Young rappers 'buzzing' after surprise Ed Sheeran visit

The music superstar Ed Sheeran has met young people and teachers during a visit to Belfast.

His visit to the city was part of the launch of the Ed Sheeran foundation, which supports the teaching of music in schools.

It aims to improve access to music for young people by providing instruments and opportunities for performances.

Ed Sheeran visited music organisations in Belfast alongside Snow Patrol star Gary Lightbody.

During his trip, he spent time at three music organisations in Belfast which his foundation will provide support to.

They include the Oh Yeah Music Centre and Hotbox Entertainment, which works with young musicians and rappers from its studio in west Belfast.

James Ayo of Hotbox said that the Ed Sheeran Foundation's backing would enable them to support recordings and performances by around 50 musicians.

Sheeran also spent time with young people at Drake Music NI, a charity which helps adults and children of all abilities make music.

Gary Lightbody has also previously supported the charity.

Dylan Magee-Brownlee, aka Squire, told BBC News NI that he is still "buzzing" from the experience.

The 19-year-old from west Belfast described meeting Sheeran and performing back-to-back with him as "a dream".

"He got to hear us perform and that was definitely nerve-wracking. He's someone that I've looked up to for a very, very long time," he said.

"He's one of the reasons why I honestly got into making music. I love how he bends genres, and we actually spoke about that."

Dylan described the availability of opportunities in Northern Ireland for young people trying to get into music as "limited" but he is optimistic about the future after the experience.

"Seeing the change and the want that people have and seeing that drive," he said.

"With stuff like this here, it's not going to take long until we're in the same realm as London."

Dylan's grandmother, who was a fan of Ed Sheeran, died last month and some of his songs were played at the funeral.

"I associate him with that. He helped me though that," he said.

"I said that to him and he was obviously touched.

"It still feels surreal. I've been buzzing the entire day. It's a dream to meet someone of his level, especially to be shown love and the thing that we all love and share in common."

Joseph Robinson, 22, described meeting Ed Sheeran as "one of the best days of my life".

He knew an artist was coming to meet him and the other performers, but he didn't know who it'd be.

"We were waiting and of course the door opens and who walks in, Ed Sheeran. It was crazy... I was starstruck, I'm not going to lie, and I still am," he told BBC News NI.

"As a young artist in a country like Northern Ireland where it's hard to make it, someone like him coming over and showing love is just crazy and I'm forever grateful."

"I'm from Lurgan so there's not a lot going down there... I know the Lurgan community are all buzzed, all loving it, too," he said.

Sheeran watched the artists perform and gave them feedback, Joseph said.

"He loved it all," he added.

"I feel he was a bit starstruck himself with the talent over here. He was loving it. He was jamming it. He actually jumped on the mic himself, which was so surreal being on the same mic.

"Ed Sheeran actually passed me the mic."

Speaking to BBC News NI, Ed Sheeran said that an increasing number of schools across the UK were not offering music lessons to pupils.

Sheeran said that he "wasn't good at any other subjects apart from music" at school and that music gave him "value in myself".

He said that music and the arts are an important export for the UK, and it "seems weird that nobody's putting any importance on the next generation".

He said that it had been "such a buzz coming to see so much young talent in Northern Ireland".

"There is no lack of amazing people and projects there is just a lack of funding and interest," he said.

"Whatever you want to be in life, don't have a plan B," he added.

Sheeran said his message to the young people that he met was "don't be afraid of failure".

"All of the people that I have met today are supremely talented musicians who have what it takes, they just have to focus and not sweat when they have little hiccups here and there."

The day before coming to Belfast, Sheeran had made a surprise appearance during a school concert in Cardiff.

While in Northern Ireland, Sheeran also made a donation of guitars to and met with music teachers from Belfast Boy's Model, Coláiste Feirste and Malone Integrated College.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Gary Lightbody - who was one of the founders of the Oh Yeah Music centre, said that music was "criminally underfunded in Northern Ireland".

Lightbody praised Sheeran's work and said it was "amazing that he has included Northern Ireland".

"We never get included," he added.

"I would have definitely loved at that age, you know 14, 15 years old of having something at school that I could have latched onto."