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I agree entirely with Sue Hallam that every primary school child should have access to a high-quality musical education (“Music must take centre stage ...” September 24), but she justifies it for all the wrong reasons. It’s not primarily about “increasing listening and concentration skills”, “improving phonic awareness”, “making a positive impact on spatial reasoning” or “promoting teamwork and self-confidence”. It’s about introducing children to a very important part of their cultural heritage, about giving them experiences which they find enjoyable and about enhancing their lives as children in the here and now. Music serves purposes that are intrinsic, not instrumental (no pun intended).

Professor Colin Richards, Spark Bridge, Cumbria.