Getting started: May 2024 Editorial

When commissioning articles for MT, it’s not always possible to predict what will arrive. A large part of the process is placing one’s trust in writers and hoping that they know their subject from afar (as well as close up) in order to provide context. MT’s readership is broad; very broad, judging by our last survey. It includes teachers in Early Years, primary and secondary settings, SEND specialists and VMTs, as well as teacher trainers, hub leaders and policy-makers. This provides plenty of scope if writers are to ‘know their audience’ somehow. Happily, however, it also means MT has a bird's-eye view, and we get to learn something new each issue. If we’re missing a particular topic, we welcome ideas, especially from new contributors.

Moreover, the range of settings and contributors invites comparison, and this is particularly true of this month’s issue, which has composition as its special focus. The subject is approached very differently from different quarters. David Stowell, a working composer in TV and film, reflects on what makes a successful piece in the context of school exams, highlighting the importance of strong (logical) melodies, planning, and exploring the links between genres. For Karen Marshall, the priority is accessing composition, supporting the neurodiverse as well as neurotypical, and finding a ‘way in’ through a ready-made chord sequence and musical form. Next, Sally Nicholson shares her research into learning through play, using students’ creativity as the starting point. Finally, author and pianist Melanie Spanswick shares quick tips for writing a simple piano piece, recommending starting with paper and pencil (no less), relying on repetition, and enjoying sound for sound’s sake, which includes the sustaining pedal. Plurality, it seems, is alive and kicking.

Elsewhere in this issue, colleagues at the Birmingham Music Education Research Group update us on the perceived role and effectiveness of Whole Class Ensemble Tuition. WCET’s interface with the music curriculum has been a cause of uncertainty for primary school practitioners for some time. It’s also been an ‘itch’ of mine since word reached the MT office that some Ofsted inspectors weren’t sure whether to inspect teaching against ‘MSWI’ or ‘MVI’. ‘Conceptualisation’, the article reminds us, still has some way to go.

Another thought-provoking MT read this month is the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s column, courtesy of Dr Jill Morgan, which continues the debate around climate-conscious music-making. More importantly, it introduces an approach – an ‘ecosocial’ emphasis for music education – and poses the question of whether we should be doing more to give young people a voice during global crises.

Finally, I’m pleased that David Barton’s article last month on local music festivals seems to have hit home – judging by social media and our mailbag. True, this may be partly down to frustrations with the graded music exams model, but it’s nice to learn there are still so many affordable options at grassroots levels for performing – and getting started.

– Phil Croydon, editor