Queen Maxima of The Netherlands signs agreement to promote musical education

Queen Maxima of The Netherlands has signed an important agreement as a part of her efforts to promote music education at the schools in the country.

Queen Maxima participated in the signing of the Music Agreement Hoeksche Waard, a local cooperation agreement for music education at primary schools in the western region. The agreement should lead to structural music education for 7,500 primary school students in Hoeksche Waard. ⠀ ⠀

The signing took place during a musical meeting in Puttershoek on Tuesday, during which some of the students gave performances while other children and parents joined the meeting online. Pictures from the meeting were released by the Dutch royal court on its Instagram account, which showed the 49-year-old watching as a student played the accordion.

The agreement is part of the Méér Muziek in de Klas room (More Music in Classroom) program of the Méér Muziek in de Klas foundation, of which the Dutch queen is honorary president. The mother-of-three works with 18 other ambassadors to champion musical education.

"Music provides a structural basis for empathy, social bonding, quality of life, creativity, listening to each other and being open to differences. Music is everywhere, it is part of our daily life. In the classroom, it creates a positive school climate, in which students coordinate with each other. Music in the classroom is therefore not an optional choice, but necessary!" reads the More Music in Classroom Foundation's website. The organisation aims to provide structural music education to all 1.6 million primary school children in the Netherlands.

For the visit to the school, the Dutch royal was dressed in a white asymmetric blouse with a statement oversized bow on one shoulder, and blue bootcut denim jeans. She also carried a white and blue linen scarf and accessorised with some loose gold chain bracelets. The royal completed her outfit with a black leather clutch and a pair of navy blue stilettos.

After the signing ceremony organised by the foundation's ambassador Buddy Vedder, Maxima spoke with the board members of various music schools about the state of musical education in South Holland, the province where Hoeksche Waard is located and discussed how the co-operation can help the schools in moving forward.