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Apocalypse now for music education in Wales and England?
Music education in many places in Wales is in a dreadful state, and the situation doesn’t seem likely to improve any time soon. The Welsh Assembly Government’s long-awaited music education review was published six months ago now, and yet very little’s happened since.
You can read more about this in my article (see below to download) which has now been published in Music Education UK (it’s a version of an article first published in Sounding Board last month, see other blog post).
In the same magazine, there’s with an article from Mark Jaffrey (previously Music Manifesto Champion for England) in which he describes the situation for music education in England as ‘a burning platform’.
It’s all doom and gloom when you look at the strategic picture, yet in classrooms, community centres, music centres, youth centres and studios, the amazing work that’s happening is changing children and young people’s lives. How long will that continue though?
It would be a start if the larger organisations involved in children and young people’s music-making pulled together and showed some strong leadership and truly open-minded collaboration: across sectors (youth work, arts, education, community development) and perhaps even across borders.
Easier said than done, of course, but as Mark Jaffrey says, “A strong national body that had parents, school music teachers, head teachers and wider child development and educational experts alongside community and instrumental musicians and tutors would go a long way to seeing off the threats … If we can’t work together to make this happen, what hope is there of working together in hubs locally?”
Here are the articles: the first pdf is a shortened version of the magazine containing both articles, the second a fuller one with an editorial intro, news pages, etc (but you’ll still need to subscribe at www.musiceducationuk.com to get the full-length version).
Music Education UK June 2011 excerpt – short version
Music Education UK June 2011 excerpt – longer version
Photo: Arts Active’s Music Mix project at St David’s Hall. Photographer: Chris Dawson.
Henley Music Ed Review – ten days to go
This is what seems to be going on online. I’d say a great place for people to start if they want to formulate a strong message is the Music Manifesto original reports.
Forum debates
Teaching music website forum debate – http://www.teachingmusic.org.uk/forum
Jonathan Savage’s website – http://jsavage.org.uk/?p=977
Musical Futures – http://musicalfutures.posterous.com/henley-music-education-review-its-not-just-ab
Organisations’ early responses
National Association of Music Educators have created an initial discussion document: http://www.name.org.uk/node/2629
Music Education Council hope to post their response before the 1 Nov deadline: http://twitter.com/#!/mectweets
Cultural learning alliance have published some initial thoughts: http://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/uncategorized/launch-of-the-henley-music-education-review-%E2%80%93-have-your-say
John Witchell has given his initial views: http://www.teachingmusic.org.uk/mod/blog/blogitem.aspx?lngBlogID=1
Media/blogs
http://www.teachers.tv/news/76292
http://thinkpolitics.co.uk/tpblogs/teachertalks/ - see Sept 26 article
http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/news/31467/Government-orders-a-review-of-music-in-schools
http://jsavage.org.uk/?p=977
Inspirational teachers needed …
My daughter’s first experience of music lessons in school could so easily have been her last.
She was excited that she would be learning drumming – and so was I. All those creative possibilities: developing a love of rhythm, getting a feel for that primal effect it has, learning how rhythm changes our feelings, our mood, so dramatically. But it was not to be.
After about six weeks, she came home in tears, refusing to go any more. The reason? It took me a while to figure out, but in the end it came down to something really simple.
The tutor just wasn’t that keen on teaching, or on kids. Although a pleasant enough person to speak to (as an adult), teaching music to kids clearly wasn’t his first love. It really showed. It showed through the way my daughter spoke about him, and it showed in the way she felt about her lessons.
If only someone had told him he wasn’t cut out for this (although I’m sure he knows: for him it’s probably something to supplement his other music work). Not least the person who interviewed him for the job.
Thankfully, my daughter persevered. With the help of an inspiring, funny and enthusiastic violin teacher, who has the kids eating out of his hands, she’s continuing with school music lessons. But it was a close call. It could have turned her off making music for life.
In ‘The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything‘ Ken Robinson argues that we all need to find our ‘element’ – to achieve all that we’re capable of, by finding what we’re passionate about.
Children’s musical experiences are too important to be left to people who are doing this just because they can. The best music tutors are those who do it because they *must*.
