Alexis led masterclasses this week with 100 schoolchildren at Steinway as part of unique learning opportunities for RTM grantee schools in London

Restore The Music has announced today that world-class, chart-topping pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench will join forces with the national grant giving music charity as Ambassador, to support the organisation as it increases access to music education in schools in some of the most underserved parts of the UK.

Last week, as part of the unique learning opportunities Restore The Music (RTM) provides to its Grantee Schools, Alexis led two masterclasses at the world-famous Steinway & Sons in central London with 100 primary and secondary aged London schoolchildren. The masterclasses were a result of RTM’s existing partnership with Steinway & Sons, Sony Music’s UK Social Justice Fund and Sony Classical. On the day, Alexis delivered a priceless opportunity for learning as he demonstrated on the Steinway Concert Grand model D piano. He collaborated with the young people, using a combination of Steinway grand piano, tech and improvisation to record the children’s song, rap and spoken word to create a unique song and performance at the end of each masterclass.

A passionate advocate for music education, Alexis Ffrench is one of the UK’s most distinctive and ground-breaking artists, who pioneered the genre ‘Classical Soul’ and has amassed over 1 billion streams of his catalogue on Sony Classical.

Since inception in 2013, Restore The Music has awarded nearly £2.4 million across 130 state schools in London, Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester, giving vital access to 30,000 musical instruments and equipment to 100,000 children aged 4-18 in some of the most deprived areas of the UK. Helping to unlock musical potential and enabling those most in need to be enriched by the transformative power of music.

Alexis Ffrench said “It is an honour to be invited to join Restore The Music as an Ambassador. I am passionate about universal access to music education, regardless of background, and I firmly believe in the transformative power of music. Experiencing the joy and energy from a room full of young people expressing themselves through music is incredibly inspiring, and I am delighted to join Polly and her colleagues in their mission as they bring instruments and music education to hundreds of schools nationwide.”

Polly Moore, CEO and Founder of Restore The Music said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Alexis Ffrench as Ambassador of Restore The Music. His passion for music education absolutely aligns and chimes with our purpose, which is to increase access to music for more kids. The masterclasses Alexis led at Steinway demonstrated how skilled he is not just as a creative master, but as a teacher, and to witness his rare ability to connect with the young people was magical. We believe music has the power to transform children’s futures and we are determined to continue safeguarding those futures and the UK’s creative economy through investment at the very grassroots entry point of the talent pipeline. We want to thank our music partners Sony Music’s UK Social Justice Fund and Sony Classical, who have helped to provide the external investment and support we so sorely need, and Steinway & Sons for collaborating with us every year on our masterclasses to bring unique learning opportunities to the London schools that RTM supports.”

Restore The Music will host its annual VIP Gala Dinner Fundraiser on 16th May, for more information on how to secure one of the last tables contact polly@restorethemusicuk.com .

RTM will also be opening its bi-annual funding round to primary and secondary schools in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle on 13th May until the deadline on 3rd June, go to restorethemusicuk.com/grants for more information.

Participating London schools at the RTM, Alexis Ffrench and Steinway & Sons masterclasses were primary schools: Harris Garrard Academy (Bexley), Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace (Bromley), Harris Primary Academy Croydon, and secondary schools: Archbishop Lanfranc (Croydon), Oakwood School (Hillingdon), Eastlea Community School (Newham), Lilian Baylis Tech College (Lambeth), Ark Walworth Academy (Southwark), Mulberry Academy Woodside (Haringey), Harris City Academy Crystal Palace (Croydon) and Beacon High School (Islington).