Want to create a rock and pop ensemble for your KS3 students? Rick Kershaw, training and quality manager for Lancashire Music Service, shares his tips for success.
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Before getting into how you might build a rock and pop ensemble at school, I'd like to clarify that my intention is not to teach anyone to suck eggs. There are amazing teachers who do this brilliantly, and with a huge variety of different approaches. There's my first piece of advice: do what works in your setting. The approaches which follow have worked for me, and it's in that spirit that I share them now.

Your first task is to generate some interest. This can be a massive challenge and therefore needs a compelling draw. If you're skilled in rock instruments, showcasing your expertise through live or recorded performances can captivate students; being perceived as an accomplished musician brings kudos. I recall one conversation with a pupil after a lesson in which I'd been demonstrating, in the hope of getting a few to turn up to a practice. ‘Sir, you're a bit of a show-off, aren't you?’ ‘Of course I am’, I replied. ‘I'm a musician, that's what it's all about!’

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