Don’t forget your hard hat: October 2023 Editorial

I’ve been reading around the subject. Apparently, concrete reflects up to 99% of the energy of sound, and closed air pockets in the Autoclaved Aerated variety can prevent noise from travelling through walls. Now, I’m no structural engineer, but I admit the thought of new, upcycled practice rooms (with new roofs) did cross my mind. Joking aside, let’s hope the issue is fixed soon, with long-term, effective estate management. There’s been enough short-termism and disruption to schools in recent years.

This month’s MT focuses on teaching strings, whether in groups (large and small) or one to one. This includes teaching and playing and linking back to aural traditions. Jane Griffiths provides a guide to teaching traditional folk fiddle on page 17, and Stephen Laidlaw of In Harmony Opera North shares their innovative approach with mini string-orchestras, on page 21, drawing partly on Kodály – joined up pedagogies and instruments, no less.