Bdaily’s Post

How can we introduce students to viable careers in music? There are many creative options in the arts for college bound or work entry career students. Partnering with area experts, colleges, or universities can create many opportunities for student exploration. School #career and guidance counselors may invite community #experts, technical schools, and colleges to your schools or organizations. These opportunities offer students connections in future career options. Creating a #partnership with an area university with a successful arts program provides a multitude of possibilities. After meeting with the admissions director and university professors at the Hartt School University of Hartford, we created a meaningful experience for students to explore music careers. We developed a campus visitation where students rotated between three departments at the Hartt School of Music. Demonstrations in Acoustical Engineering, Music Business, and Audio Recording/Engineering provided lively interactive conversations in each academic area. Professors, Gabriel Herman and Bob Celmer along with Admissions Director, Richard Zeiser facilitated the university connections. These campus visitations provide students with real-world possibilities at colleges. Instead of reading about college majors, they are exploring them in person. The #connections that you make with college professors may lead to future #collaboration in the future for your students. National Association for Music Education (NAfME) ARTSEDGE Associated Universities, Inc.

College Studio Teachers: How Early Are You Connecting With Students? For many high school musicians, the decision about where to go to college is often made by default. They follow the path their director took, choose the closest school, or go with the program everyone in their state seems to attend. But what if you could connect with those students earlier—before they’re “sucked in” by familiarity? By building relationships as early as freshman or sophomore year, you can: • Show students why your studio is the right fit for their goals. • Highlight the unique opportunities your program offers, like one-on-one professor access or specialized ensembles. • Stand out from the schools they think they “should” go to. Recruiting earlier isn’t just about filling your studio—it’s about helping students make informed decisions about their future. Curious how early engagement could transform your recruiting process? Learn more: soundscout.org

We at MusicFutures welcome the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's announcement of the government’s £60m funding plan to boost the creative industries. This investment ensures much-needed continuity at a pivotal moment, aligning research and innovation in a clear and strategic package to support one of the UK’s most dynamic growth sectors. As a UK Research and Innovation and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Creative Cluster based in the Liverpool City Region—one of the priority areas identified—we are particularly encouraged by the emphasis on supporting creative businesses, grassroots initiatives, and regional talent. This funding represents a significant step towards unlocking the immense potential of the UK’s creative industries. Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/gzkaFSw3 #CreativeIndustries #MusicFutures #Innovation #EconomicGrowth

This new report on access to careers in the arts and creative industries illustrates the importance of the post-92 University sector's contributions to ACI HE - the conservatoires and "big name" Universities' arts education is simply not sufficiently open to people from non-"upper middle class" backgrounds. “It’s a tragedy that young people from working class backgrounds are the least likely to study creative arts degrees, or break into the creative professions. These sectors bear the hallmarks of being elitist – those from upper-middle-class backgrounds, and the privately-educated are significantly over-represented. “Britain’s creative sector is admired around the world, but no child should be held back from reaching their full potential, or from pursuing their interests and dream career, due to their socio-economic background. It’s essential that action is taken to ensure access to high quality creative education in schools, and to tackle financial barriers to accessing creative courses and workplace opportunities.” https://lnkd.in/ekwv-F7C

"Young people from working-class backgrounds are being “blocked” from entering the creative industries, which remain “elitist” and inaccessible, according to research. A report from the Sutton Trust found stark overrepresentation in the arts for those from the most affluent backgrounds, which it defines as those from “upper middle-class backgrounds”. About 7% of people educated in the UK attend private fee-paying schools. However, 43% of Britain’s best-selling classical musicians and 35% of Bafta-nominated actors are alumni of private schools." #creative #creativeindustries #class #workingclass https://lnkd.in/dSi5STha

Higher education provider AD Education UK has agreed a deal to open a new 17,000 sq ft campus at the Switch office space in the Electric Press building in Leeds. Knight Frank advised DTZ Investors and the ICMP - The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance was advised by Newmark UK.

We are excited to be partnering with East Ed, Sadler’s Wells East and Tower Hamlets Arts & Music Education Service to invite East London educators to an evening of dance-focussed professional development. This event is designed for primary and secondary educators - from Dance Leads and PE coordinators, to non-specialist teachers and learning support assistants across Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. Expect an informative session and hands-on workshops, based around our Moving Stories initiative, which offers school educators (no dance experience needed) creative, curriculum-based activities, introducing movement into the classroom. Wednesday 22 January 4:30pm - 7:30pm GMT @ Sadler’s Wells East For more information >>> bit.ly/3ZZTLjC

I started a Substack to easily share my thoughts on arts education. If you're interested in arts in education, particularly music education, take a few short minutes to check it out. I welcome your thoughts and am always up for a healthy discussion. This post explores a simple method of recruitment and retention in visual and performing arts classes. #artseducation #musiceducation #musick12 Link to the post: https://lnkd.in/eti5rzVT

As part of a cross-campus review and overhaul of our Middle Years instrumental programme across last year, one area we were keen to address was to ensure that the 5 year programme, limited to a choice from just 4 instruments, was actually inclusive and engaging for all students. As a truly international school, with a key focus on being inclusive, our students are from an wonderful and eclectic range of backgrounds and nationalities and it is a melting pot of different experiences, cultures and entry points for prior experience of and excitement about music. So in addition to bringing in 2 new instruments so the choice has widened to 6, we also piloted our ‘Aspire Young Producers’ project, supported by Musical Futures International and Roland. After a year of learning through these pilots, we have now introduced YP to Year 6, 7 and 8 as an additional choice to playing a ‘traditional instrument’. Instead of taking home an instrument, each child has their own log into a DAW (we use Soundtrap) and the tech we are using has become their instrument for performing, composing and exploring music. After 4 weeks the impact is obvious. Children arrive early for lessons and want to stay through breaktime. They are working on their ideas at home, parents and TAs working with our SEND children have fed back that children are sharing their music with them and other family members and some year 6 have been making music together via the Soundtrap Edu collaboration function. But my favourite outcomes, as always, come through things the children say. From a y6 child with some physical limitations “For the first time I feel like I can actually ‘do’ music” From a y6 child who spent most of last year being asked to stay in their seat, but who I can’t get to leave at the end of lessons this year “Producers is so much better for me than the flute. I didn’t like music before” The sheer joy of year 8 students walking into their new classroom, formerly a PE changing room and now equipped with mixers, silent work stations and hopefully soon, as suggested by them, a stage to perform on too. And with 46 1st choices for our primary after school Producers club (for just 20 places), we are so excited to see how this programme will continue to engage and inspire children who previously were not feeling included in or enjoying music at school. #stamusic #staperformingarts #musicisforeveryone #musicalfutures

Last term, I engaged this method in my music lessons, and I can only say that the change was phenomenal! Students who had no interest in music literacy were keen to ask more about key signatures, and they began learning on the spot about applying elements of music. One of my greatest issues is convincing schools that students in grades 5–9 can use laptops in school for their music class. Some school heads and teachers still believe that the only way to teach music is through the minim and crotchet, which still works, though we must always engage the student first. From the known to the unknown. Also, if the aim is composition, do not restrict them. DAWs like Soundtrap, BandLab, Garage Band, and many others still get them to composing, which becomes sound production. Thank you for this, as it has reaffirmed my method, and I will continue to pursue use of DAWs in the classroom. I saw students who had a negative attitude toward music attend music class earlier, and they would sneak into the music space with their laptops to create and collaborate using SoundTrap and BandLab.