A MUSIC roadshow which is touring the country arrives in the North-East next week.

The Lloyds TSB Live music bus, a fully-adapted double decker, is designed to give schoolchildren the chance to explore the new role of technology in creating and recording music.

The bus will be at Longfield Comprehensive School in Darlington on Tuesday, when pupils will get the chance to cut their own compact disc.

The vehicle carries a wide range of musical equipment provided by Roland and MEC.

The workshop, run by three professionals, will allow children to use new technology to compose six pieces of music.

Andrea Whisker, music teacher at Longfield, said the difficult part was deciding which pupils could take part.

She said: "It was a case of trying to work out who would enjoy it the most and it's been very hard to choose a group because they'd all enjoy it.

"This will be a chance for them to experience technology that we haven't got in school.

"They love composing in the classroom and this will give them the chance to do something as a group. Getting the chance to make a CD doesn't happen very often."