South Eastern Music Centre

The declared mission of the Music Centre is to make music accessible as a potential life-long activity and interest. In a spirit of partnership and interdependence it strives to enable talented and promising pupils and students to make friends with music and to make friends through music.

The South Eastern Music Centre is headquartered in the market town of Ballynahinch, in the heart of County Down, where it was established in 1968 by the Board's first Music Adviser, David Newham. Currently, District Music Centres operate one evening per week in Bangor, Castlereagh, Downpatrick and Lisburn.

With approximately 2,750 orchestral and band instruments, which have to be maintained and repaired regularly, the Music Centre currently supports :

• 122 schools per week in the delivery of music through instrumental teaching - in schools
• a further 70 of so schools per annum through Staff Concerts in Schools ( strings, brass and woodwind ), for pupils in key stages 1 and 2 classes - in schools.
• around 200 pupils per week from various schools through instrumental teaching at beginners', lower grades and advanced levels - in the 4 District Music Centres.
• around 730 instrumental pupils per week from various schools in orchestras and bands - in the four district centres ( junior level ) and at the Music Centre (training, intermediate and senior levels ).
  

The Director of the Music Centre is responsible to the Board through a Senior Education Officer, and is assisted by :

• 4 instrumental Heads of Departments
• 4 District Co-ordinators
• 11 other full-time tutors
• around 65 part-time tutors
• 1 Administrator with an office staff of 2 other full-time and 1 part-time members