A rock school for girls is launching a course to encourage teenage girls to rock out and have fun with music.

A rock school for girls is launching a course to encourage teenage girls to rock out and have fun with music.

Girls R LOUD has run monthly rock schools for young women at Access to Music in Norwich for the last two years, but is now hosting a 10-week run of Saturday sessions.

The scheme is run by an all-female team of professional musicians, who aim to give girls the opportunity to express themselves musically in a safe and supportive environment.

'Two of us set up the course in 2008 because we were both musicians and we realised there were still some big differences between the numbers of boys getting into music and the numbers of girls,' said drummer Cath Evans.

'We wanted to give girls a space without some of the ego you can get with other male-dominated schools, and give them a real confidence-boosting enjoyable fun experience.'

The course aims to get girls writing original material, playing new and different styles of music, and trying out a range of musical instruments that they might not have had the chance to try before.

'We have had girls singing live on stage for the first time,' said Ms Evans. 'It's amazing the confidence boost that can give someone when they try something new and hear themselves making good music.'

Teenagers will also train in rehearsal, recording and production techniques, and the course aims to support external music lessons by showing students how the work they do in lessons can be applied in practical situations.

The 10-week course began on Saturday October 2 and is open for girls to drop in and out and attend as many sessions as they like.

Sessions take place at Access to Music on King Street, Norwich, every Saturday from 2pm to 5pm and cost �20 each. They are open to girls aged 11 to 17 with any amount of experience

For more information, contact Charlotte on 07900 491807, email girlsrloudrockschool2008@hotmail.co.uk or search for girlsrloud Rockschool on Facebook.

Are you setting up a course to teach people new skills? Contact reporter Mary Hamilton on 01603 772418 or email mary.hamilton@archant.co.uk.