Meet the Expo 2024 speaker: Deirdre Waller-Box

MT: Describe yourself in three words.

DW-B: Passionate, dynamic, energetic.

MT: What will you be sharing with Expo delegates?

DW-B: I'll be sharing tips and tricks that you can use to prepare a whole-class or school instrumental ensemble for a performance in just one session – using singing, choreography, improvisation and playing by ear. The session will be fast-paced, and some delegates will have the opportunity to act as guinea pigs on brass instruments, but the concepts covered will be relevant to all instruments. I'll also be sharing how delegates can access free support and resources for their school or hub from our Brass Foundations team at Brass Bands England.

MT: Tell us a bit about your background and career.

DW-B: I started my musical career in New Zealand, where being a trombonist in a small city afforded so many amazing opportunities to travel and play with artists from across the world. Since moving to the UK, I've led music departments in primary schools in Camden, enjoying the challenges of developing curriculum and enhancing musical experiences for students. As part of this, I've developed and led on whole-class brass projects, which brought me to my work as a Youth Development Brass Specialist for Brass Bands England. In this role, it's been a great privilege to support music hubs, schools and local community bands to work together and develop their skills. Alongside this, I am director of one of the Camden Music Service Saturday Centres, conductor of several youth bands and London Metropolitan Brass, and director of a live-stream events company.

MT: If you could make one change to the UK music education system, what would it be?

DW-B: More time given to the teaching of the subject and the training of teachers.

MT: Other than your session, what are you looking forward to about attending the Expo?

DW-B: Meeting and connecting with other music educators. I always leave the event feeling energised and inspired by the people I've met. Hopefully, this time, I'll also leave with some potential new partners to support through our Brass Foundations programme.

MT: What was a key takeaway from your music education?

DW-B: Having peers to look up to and be inspired by was the driving factor in my learning pathway, and I see that's true in the students I teach now as well. The opportunities I had to make music outside of school gave me a real sense of ownership over my music. It was this, along with the constant encouragement from my teachers, that really developed me as a musician. Looking back now, as an educator, I’d also been encouraged to step away from the dots on the page, and instead play by ear, improvise and generally just experiment with music – all skills that scared me at a later age.

MT: Who should attend your Expo session and why?

DW-B: Anyone who teaches or would like to teach whole-class groups and ensembles on any instrument should join us. We'll share some quick and easy activities that you can take straight back into your classroom or teaching setting. And then, of course, there's that age-old reason for coming along: it will be good fun!

MT: What do you hope to see happen in music education in the next five years?

DW-B: Greater collaboration between organisations to offer students a more diverse range of opportunities, and for learning outside classrooms to be valued as much as within.

MT: In your view, what should we be talking about that isn't currently getting enough attention?

DW-B: The linking up of school and hub education with community music-making. The opportunities this opens up to different learning environments, promoting inclusivity, culture exchange, enhanced outreach and so on, are endless.

MT: What artist/composer are you listening to on repeat this week?

DW-B: Being autumn and working in music education, I'm listening to festive music on repeat as I work through choosing and arranging music for end-of-term concerts!

You can hear more from Deirdre Waller-Box at the Music & Drama Education Expo 2024, which takes place on 22 and 23 February at the Business Design Centre in London. View the programme and register for free.