Category: Education

  • Response to ‘How do we get music teachers the CPD that they want?’

    My response to John Kelleher’s http://www.teacherandmusician.com/2015/08/how-do-we-get-music-teachers-the-cpd-that-they-want.html/#more-692 I think Music teachers need to see a wider variety of activities as CPD – not just formally organised events (that often cost a lot of money… how much is the average INSET course per day?). Joining a choir and being rehearsed by excellent practitioners (such as Simon Halsey and…

  • Are Art and Music so different? (Guest Editorial)

    Editorial for TeachTalkMusic can be found here: https://teachtalkmusic.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/are-art-and-music-so-different/?utm_content=buffer648c0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Thanks to David Ashworth for the invitation. Text of the Editorial is printed below. Are Art and Music so different? Art happens unexpectedly. No one expected the British artists of Emin’s generation to become famous like they did – least of all, I suspect, their art teachers.…

  • Keep being taught to learn

    “Musical Futures is a global movement that transforms, engages and inspires people through making music that is meaningful to them; the festival builds on its aims to create exciting, innovative, tried-and-tested learning methods and approaches which are based on the way self-taught musicians learn. Dedicated to providing hands-on training and resources, the Music Learning Revolution…

  • How important is planning composing at GCSE?

    I spent a lovely afternoon meeting the Music Department at the Stephen Perse Foundation Senior School. We discussed approaches to developing free composition skills at GCSE and reflected on the value of pre-planning; how much is useful, necessary? I wondered if the more one plans *before* the actual composing does it speed up or limit…

  • Composing water at GCSE and A-level

    There regularly seems to be a composition brief about water. Many composers have attempted to capture unending, unpredictable and delicate water and it remains a challenge to do well. You can hear perhaps the most famous example of a river in music <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdtLuyWuPDs”>here</a&gt;. Notice how the river is established musically (the flowing water manifests…

  • TTM Video

    Do share this video with other music teachers in London https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sDJDf8ThQQ8 – “Heard about Teach Through Music? We’re recruiting our final places for KS3 music teachers who want to get involved in this unique CPD opportunity for the year 2014-15. Funded by the Department for Education and the Mayor of London, Teach Through Music is a…

  • CPD through Music

    I took up singing lessons a year ago. I’m always on the hunt for a new endeavour and something that can feed my musical self as well as provide me with new ideas and repertoire for my own teaching. There’s something quite unique about being taught an instrument or voice as you form a very…

  • We’re still musicians

    I am always thrilled to meet a new group of music teachers when leading an INSET course; it reminds me how valuable it is for us to get together and share our thoughts, worries and most importantly our successes. More than most subjects we can be rather isolated as a teacher of Music, having a…

  • Engaging young people with new music

    Two things always surprise me about using ‘new’ music with my classes; one, they consistently will describe it as ‘odd’ and secondly they will question its value as ‘music’. It makes me smile every time. With scientific precision pupils will find much ‘contemporary’ music to be unattractive. Something changes though, if I introduce the music.…

  • Watford Festival 2014

    I had a wonderful  afternoon meeting a few young composers who had entered the Watford Music and Drama Festival Composition Class of 2014. There is always a buzz when you’re about to hear a piece performed for the first time, and it was pleasing to hear live performances of the works for the most part.…