🎻 "Liberate the Music!" — Why Sarnia de la Maré FRSA Believes Musical Education Belongs to Everyone
In an age where knowledge has never been more accessible, it is profoundly frustrating—no, infuriating—to see music education gatekept behind paywalls, locked into PDFs sold for profit, or tucked away in overpriced subscription platforms. Sarnia de la Maré FRSA, founder of the Sarnia de la Maré Academy of Arts, calls for the liberation of traditional music knowledge. And she’s not whispering.
“Technique is not a luxury,” she says. “It’s a right.”
The Theft of What Was Already Ours
So much of what young musicians need to grow—scales, traditional songs, folk repertoire, foundational exercises—is in the public domain. These pieces of music, some handed down through generations, others printed in 19th-century primers now gathering dust in libraries, were once freely shared among communities. They weren’t products. They were part of the commons.
And yet, in today’s digital landscape, we see this same material repackaged, monetized, and sold back to the very communities it came from. PDFs of public domain songs marked up to £9.99, YouTube tutorials kept behind paywalls, or “exclusive” access to scales that have been taught in every violin lesson since the days of Leopold Mozart.
“It’s not just about money,” says Sarnia. “It’s about access. If a young musician is inspired by a tune on the radio or a folk melody they heard at a festival, they should be able to find the dots, the technique, the cultural context—without entering their credit card number.”
Commodifying Culture Is Not Innovation
There’s a dangerous trend in music tech and edutainment where culture is sliced into chunks, branded, and sold as though it were newly invented. This repackaging of old knowledge as "premium content" undermines the very spirit of music education. It forgets that music was always taught around fires, in family homes, at community gatherings—places where money didn’t determine whether you got to play.
When we fence off musical knowledge, we not only exclude—but we homogenize. Creativity shrinks when access is controlled.
A Call for Radical Openness
Sarnia’s Academy champions a different philosophy. One that respects the lineage of musical tradition by keeping its doors wide open. Free tutorials. Open-source sheet music. Multimedia lessons based on collaboration and creativity, not extraction and exclusivity.
She believes that the joy of discovering a traditional Scottish fiddle reel, a 17th-century cello etude, or a basic exercise for left-hand agility should never be stifled by capitalism. These are not products. They’re pathways—towards confidence, mastery, and joy.
“Music saved my life more than once,” Sarnia says. “I won’t stand by while someone turns it into a commodity for the few.”
What Needs to Happen Now
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Public Music Libraries Online – A free, searchable, beautifully presented digital archive of traditional songs, public domain pieces, and technical exercises for all major instruments.
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Creative Commons Scores & Media – Encourage musicians and educators to license new work under Creative Commons to keep knowledge flowing.
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Community Contribution Platforms – Like open-source software, let musicians worldwide contribute and improve educational resources together.
Join the Movement
If you believe that music is a human right, not a luxury—if you want to see young people inspired, empowered, and playing without limits—share this message. Link to free resources. Offer your own. Teach generously.
Let’s return music to the people it belongs to: everyone.
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✍️ Sarnia de la Maré FRSA
Musician. Educator. Agitator. Founder of the Sarnia de la Maré Academy of Arts
