When Ed Sheeran launched his foundation in January 2025, he said something that stuck with me: "Music education has shaped who I am." He talked about how a supportive teacher gave him the confidence to get on stage. How that encouragement changed everything.
Then he said the quiet part out loud: "Learning an instrument and getting up on stage — whether in school or a community club — is now a luxury not every child can afford."
He's right. And it's worse in some places than others.
The Ards Peninsula Problem
I live on the Ards Peninsula. It's beautiful. It's quiet. And if you're a kid who wants to learn music, there's almost nothing here for you.
No youth music clubs. No affordable community programmes. No space where you can just turn up, pick up an instrument, and make noise without someone handing you a bill.
The schools do what they can. But music teachers are stretched thin — there's been a 56% reduction in music teacher recruitment since 2010. Music hubs have been cut by 36%. The system is broken, and the kids who don't have parents who can pay for private lessons simply miss out.
Mia was lucky. She had a keyboard in her bedroom at age six. She had parents who could afford Trinity exams. She had time and space to practice.
Not everyone gets that.
What Ed Sheeran Got Right
When Sheeran wrote to the Prime Minister in March 2025, he didn't just ask for money. He asked for recognition that music education is cross-departmental — it touches Culture, Education, Health, and the Economy. He pointed out that the UK music industry brings in £7.6 billion a year, but "the next generation is not there to take the reins."
The government listened. In November, they announced the first major changes to the music curriculum in over a decade. The EBacc measure that was squeezing out arts subjects? Scrapped. Music and drama? Being "revitalised."
Keir Starmer wrote back to Sheeran personally: "Creativity isn't a privilege, but a right."
Creativity isn't a privilege, but a right.— Keir Starmer, in response to Ed Sheeran
That phrase hit home.
We'd Already Said It
We'd already put this line on our website months before. It wasn't a slogan — it was a statement of what we believed. Music should be accessible to everyone, not just the kids whose parents can afford it.
But I'll be honest: we weren't doing much about it. We had plans for care home visits and community outreach, but life got busy. The tour calendar filled up. The website needed building. The phrase sat there, looking nice, doing nothing.
Then Google reminded me it existed.
I searched for something unrelated and the AI summary pulled up our philosophy: "Music is Not a Privilege — It's a Right is a core philosophy and statement of purpose associated with Miabella."
And I thought: we should actually do something with this.
Opening the Doors
So here's what we're doing.
We have a studio space. We have instruments. We have a 16-year-old who's walked the path from bedroom keyboard to Trinity Grade 7 to headlining venues across Northern Ireland.
Once a week, we're opening the doors. Free. No catch. No curriculum. No grades.
Just a space where young musicians from the Ards Peninsula can:
- Access instruments they might not have at home
- Connect with other kids who are into music
- Ask questions, experiment, make noise
- See what's possible
This isn't lessons. We're not replacing music teachers — God knows they need more support, not competition. This is just access. A room. Some gear. Someone who's done it saying "you can do this too."
Why This Matters
Mia started with a keyboard in her bedroom. By 14, she had Trinity Grade 7 Piano with Distinction. By 15, she scored 98/100 on her guitar exam. Now she's 16, headlining her own tour, playing Oh Yeah Centre, Black Box, The Portico, Belfast Barge.
None of that happens without access. Without that first instrument. Without someone saying "keep going."
Ed Sheeran put it perfectly: "Without the encouragement I received in school, especially from my music teacher, I wouldn't be a musician today."
We can't fix the whole system. We can't give every kid a music teacher. But we can open a door that might otherwise stay closed.
But opening doors relates to more than just education. It's about confronting the barriers that exist in the live music industry itself—a broken system where independent artists are trapped in a Catch-22.
The Details
What: Open sessions for young musicians (ages 10-17)
Where: Our studio on the Ards Peninsula
When: One session per week (details coming soon)
Cost: Free. Always.
What to expect: Instruments available, space to experiment, no pressure, no curriculum. Come as you are.
If you're a young musician on the Ards Peninsula — or you know one — get in touch. We're starting small, but we're starting.
Because music is not a privilege. It's a right.