Billboard singer Natalie La Rose teaches songwriting at a Noord primary school

Singer, dancer and DJ Natalie La Rose, 39, is running an after-school music programme at De Vijf Sterren primary school in Noord.

Her 2015 song Somebody made the American Billboard Hot 100, but she has put her US career on hold to be near her family in Amsterdam.

She runs the course with her partner Alain Lagger, 50, a former police officer who later worked with young people in Mexico, the United States and Colombia.

Six weeks to write, record and film a song

Seventeen pupils are taking part in Rise N Shine, a six-week course in which they write, rehearse and record their own song, film a video clip and then present their work at a school showcase after the holiday.

La Rose first ran the programme at a school in Los Angeles, where she lives, after losing her voice forced her to take a break.

She hopes her experience will help young singers and dancers be better prepared for what lies ahead.

Head teacher Mariska Hendriks says meeting a star up close makes success feel within reach for the children.

Fancy singing yourself? Here is where to find a choir or lesson in Amsterdam.

Source: Het Parool