Midlothian Council is planning to end one-to-one music tuition in primary schools. As Mark McLaughlin discovers, many people will miss out

The Facebook campaign currently has more than 1,300 members, while an online petition has more than 600 signatories, but it's not just Midlothian where music tuition in schools is at risk.

The proposals come against a backdrop of cuts in council's Instrumental Music Services – a bank of full and part-time music tutors – across the Lothians, which will in many cases mean the end of one-to-one lessons.

Edinburgh City Council cut the budget for its service by five per cent this year and is still struggling to find the required savings, leading to new proposals to axe five instructor posts and restrict the time each school can spend on music tuition, though five primary schools which previously had no share of the service will now have an allocation.

And West Lothian Council has just announced proposals to make 310,000 of savings from their instrumental music service by 2014.

The Midlothian petition has been signed by dozens of national and local notables including celebrated composer John Maxwell Geddes, director of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland Neil Cross, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama tutors John Kenny and David Thornton, local composers Jim Sutherland and Rebecca Rowe as well as scores of pupils, former pupils and parents of pupils at Midlothian schools.

All of the signatories say reductions in provision of early years music tuition will affect not only the children, but the tutors and society as a whole.

Professor Bill Whyte, professor of social work studies in criminal and youth justice at the University of Edinburgh, has children who are now pursuing musical careers following tuition in Midlothian schools.

He said: "They would never have had the confidence to do this without the exceptional contribution of the Midlothian staff. Cutting back on music in an area of 'mixed' social background is extremely short sighted and will impact across the whole social spectrum, from children struggling at school who find compensation in music to opening doors to professional careers for children who would never think this possible unless they had gone to specialist and private education.

"This is exactly what state comprehensive education should be doing for young people across social class. Do not underestimate Midlothian's achievement over the years. Lose it and it will take generations to rebuild. I have PhD students studying the impact of music in prisons – it can be an amazing medium for social inclusion when done well."

Many successful musicians started learning their instruments at school, including Fin Wilson, who has toured for over twenty years with local bands including Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, Angelfish and Isa & The Filthy Tongues.

Without the help and encouragement of the one-to-one tuition he received, he may never have got that chance.

He said: "I learned to play bass at school thanks to a really enthusiastic teacher who helped to run the school orchestra, and gave one-to-one tuition to the kids who were in bands.

"I'm pleased that my own children currently receive one-to-one tuition at school as it's a pretty vital service. Many parents can't afford to buy instruments so the only time their children will be able to get their hands on one is at school, and it would be a shame if children were denied that opportunity."

While children stand to lose out on music tuition the tutors themselves stand to lose out on a livelihood, as rocker Fish can attest. He has spent over 30 years trying to make money out of music, first with Marillion and later as a solo act.

He said: "As a vocalist I didn't receive any kind of formal tuition in school, but I have friends who supplement their incomes by doing music tuition.

"If these cuts are imposed I would imagine there would be less work to go around for these guys, so it's not just the children who will suffer but the adult musicians as well."

However, Rod Spark, who runs Loanhead's Groove Tunnel studios and plays Hammond organ in up-and-coming mod revival band Modus, said that while one-to-one tuition offers fantastic encouragement to youngsters, its withdrawal probably won't spell the end of musical talent in the Lothians.

He said: "I'm actually surprised children get one-to-one tuition in schools these days. When I started it was all group lessons, with most of the children with no sense of rhythm banging away out of time, so it was a pretty awful experience.

"The kind of music they were playing wasn't my kind of music though, so I wasn't really interested. My mum played piano so she taught me at home and then I pursued my own musical interests after school.

"In hindsight, I'm sure one-to-one tuition would have helped me immensely, and we get kids in all the time at the studio who have received one-to-one and they're fantastic players.

"However, music tuition isn't any different from English or Maths, and parents who want their children to do well will pay for private tuition at home.

"But the beauty of music is that kids that really want to play will always find a way. That's how it was with me, despite a lack of school tuition, and now music is my life."