Thanks to Nathan Aké, a Premier League football player, and the Playing for Change programme, six schools in Manchester will receive digital pianos
Nathan Aké, a football player, is involved in the new Playing for Change initiative, which involves 10 digital pianos being handed to Manchester area schools. “Being able to play the piano has been really beneficial for me. It has helped me relax after a long day at football and supported my mental health,” says Nathan Aké, a centre back for Manchester City. “Children who may not have previously benefited from music education, including some of Manchester’s most impoverished children, will now have that opportunity.”
Aké became an advocate for the advantages of studying an instrument after taking piano lessons during the initial Covid shutdown in 2020.
Casio CDP-S110 digital pianos are being donated to East Manchester Academy, Marlborough Road Primary Academy, Dukesgate Academy, Abraham Moss Community School, Our Lady RC High School, and Salford City Academy by the music charity Restore the Music and instrument manufacturer Casio Music.
Among local authorities in England, Manchester City Council has the third-highest rate of child poverty. These pianos are going to be sent to city schools that don’t have enough money for music education.
