At MT it's been a busy couple of weeks. Apart from putting the current edition to bed, we had two productive days learning from colleagues in sessions at Expo, often meeting MT contributors past and present. It's an occasion to connect, for sure, but also to marvel at the size and breadth of UK music education despite the challenges it faces.
We also enjoyed the Music & Drama Education Awards ceremony, and felt privileged to mark the success of many exceptional projects, groups and individuals. Moreover, at the event we launched a campaign for music education – Growing Musicians, Shaping Lives – by Music Teacher and its sister title Gramophone. Please help by completing the short survey.
This month's issue of Music Teacher shines a light on rock, pop and jazz. For those following graded exams, we review the new books for drum kit and bass guitar from ABRSM and RSL respectively, focusing on Grades 1–5 (6–8 will follow later). The much respected James Sharp and Steve Lawson join MT's team of reviewers for this assignment, making interesting comparisons to other exam boards and multimedia courses. They also raise the question of ‘context’ and ‘what it means to be an instrumentalist in pop music’ (Sharp) – with sampling, programming, post-production technology, it's a fast-changing world. If further proof were needed, Josh Savage reviews Roland's impressive T-8 beat machine.
For classroom music and KS2, Karen Marshall is on hand to champion the four-chord pop song as a gateway to composition. I'd recommend watching the ‘Axes to Awesome’ video (what a hoot!) and the useful free clips that get children enjoying/understanding harmony without too much explanation. I sense the buzz in Karen's classes (while also getting a flavour of her CD collection!).
In terms of jazz, the ‘entry point’ theme continues in Andrea Vicari's advice on improvisation and remembering the music's rhythmic roots. It's all in the phrasing, as the examples and track listings demonstrate. For a wider discussion of jazz, including the role of jazz in music education, do turn to this month's Q&A with Simon Purcell. Simon adds to the ongoing debate in MT's pages around ‘pipelines’ and how best to equip our workforce.
Two other themes in this month's MT deserve special mention. First, we have two articles – one by a well-placed instrumental teacher, the other, an established researcher – about ‘youth voice’ and encouraging young people ‘to say what they want to say through music’. This includes challenging the accepted wisdom around genre (no less), drawing from research at The Music Lab in Lewisham and elsewhere.
The second notable theme is a continuation of Murray McLachlan's investigation into piano pedagogy and progression. He questions our fixation with ‘difficulty’ for measuring progress, and comes prepared with repertoire choices that defy grading in the traditional way and a proposal for a more holistic approach. March's issue seems awash with new ideas.
Enjoy, and please remember to complete the survey.
