A SUCCESSFUL music school has hit the right note with competition judges after winning a prestigious award.

The Diane Mitchell Music School, which runs classes in Paisley and Barrhead, has been named Music School of the Year in the annual Scotland Prestige Awards.

Founded in 2015, it offers private tuition and group classes to people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Diane Mitchell, founder and director of the music school, said she was “delighted” to receive the award in Edinburgh on behalf of the business.

She added: “I was overwhelmed when I found out we had won, as we had such a hard time during the lockdown period.

“We were really worried during the second lockdown that we were going to have to close permanently because of the lack of financial help.

“We were saved by the discretionary fund from the council that we eventually got. It was such a difficult time but this award has been such a boost.

“It is also a great boost to the staff, who have worked really hard to keep us going.”

Before founding the music school, Diane worked as a primary school teacher in Glasgow and specialised in the piano.

The music school has more than 20 self-employed teachers, who train students how to play a variety of instruments, including drums, violin and saxophone.

As well as offering one-to-one music tuition, the business also runs a variety of group classes designed for children of different age groups.

Diane, 59, said: “I always had a great passion for music and saw the positive impact on children when I taught it in schools.

“It was my dream to open up my own music school and, since then, it’s just grown and grown.”

To find out more, visit www.dianemitchellmusicschool.co.uk.