Tom Sherman is one of our team of excellent lead musicians, and has led many special schools projects with Jessie’s Fund for more than a decade. We asked him a few questions about his work with children who have special needs (SEND).

As a musician, how did you come to specialise in working with children with SEND?
During my third year at music college, I applied to the Live Music Now! scheme as part of a trio. During the following two or three years I worked in many different community settings as part of the scheme and discovered I really enjoyed working with young people in SEND settings. From that point I began to specialise, and came across Jessie’s Fund.

What do you find most inspiring about this work?
Young people have huge capacity for creativity – they are able to experiment and improvise without restraint. At their best, the shared musical experiences I’ve been a part of have left me feeling musically, creatively, and emotionally fulfilled.

What do you find most challenging?
The mental and emotional energy required to lead a creative, engaging and positive music session, on top of the physical demands of playing instruments and singing, is often exhausting!

How do you think music can help the general learning process for children in special schools?
Music is communication. For any young person, whatever their needs, communicating thoughts and feelings can be challenging and frustrating. Music can remove this frustration by becoming the means for communication itself. The positive effects of music for young people’s well-being can also engender a relaxed and open state of mind perfect for learning.

What advice would you have for a musician who would like to do this sort of work?
To begin with, try volunteering for charities that do this sort of work – often paid opportunities will follow- and as is the case in other parts of the music industry, work begets work. If you have a specific idea for a project you can also seek your own funding from organisations such as Youth Music and the Arts Council.