What are the music CPD sessions at Expo 2021?

Last week, the jam-packed programme of free-to-attend CPD sessions for this year’s Music & Drama Education Expo was launched. 

With expert speakers sharing insight into best practice, new initiatives, and their own experiences, there are sessions relevant to music educators across the sector. 

Below are the music sessions available to book onto for free now.

Friday 24 September:

Warm-up: Beatboxing with Jack Salt
Jack Salt, Beatbox Tutor, Musician

This session will set you up for the day and provide you with simple beatboxing activities for your own teaching practice.
Suitable for All Key Stages.

The Partnerships Pathway: a collaborative, co-learning approach for education partners
Catherine Hatcher, Learning and Impact Manager, Voices Foundation
Deborah Guest, Programme Manager, Voices Foundation

This session will share learning and practical tools for arts organisations, MATs and schools to develop equitable, co-learning partnerships.
Suitable for Early Years - Key Stage 2.

Making music online: What did we learn from the pandemic?
Emily Penn, Lead of online music education initiative Connect, NYMAZ

Using online technologies to support instrumental learning - what we learned from the lockdown and what’s next for online music tuition.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

Making the case for music and wellbeing
Charly Richardson, Chief Executive, Lewisham Music
Keith Sykes, Community Music Manager, Lewisham Music

How can Hub-led community music programmes support young people’s welfare, resilience, and positive mental health?
Suitable for Key Stage 2 - 5.

Sight-reading journeys: a new approach
Paul Harris, Composer, Writer , Faber Music

This session takes you on a sight-reading journey, an exciting new approach focusing on removing anxiety, increasing confidence and accuracy.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

Your voice in action
Barbara Houseman, voice and acting coach, theatre director

Your voice in action is a practical workshop that will immerse participants in the fundamental elements of voice care.
Suitable for Early Years - Key Stage 5.

Keep calm and breathe
Dr Pippa Wheble, GP, Masters in Performing Arts Medicine

Explore how simple breathing practices can support teachers and students to build awareness, resilience and well-being in the classroom.
Suitable for Early Years - Key Stage 2.

Song writing in the primary school classroom
Chris Weber, co-founder, Songbug
Josh Simpson, co-founder, Songbug

Explore the processes of song writing in primary schools to give your class its own unique identity and develop those ideas to create subject-specific songs that will assist in the teaching of topics.
Suitable for Key Stage 1 - 2.

Day 1 Symposium

Join the expert panel of representatives from the Music Education Council (MEC), the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), the Musicians’ Union (MU), and the Music Teachers’ Association (MTA) to reflect on some of the most pressing issues facing music educators today. The session will be chaired by the MEC, and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions from the floor.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

Running a private music or drama teaching practice
Chris Walters, national organiser for education, Musicians' Union
Dr Kerry Boyle, vocal coach, choral director, Musicians' Union Member
A teacher from the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama

This session, featuring the Musicians' Union and the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama, will be a discussion about what to consider when setting up and running a private teaching practice. Do you want to convert your collection of private students into a professional business that you can grow and develop? Do you want to start a teaching practice from scratch? This session is for you, with time for audience questions.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

Learn more about ABRSM’s Performance Grades
John Holmes, chief examiner, ABRSM

What are the characteristics of an effective, convincing and successful musical performance? In this session, ABRSM chief examiner John Holmes will explore the distinctive elements of musical performance, how these are assessed in ABRSM exams, and how they might be incorporated within teaching.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

Music, diversity and disability – working across difference
Graham Dowdall, community music teacher, Goldsmiths

The session will explore how music can bring many benefits to young people with various needs and show a range of strategies to access these.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

Using Trinity College London's Rock & Pop syllabus at Key Stages 3 and 4
Thomas Turner, head of music, Woodlands School

In this session you will find out how one school has used the Trinity Rock & Pop resources and syllabus to revolutionise their music teaching, and increase uptake of music at KS4.
Suitable for Key Stage 3 - 4.

Using body percussion for your recovery curriculum
Mike Simpson, musical director, Inspire-Works

Using fun, practical exercises developed by neuroscientists, Mike will demonstrate how body percussion strengthens the immune system, reduces stress and improves creativity.
Suitable for Key Stage 1 - 4.

Frozen the Musical: Fixer Upper movement and music
Disney teaching artists

This session runs as an engaging workshop that explores ways to teach vocals and choreography in a fun and inclusive way, learning actual content from a Disney West End show.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

Saturday 25 September: 

Warm-up: a feast of gathering songs
Ula Weber, head of events, Sing for Pleasure (SfP)

Start off any lesson by getting the best out of warm-ups, singing games and simple songs.
Suitable for Early Years - Key Stage 2.

From body sounds to percussion instruments
Leonora Davies, MBE, freelance music education consultant

Beginning with a familiar starting point and developing sound patterns, we then transfer the patterns to percussion instruments. Hey presto, we are making music. This will encourage more focused activity in your Early Years music corner or table.
Suitable for Early Years.

How to teach improvisation
Richard Michael, jazz educator, pianist, composer

Leading jazz educator Richard Michael explores how best to teach improvisation to children.
Suitable for Key Stage 1 - 3.

The music teacher bias
Benjamin Turner, director of music/managing director, East London Arts and Music/Rap Club Productions C.I.C.

Do you prioritise Mozart over Stormzy? Is notation more important than MIDI? Explore the music teacher bias within your classroom.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

New Horizons for piano
CJ Hazel, multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher

New Horizons for Piano is a project aimed at reintroducing works by historic women composers into piano education.
Suitable for Key Stage 5.

Digital arts education
Annabel Thomas, Arts Development Manager , Trinity College London

Discover what opportunities long-term digital arts learning and assessment offer to a wide range of music teachers and learners.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

Performance health: What is healthy practice and how can you embed it in your teaching?
Claire Cordeaux, CEO, BAPAM
Dr Sarah Upjohn, physiotherapist

An overview of risks to performance health and how to develop routines embedding practice which avoids injury and supports wellbeing
Suitable for Key Stage 4 - 5.

Whole class student brass
Margaret Rawlings, instrumental tutor, Lewisham Music

A look at the challenges of teaching different brass instruments together and the solutions provided by wholeclassstudentbrass.com.
Suitable for Key Stage 2 - 3.

Tuning into trauma: curative creativity
Annie Sheen, educator, youth worker
Kate Barden, educator, youth worker

How best to deliver music and drama activities with young people who are trauma experienced.
Suitable for Key Stage 2 - 5.

Improbable tales | Using musical theatre to tell 'our' stories
Martin Leberman, composer, pianist, musical director, head of singing, Mountview

A live performance and a very lively discussion set upon exploring the potential of musical theatre to tell ‘old’ stories with a ‘new’ perspective.
Suitable for Key Stage 2 - 5.

Context is key: GCSE and A-Level success
James Manwaring, director of music, Windsor Learning Partnership

How can we use context to help students understand music and succeed in exams?
Suitable for Key Stages 4 - 5.

Mindful music in KS2-4
Ann Lovatt, violinist, member of the First Violins, City of London Sinfonia

Participants will have the opportunity to experience a Music and Mindfulness session in full, as well as take away ideas to help support young people's emotional health and wellbeing.
Suitable for Key Stage 2 - 4.

Empowering young transgender voices through singing
Alexander Pullinger, freelance classical singer and teacher

As a freelance singer, Alexander has found that transgender people encounter significant barriers to accessing singing. This session will cover the main obstacles, offer some ways to address them, and highlight the importance of making singing more trans-inclusive for young people.
Suitable for all Key Stages.

More Expo content will be announced in the coming months.

Register now for free and book onto your sessions.