This month I’d like to start my Editorial by sharing an update on one of last month’s features. Fabienne van Eck’s timely article on teaching in Palestine (and Jordan) resonated with many readers for obvious reasons. Fabienne has since been in touch to say how excited her pupils were to feature in the magazine, not to mention on the cover itself! Naturally, we’ve sent copies for the children to enjoy (via a third party because of postal disruption), but I was touched to read a message from one pupil, addressed to readers of MT and their newsletter: ‘I know that you never met us, and I know you don’t know me, but please think of us and don’t forget us.’ I said that I’d pass this on.
This month’s MT focuses on keyboards, from pedagogy and curriculum to repertoire, courses, a book review and an interview with Pam Wedgwood, a composer requiring little introduction. Other familiar names include Karen Marshall, Murray McLachlan and Amy Wakefield Taylor, the teachers who review ABRSM, LCME and Trinity piano syllabuses and write openly about trends in these boards’ selections and the need to balance innovation with rigour. While editing this part-review, part-opinion piece, it did occur to me how complicated things had become in recent years when considering exam options and formats. If teachers are struggling to keep up, what hope for parents?
Staying with the piano, at the other extreme we have a feature from Tim Topham, who makes the case for ‘No Book’ teaching and learning the instrument as if learning a language, creatively, starting from sound. There’s a sample lesson to demonstrate this.
In anticipation of ‘Play the Organ Year’ in 2025, I’m also delighted to welcome Choir & Organ’s former editor, Maggie Hamilton, who reveals on how students (or teachers) can discover more about the ‘king of instruments’ thanks to well-run courses and taster sessions. We discover what ‘WOOFYT’ stands for (which was a personal first), and how playing the organ is more attainable than many of us think.
Elsewhere this issue, you can read about managing engagement and attainment in ensembles; how to make music the specialism of your school, if that’s the scale of ambition; and how to build a school choir from scratch. In addition, we have a bass-part-as-case-study for teaching improvisation, we mark the return of the Yehudi Menuhin Guide series with a review of its latest volume, Guitar, and the cat is now out of the bag regarding the ‘Music Education Network’ referred to in Labour’s pre-election manifesto – for a flavour of how the recent Labour party conference went, enjoy Nathaniel Dye’s report.
Finally, we’ve been busy judging for the 2025 Music & Drama Education Awards. You can view the shortlist and book tickets for the main event at musicdramaedawards.com.
