Ed Sheeran launches new music foundation [Video]

LONDON –

Ed Sheeran wants people to take music in schools seriously.

The British singer-songwriter has set up a foundation to ensure that kids in the U.K. get access to “high-quality” music education.

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Sheeran started writing songs from a young age, after encouragement from a teacher, and says he wants to help plug the gap left by reduced arts funding. To support the launch of the foundation, the Grammy-winner is visiting schools and youth groups in Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Addressing a group of pupils in Wales on Thursday, alongside his songwriting partner Amy Wadge, Sheeran said that music should be treated as a legitimate career option.

“Britain has this sort of thing where it’s pushing people towards being bankers or like working in tech or finance or like all this sort of stuff,” said Sheeran.

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