A PRIMARY school has become one of just seven schools to join a pioneering youth music project.

West Heslerton Primary School has teamed up with the Connect: Resound project to test how technology from video streaming to social networking sites can provide long-distance music teaching.

As part of the project, led by youth music charity NYMAZ, North Yorkshire County music service teachers will work with schools to show how they have adapted their skills to teach pupils over the internet.

Heidi Johnson, director at NYMAZ, said that in a rural areas such as Ryedale would benefit especially well from online tuition.

She said: “Living in such a rural county we are aware of how transport times and costs can limit the music opportunities available.

“We believe that digital technologies may have the answer and hope to find a cost-efficient and high quality solution that can benefit children in North Yorkshire and across the rest of the country.”

Hawes Primary School in Richmondshire and Selby Primary School are the only two other schools in this county that will be working with the project.

Heidi said: “We believe this innovative approach could have an enormous impact on the interaction and quality of experience for both young people and music leaders.”