St Andrews Music Participation (StAMP) is a music education project in Fife that aims to support and invigorate the cultural heritage of brass playing in schools, in the community, and across the world. The project is a partnership between the University of St Andrews Laidlaw Music Centre, Fife Music Service, Fife Brass Bands and The Wallace Collection
Historically connected to industry, Fife has a long and established tradition of brass bands with over 130 in existence in the nineteenth century. Though many of the pits, mines and factories have closed, the music continues to this day with eight active bands operating in the region. The aims of StAMP are:
- to raise aspiration, attainment and improve health and wellbeing by providing opportunities for children to participate in joyful music making
- to build strong, sustainable and supportive partnerships with schools and community groups across Fife that can nurture future music makers
- to refresh and reinvigorate brass bands across Fife
- to develop innovative methods of delivery and resources for supporting brass performance
- to provide inspirational performance opportunities to young brass players across Fife
- to research and disseminate the project’s impacts both socially and artistically, as well as create opportunities for others to learn about delivering community music projects
