Diversity and inclusion: there is no 'right way'

In my first year of teaching I was invited to a maths conference. The presenter had flown over from Singapore and he said that he found the attitude towards maths in the UK rather peculiar. He thought it was strange that some people would voluntarily share that they're no good at maths. I sat with that thought for a few days following the conference because it made me think about society's perception of one of the things I love most in the world: music. And more specifically, singing.

There tends to be a general consensus around singing: either someone can or they can't. The majority of people get their view of their own ability from experiences at school. It never ceases to amaze me just how formative those years in school are for cultivating a love of music. You may not be able to remember very much from your school days but, more often than not, you will remember at least one song, no matter how old you are now.