You have to seize opportunities, don't you? I did exactly that when my colleague Catherine Miller from Berkshire Maestros called me regarding a conversation that she had had with Lord Black of Brentwood. I said to her: ‘Invite him to Windsor!’ She did just that and together we assembled a panel of music teachers and head teachers from the Berkshire area. We included teachers working in primary, secondary, state and private education, as Miller was keen to have the sector as widely represented as possible. It was a great day and we had a chance to really unpack the issues surrounding music education and also showcase some of the talent in the academy trust that I work for. Windsor Learning Partnership brings together students from Year 1 to Year 13 and I have the unique opportunity to work with them all. Being able to showcase this for Black helped to secure the argument that music is worth fighting for.
So what are the key messages that I took away with me?
The students had a chance to tell Black about their music education
Black listened and is listening. We might feel that we are on our own and no one ‘gets it’ but we are not. He asked the right questions and wrote down our responses. He was sympathetic, understanding and at times shocked. He wanted to know the true impact of budget cuts and the EBacc. He wanted to know what we were facing and why. He knows what is going on and he wants to help – that really did come across on the day. There might not be quick or easy solutions, but he wants to help and I think he will.
I left that day with one thought: Music education is worth fighting for. I have blogged about this on several occasions, but when you spend a day evangelising about it to someone like Black you feel even more passionate. I can say with my head held high that 9 November was a truly emotional day for me. I feel so passionately about music education and I care so much about the students I work with in Windsor. Having a chance to show them off but also talk about music education was genuinely emotional. I wanted to get the balance right on the day though and not ‘show off’ in any way. I wanted to say, ‘this is what is possible, this is what music could look like in schools’.
Now don't get me wrong, I know the challenges as I am facing them too. What I was able to say to Lord Black was simply, imagine if we had funding, support and no EBacc – the sky would be the limit. I am lucky enough to be in a school that supports music and the CEO of our academy trust, Gill Labrum, provided some real insights on the day as to why she supports music. But the reality is that extra funding, time and resources aren't there. This means that I have to keep going, keep fundraising and keep believing in the power of music. Having a supportive CEO and head teacher really helps me because they want music to stay alive. It was clear on the day that not all music teachers are lucky enough to have such supportive leaders in their schools and this is a real worry.
Slippery slope
Teachers present on the day talked about the struggles they faced in convincing senior leaders and parents as to why music is so important. It was so sad to hear of the cuts and the struggles. It was interesting to also hear from a private sector head of department who said he was seeing a decline in the number of instrumental players. It is worse for the state sector, but the decline in music is potentially wider than we think.
One thing that came up in discussion was the decline in students training to become music teachers. It is clear that the demand for music teachers is going down and therefore we are seeing university programmes suffering as a result. I am so worried by this and I know that Black really took this point on board. The CEO of Berkshire Maestros, Lynne Ellis, then went on to discuss the quality and quantity of instrumental teachers. It is clear that we are seeing a decline in qualified instrumental teachers and those that are applying for positions are not of the same calibre as they were five to ten years ago. If we aren't training enough music teachers, then we are clearly on a downward spiral and that is truly harrowing to consider.
The real worry is that if music is declining in our schools then students aren't getting the best music education, an education they deserve. These current students will then have children who will not know the benefits for the next generation. This will then impact on the number of musicians going into the workforce and so on and so on. Universities will see a decline in applications, orchestras will find it harder to recruit players and music in schools will soon be seen as unnecessary and cut for good.
All of this was discussed at great length. What we shared with Black was worrying and daunting but it is the reality that we are facing, and the reality we will face if we don't do something about it.
But you know what? Music education won that day. It won because despite the negatives, everyone around the room and every student involved was passionate about music. Black got to see that with his own eyes, and he left armed with more evidence that music is worth fighting for. His speech a few months back was just the start of what I hope will be a campaign to save music in our schools.
Music will win if we keep going, if we keep putting on concerts, teaching amazing lessons and encouraging our students to play and sing. It isn't easy, and there are huge walls to climb. But it is possible, and we must keep going. We must pull together as a sector and do all we can. Work with your hub, work with local schools, and most of all work with your students. Don't accept defeat but do what you can to keep music alive in your school. Stay passionate and instil that passion in your students. Where you can, make sure that music is the best you can make it in your school. Show your senior leaders why you think music is worth saving.
It was an emotional day, it was an amazing day and it was an important day. Lord Black listened, and I know that music education will win. It has to win; it is too important not to. Let's keep the fight going and let's pull together to make sure that our students get the best music education. Passion really will take you a long way, so don't ever forget why you became a music teacher.
