IF anyone needed reminding how important music is in life, they need only have gone along to the recent concert of Caribbean music given by pupils of Yeoford Primary School.

They have been working with Richard Miners who runs Mid Devon Music based in Copplestone. Yeoford is one of the schools where he tutors regularly, at others he runs workshops.

At Christmas he worked with the school to produce their seasonal CD. Since then they have been looking at the music of the Caribbean - good music to look at in January and February.

At the concert in the village community hall, Richard explained a little of the background to the music to the audience of parents and friends.

He said it had developed through the slaves at the sugar plantations discovering how the hollow sugar cane could be used as bamboo to make music, how metal biscuit tins had led to the steel drums and bands.

All the young people in the school had a part to play. Junior pupils played the small size xylophones, the older ones drumming with long hollow tubes and then the steel pan music.

Among other pieces they played Lazy Day Reggae and The Banana Boat Song. He said how music can help the young people in many ways including learning concentration. They can take their skills with them when they move schools.

Richard said they had learned to play a different instrument each term such as Samba drumming and African drumming.

After half-term they will be playing out of doors when possible and working on drum percussion. So there should be a outside performance at the end of the summer term.

Mid Devon Music Limited was launched three years ago as a way of providing schools with quality curriculum and extra-curricular music making.

It is led by Richard who has been leading music education for 17 years . He was a session musician for 20 years working with some of the top names.

Mid Devon Music aims to deliver quality musical experiences for pupils and communities of all ages, allowing students to develop, discover, enjoy and celebrate all types of music.

Sue Read