A study of 2,000 British adults, commissioned by Yamaha, found that playing an instrument had helped them psychologically cope with restrictions on movement and social gatherings as a result of COVID-19 lockdown measures. Of those surveyed, 86% said that playing a musical instrument had a positive impact on their mental health.
With more time to themselves, it seems that lockdown may have even inspired Brits to learn something new, with a third (32%) saying they had only started playing in the last six months. Of those surveyed who did not play an instrument, nearly half (45%) said they regretted never learning one.
The statistics showed that Wrexham in north Wales, is the most musical town in the country, with a whopping 38% saying they played an instrument. Well-known as a nation of song, Wales’ capital Cardiff had the second largest number of people stating they could play a musical instrument.
On the other end of the scale, the people of Portsmouth are the least musically talented, with only 12% of the city saying they were able to play an instrument. Multi-award winning singer-songwriter Jamie Cullum, hopes that his latest endeavour will benefit both musical maestros and their communities, as the jazz musician has pledged to give away his Yamaha S6 Grand Piano, to one lucky group as part of a nationwide competition.
To be in with a chance of winning the unique piano, which usually costs a staggering £65,000, entrants should write and record an original song telling the story of how their nominated good cause would benefit from winning the piano. This could be a school, a community organisation or charity, essentially, any group that does great work in inspiring and making a great contribution to their local community.
The song will need to be uploaded via Yamaha’s website by the 20 November 2020.
“This phenomenal instrument has been living in my studio for a few years now and I’ve written loads of songs on it, but it’s time to find it a new home,” Jamie Cullum said. “The winning song should tell the story of how the piano will positively impact people’s lives; how it will inspire more music making, more enjoyment and more creativity. I will be judging the song on melody, composition, originality and lyrics.”
Yamaha’s Piano Product Specialist, Phil Power added: “We hope that Jamie’s piano will go on to inspire music making and creativity within the community of the lucky winners. Our ambition is for the piano to make a real difference to the winning organisation, its community and all those who will have access to it.”
The winner of the competition will be selected by Jamie himself once the competition closes and announced via his social media channels on 30 November 2020.