Music & Drama Education Expo London: Editor's picks

Day 1 Symposium | Interdependency in music education

Speakers: Fiona Pendreigh (chair), David Barnard, Phil Castang, Dr Jodie Underhill, Don Gillthorpe

Day 1, 12:30pm–1:15pm

Location: Keynote Theatre

Suitable for: All KSs With representatives from the Music Education Council (MEC), the Musician's Union (MU), the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), and the Music Teachers' Association (MTA), this interactive panel-style session is not to be missed. I'm looking forward to unpacking some ‘big ideas' around how the music education community can work together effectively and look to the future with optimism.

Music, diversity and disability – working across difference

Speaker: Graham Dowdall

Day 1, 2:45pm–3:15pm

Location: Workshop Theatre

Suitable for: All KSs Having heard Graham speak on this topic at an online conference run by Sage Gateshead, I'm excited to see him live in action. This session promises to equip music teachers with tools and strategies for engaging disabled and/or neurodiverse young people in fulfilling musical activities – essential knowledge for teachers working in both specialist and mainstream settings.

The music teacher bias

Speaker: Benjamin Turner

Day 2, 11:15am–12pm

Location: Keynote Theatre

Suitable for: All KSs Who doesn't love a challenge? Attending this session with award-winning educator and youth leader Benjamin Turner, you'll need to be prepared to critically reflect on your own biases in the classroom, some of which may have been firmly ingrained over a long and flourishing career. As the session blurb asks: ‘Do you prioritise Mozart over Stormzy? Is notation more important than MIDI?’ Let's find out.

The substance of music education

Speaker: Mark Phillips

Day 1, 2:45pm–3:15pm

Location: Exhibitor Showcase Theatre

Suitable for: All KSs I don't really need to recommend this session if you're a classroom teacher, as I'm sure you'll be in the front row, furiously taking notes. Ofsted's national lead for music will be covering deep dives, curriculum, ‘quality’ music education, and more, all in the context of the Education Inspection Framework. There may even be time for a few questions at the end.

Tuning into trauma: curative creativity

Speakers: Annie Sheen and Kate Barden Day 2, 1:30pm–2:15pm

Location: The Space

Suitable for: KS2–5 Trauma may be something we're lucky enough never to think about, or it may be something we live with ourselves. This practical, empowering session aims to equip music (and drama) teachers with a basic understanding of the science behind trauma, and knowledge of how trauma-informed values can be applied to creative work with individuals or groups of young people.

New Horizons for Piano

Speaker: CJ Hazel

Day 2, 11:15am–12pm

Location: Workshop Theatre

Suitable for: KS5 This session will introduce participants to New Horizons for Piano, a new project aimed at reintroducing works by historic women composers into piano education. Ideal for piano teachers and classroom teachers looking to expand their pool of repertoire, the workshop promises to inspire you to take your newfound knowledge back to your students.

I am also looking forward to…

Invigorating warm-ups from beatboxer Jack Salt and Sing for Pleasure's Ula Weber, Tim Hallas' tech session on Day 1, performances from talented young musicians, Fireside Chats with Tasmin Little and YolanDa Brown, and meeting everyone in person!

Register for free and sign up for sessions at www.mdexpo.co.uk.

(Images: Expo London 2020, not related to sessions mentioned here)