News13th July 2016
Grammy award-winning British rock band Mumford & Sons are to raise money for ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ Putney Academy’s music department.
Deering Banjo custom designed a banjo for each country the band visited during their sold out May tour. Mumford & Sons are auctioning off one of these banjos in support of ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ Putney’s innovative music programme. They hope the auction will raise £5,000.
ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ Putney’s innovative music programme ensures every child in years 7 and 8 receives extra-curricular singing or instrumental lessons free of charge. Head of Music Frank Marshall said: ‘It’s great to see the students really taking an interest in music from this early stage. Already we have a number of guitar bands forming in year 7 and 8, which I think is a testament to this programme.’
Mumford & Sons have a close relationship with ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ Putney Academy; they’ve supported the school’s music programme in the past and even used the school’s facilities for rehearsal.
Putney students got to see the special banjo live before the auction began. They were then treated to a lesson with professional player Bobby Banjo and got to try out a few skills themselves.
Taig Lee-Salter, a year 10 student, said: ‘I’ve never played a banjo before, but I play guitar so the skills are transferrable. You can really feel the difference playing an instrument of this quality. It’s definitely inspired me to broaden my musical horizons!’
The auction runs up to Tuesday, 19th July.
The banjo has been donated by Deering Banjos. For more information about Deering Banjo’s programme, please read .