Have your say: Letters to the Editor December 2021

Looking for support

I am a music subject lead for a primary school in Wiltshire. We are taking on board the Model Music Curriculum as a scheme of work. I wondered whether your readers knew of any Music Hubs who are working on a project to create a school scheme of work/music intent/short-term planning/small steps to support the Model Music Curriculum?

My research has only led me to find Music Hubs investing in Charanga. In the next 10 years we will end up with a whole country only knowing Charanga songs and principles. There is more to a music curriculum.

Is there anyone out there doing something different? I am happy to be part of a research group to create resources to match the Model Music Curriculum. Is there any support in England to create something other than mass online companies?

– Jenny Clinch, Wiltshire

If any MT readers wish to get in touch with Jenny, please do so via the editor at harriet.clifford@markallengroup.com.

An update from SAME

The Scottish Association for Music Education's (SAME) main conferences have been an annual fixture since 1997, and have, for many years now, taken place in the picturesque venue of Stirling University in September. (SAME has additionally held several music tech conferences as well as other specific topic events).

All opportunity for a live conference was lost for 2020, of course, although some online webinars supported colleagues in their isolation. However, SAME was neither silent nor absent from the education framework during lockdown. A vast array of resources from a wide spectrum of providers across all sectors of music education and learning were – and still are – freely available to teachers, students, parents, and other family members, and have proved to be a great hit (same.org.uk/resources).

SAME held its main conference for 2021 online on 29 and 30 September. A total of 210 delegates Zoomed with 12 presenters over two days, encompassing Early Years, primary, ASN (additional support needs), secondary, instrumental and music tech. Topics covered included repertoire, nursery provocations, practical music and music technology for primary, Figurenotes, inclusive music making for people with additional support needs, techniques for composing, songwriting, online guitar teaching, ‘Staying Afloat in a Sea of Ideas' for instrumental staff, Soundtrap, and good hardware advice for music tech in secondary schools.

Sir James MacMillan delivered the keynote address to all delegates, focusing on composition as a musician's life-skill and a teacher's essential tool. He also brought to everyone's attention the new book jointly authored by himself and Jennifer Martin: Creative Composition for the Classroom, published by Trinity College London.

Dr Kirsteen Davidson Kelly (the Scottish Chamber Orchestra's creative learning director) presented ‘Creative music-making for positive mental health’ highlighting several social projects targeting mental health issues.

Music from young musicians, always a feature of SAME's live conferences, was present in the form of three lively excerpts: from Highland, showing the variety and spread of learning and participation opportunities, from South Ayrshire Council's Big Band and from Garrowhill Primary School, Glasgow, with the song ‘I am the earth’, which will feature across the city during the COP26 conference.

Concluding, chair Fiona Sellar MBE invited all to remember Ronnie Robertson, a SAME stalwart who died last year.

The SAME conference was planned and executed by its own members' committee with strong support from the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) in marketing and online technical provision. SAME now looks ahead to 2022 and to organising events for its 1,500 members.

– Graeme Wilson, Kirkcaldy

THE PERIS by Harry Venning