Schools queue up for music.

More than 2,000 schools are set to sign up for National Music Week

by Ben Cardew

National Music Week organisers expect more than 2,000 schools in total to sign up for the event following a rapid response to initial publicity.

The initiative, a collaboration between the BPI, Era (formerly Bard) and the Government's Music Manifesto, to educate school children in England about the music industry, closes its first phase of registration today (Monday), with around 1,700 schools already signed up, representing approximately 1.26m pupils.

Schools can still register to participate on the official website, www.nationalmusicweek.net, albeit with a small administrative charge and Marc Jaffrey, who oversees the Government's music education policy as Music Manifesto champion, says he expects this initial wave of enthusiasm to continue.

"We have had an unprecedented response," he says. "We had a figure of 750 schools minimum to sign up when we started the campaign and we have been thrilled with the response. We are expecting 40% of all secondary schools in England to eventually sign up, more than 2,000 schools in total, by the time the event starts on October 16."

Jaffrey adds that the initiative, which provides pupils with tokens that can be redeemed in shops for a CD featuring one of 10 new tracks and teachers with educational material, has been very well received by the schools that have already registered.