It seems foolish to make any kind of comment on the current political situation – whatever I write will likely be wildly out of date by the time the magazine is published in a week's time. In years gone by, it may not have been necessary to say anything at all about politics in the MT editorial; but in today's world, it seems that whatever's going on in Westminster pervades our everyday lives much more forcibly, and not in a good way. The effects of the cost-of-living crisis and everchanging political turmoil on freelancers, classroom music teachers, private music teachers, resources, school budgets, teacher wellbeing, and, ultimately, musical opportunities for young people, cannot be ignored.
And yet, we continue; armed with as much inspiration, support, guidance, and information as we can carry. In keeping with the Piano and Keyboard focus for this issue, you'll find food for thought on as Chris Woods challenges us to think outside the box when using keyboards in the classroom. You'll meet the hilarious and talented Ethan Loch, keyboard category winner of BBC Young Musician 2022, and The Musiq Group shares news of its new initiative to provide every school with a piano.
Elsewhere, you'll discover the latest and incredibly exciting addition to the ‘guide to the orchestra’ genre in an interview with composer Mason Bates; gather tips on preparing, marking and moderating GCSE Music coursework; and find out about the latest developments at Music in Secondary Schools Trust as the charity celebrates its 10th anniversary.
In the news, you'll read about an amazing opportunity for one school to win £2,000 worth of instruments from Conn-Selmer Europe, and you'll also be able to find out who the music and cross-over category judges are for the Music & Drama Education Awards, which will be presented in a glitzy ceremony on 23 February 2023.
If you haven't yet had a chance to register (for free) for the Music & Drama Education Expo – running on 23 and 24 February – make sure you do so soon at www.musicanddramaeducationexpo.co.uk. I'm really excited about this year's programme, which is now live and available to browse on the website.
Wishing you all the best as you prepare for the run up to Christmas, with all the musical festivities that this period undoubtedly entails.
Harriet Richards, editor
