Conference report: MTA annual conference 2023

Every May, the Music Teachers Association (MTA) holds its annual conference. This runs from a Friday afternoon through to lunchtime on Sunday, but delegates can decide how many days and nights they attend. There is a real social feel to this conference and most delegates stay over at least one night. There are lots of networking opportunities that often continue into the evenings, which might include a sociable visit to the local pub.

For those who don't know, the MTA is the largest and longest-established association of music teachers in the UK; it supports all who are connected to a school music department. Established in 1900, it's 123-year history is impressive, and it is still very much run by teachers, for teachers.

One of the huge benefits of being an MTA member is being able to attend its annual conference. This moves around the country from school to school, but this year was hosted in the grounds of Loughborough Schools Foundation (LSF) in Leicestershire. Founded in 1495, this independent campus now comprises four schools and a nursery. In 2007 Sir Peter Maxwell Davies opened a new £4.2m music block (which all the schools use), stating that: ‘This is a space where music happens!’ I can certainly vouch for that!

This is one of the friendliest conferences that I attend. Food is also important, and delegates are extremely well fed and watered, with coffee and cake breaks throughout the conference. In fact, this time, the post-conference questionnaire found that the ‘overall atmosphere’ was rated on average 9.45 out of 10. The MTA has a system in place to make sure that all delegates are looked after, and no one is left alone or on their own. A lot of delegates have been attending for several years, but this year saw a good number of new faces of all ages, making it their biggest conference to date. This probably reflects the growing membership of the MTA (over 900 teachers) and the fact that, these days, it's much more evenly split between state and independent sectors.

Our hosts

The conference kicked off with welcoming addresses from Fiona Miles (head of Loughborough High School) and Nicky Bouckley (director of music, Loughborough Schools Foundation). It was good to hear a head so positive about music and the impact it has made to the school. It would be lovely if more heads saw music as the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ that it truly is. It was incredible to hear that they put on over 200 concerts a year, supported by a strong team of staff and instrumental tutors.

CPD sessions

The main element of the conference is the excellent CPD that is on offer, and the sessions this year (over 30) reflected the conference theme of ‘Include, Involve and Inspire’. There were seven session slots, each offering a selection of five different sessions. You really had to pick which one to go to!

Some of the more popular sessions were around increasing delegates' classroom skills. These included sessions on composition, as well as harmony at KS5 and the general musician at KS3. Other popular sessions included how to develop students' skills using the Kodály technique for Early Years through to KS3.

Loughborough should be applauded for their investment in music technology. They have a comprehensive set-up, with excellent staff and equipment. This has (unsurprisingly) resulted in a growth in the number of students engaging with music technology in both performance and composition, and, more importantly, using both Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) and notation software. Music Technology teachers Rob Abba and Rob Connolley ran hands-on sessions in the music labs which were extremely engaging and informative, removing any fear of ‘tech’. Abba's session explained the different elements of performance that each GCSE exam board recognised in terms of using music technology. It was great to hear that they have a growth in the number of girls taking Music Technology, now more than boys!

Other CPD sessions included improving arranging skills for mixed ensembles; a conducting masterclass; a samba workshop; an interactive tabla workshop; a survey of female composers (check out some brilliant free resources at donne-uk.org); discussions around Level 2 and 3 music qualifications; the National Plan for Music Education; improvisation; and how to lead a music department.

Trade fair

Another important element of the conference is the trade fair. This year there were 36 exhibitors, ranging from school concert tours, organ manufacturers, music publishers, music technology companies and exam boards. This offered delegates the chance to ask questions directly to the people in the know, and for the exhibitors to offer lots of additional help and support – as well as the odd freebie (ABRSM won on the freebie front, with free TEA-chers teabags!).

It was good to hear that school music tours were back on after the Covid years. This is such an important part of any young musician's life. It was also good to have a relaxed opportunity to browse sheet-music and exam books at leisure. Engaging with the exhibitors also gave delegates the opportunity to enter the annual free prize-draw that included lots of prizes – anything from a case of champagne to Sontronics microphones and Dorico software!

Keynote addresses

Always popular at the conference (and one of the first things I look out for) are the keynote speeches. This year these were presented by Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason (mother of renown cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and his six siblings) and Kris Halpin (aka Dyskinetic). In Kadiatu's speech we heard how the family continues breaking down barriers in terms of diversity and racial prejudice, and of the constant stresses around touring. In one anecdote, Kadiatu spoke of the regular issue of having to book a separate plane seat for Sheku's cello, and that in Canada it's easier to travel with a shotgun than with a cello! It's incredible to think how remarkable all seven of Kadiatu's children are, with Sheku being the first-ever black musician to win, in 2016, the BBC Young Musician, a competition that's been running since 1978. Less remarkably, it was comforting to hear that even the Kenneh-Masons have had problems with forgotten bow ties, shoes, violin bows and even violins left on the London Underground!

Kris Halpin, the second speaker, is a Disabled musician and educator; he is also a leading figure in the drive for musical inclusion. Kris started his keynote with a spell-bounding performance using interactive MiMu gloves: by moving his hands in different ways or gestures, he was able to trigger sound samples and create beautiful musical landscapes. This talk wasn't about his ‘fancy gloves’ (though they were very good!), but more about inclusion and disability equality in music. In Kris's separate, and quite personal, CPD session, he talked about challenging perceptions of what disabled musicians are capable of, and how important inclusion is. It was shocking to hear that 22% of the UK population has a disability (according to a report by the government's Department for Work and Pensions). Knowing these facts, we shouldn't even have to consider whether something or somewhere is accessible to all; it should be embedded into all our actions.

Down time

There was a lot of fun to be had during the conference, and this included a very musical quiz that followed the Friday night supper (delicious curry with live Indian music courtesy of Daljit and Bhindarjit Neer). With questions such as ‘How many organ pipes are there in the Royal Albert Hall?’ (the answer is 9,999 for future reference) or ‘Which composer was buried with two heads?’ (Haydn – look it up!), the stakes were high.

We were also lucky enough to hear some of the Loughborough students perform. There were impressive performances from the Year 3 Lower Strings through to the Year 11s. They played a whole range of music including bass clarinet and sitar compositions. It was also fascinating to hear from the students themselves as they were interviewed about their musical journey and ambitions, all confident in their collective responses and their enjoyment in music-making. An inspiration to all.

Positive impact

If you are looking for high-quality CPD, then the MTA annual conference is the place to be. When surveyed, over 97% of the delegates agreed that their teaching would be improved by the skills, knowledge and ideas gained at the conference. That it was also fun, friendly, inspiring, supportive and welcoming all added to the overall enjoyment. Many thanks to Nicky Bouckley at Loughborough and the MTA Team!

The 2024 Annual MTA Conference will be held at Queen Anne's School (Caversham), Reading, 17–19 May. MTA membership is £68 a year or free for PGCE/Graduate and ECT (NQT) for the first year.

musicteachers.org