Yamaha has given a three-year package of financial help to the Federation of Music Services (FMS), an organisation of more than 120 local music services which have banded together to safeguard and improve levels of access, opportunity and quality. FMS is particularly worried about the future of music service funding after April 2002, when the current arrangements from the Standards Fund finish. Yamaha’s pound;15,000 will enable FMS to lobby the DFEE and te Department of Culture, Media and Sport on the vital importance of proper funding for school music services.

Yamaha has also just named piper Annie Grant as Scottish Instrumental Teacher of the Year. She is a teacherpiping instrumental instructor at the Cowal Schools (Dunoon Grammar and feeder primaries) in the Argyll and Bute region. Yamaha, Sherbourne Drive, Tilbrook, Milton Keynes MK7 8BL, tel: 01908 366700.

Victoria Neumark