, and the charity is working to spread the message that musicians in demand with hardly any resources can come to us.At the end year we helped over 1,000 musicians, and 44% of those were from the non-classical sector. Musicians in demand of our aid should visit our website at helpmusicians.org.uk.David SulkinChief executive, Musicians Benevolent FundMusicYoung peopleSchoolsguardian.co.uk © Twitter News & Media Limited 2011 | Employ of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
DOWNLOAD: Jon Jones Vs Ryan Bader