I try hard to imagine Mr Gove in the throes of bliss, passion, excitement, empathy, self-expression, emotion, sensitivity, creativity and fun, but I cannot. I suspect it's because he doesn't seem to give a toss about music. There won't be much room left for it in his nth total upheaval of the exam system and his Ebacc. It's not just me tearing my hair out at the squeezing out of the subject that encourages multiple skills and virtues, including even Gove's favourites: rigour, co-operation, concentration and strict discipline. Famous musicians and music teachers are also panicking.
Perhaps I've got him wrong. Perhaps Gove has the odd dance himself, perhaps he has heart and soul and even plays an instrument. The trouble is, he doesn't seem to care whether everyone else has a chance or not. And they need and want one.
Look at your country, Govey. It's bursting with people wanting music, joining choirs, singing their hearts out, in front of Gareth Malone, behind Tom Jones, for their army spouses, their towns, their friends, their teams and themselves. They want to sing, play in bands, groups, orchestras and Sistema Scotland. They want to listen to music non-stop. You see them, running around with iPods glued to their ears.
Why? Because music is a vital part of life, as any fule kno. But it needs skill, practice and opportunity, which means instruments, teachers, lessons, time and space. But how are we all to get an equal chance at it except at school? Free loan of instruments and free lessons have almost gone. Only the wealthy can afford them.
Gove is frittering away his budget on Academies, rather than more music and a decent, rounded education for everyone. I might easily go mad with despair, if I didn't have music to turn to. Lucky me, I have that option. Soon hardly anyone will.
