Central Bedfordshire Council’s Post

Many of our Music Education graduates from Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the University of Sydney go and teach in primary schools, including public primary schools, as specialist music teachers. They love this work, but often it’s insecure and offered on a year-by-year contract because there is no employment code in Department schools for specialist music teachers. Some clever principals work out ways around this, but with better support, we could have a huge influx of specialist teachers into primary schools in NSW. Following our suggestions, the report of the Joint Select Committee has a recommendation for that! RECOMMENDATION 4 That the NSW Government consider introducing a teaching area code for primary music teachers to assist with the long term employment of music teachers in primary schools.

Like any industrial sector, cultural careers need to be underpinned by skills development and formal education, as well as life experience. This Inquiry is a chance to have your say. So use it.

Education Policy Initiative research has shown that, alongside Blackpool & Torbay, Hull has seen a particularly sharp widening of the disadvantage gap, post pandemic. I haven’t seen any evidence that ‘levelling up’ Education Investment Area funding has made a difference, but regardless, the city didn’t receive any. Given that context, this annual report from our deliberately non-elitest music service is really important, demonstrating a clear link between learning an instrument, either individually or in a group, and both progress and attainment at KS4. The sample size is not small. 48% of Hull’s musical instrument learners live in wards that are among the 10% most deprived in the country. Not only does this tell you all you need to know about Hull’s inclusion-first music service, there are clear messages here for policy makers, including that narrowing the curriculum is no way to promote opportunity for all. Children's Commissioner for England Department for Education Come talk to James & spend a day seeing what the service is doing in collaboration with school leaders.

Yesterday Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) NSW and Drama NSW along with NESA appeared in an extra hearing for the current Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Arts and Music Education to talk about the draft NSW HSC music and drama syllabi. Huge congratulations to ASME NSW and Drama NSW who did a brilliant job and also super impressive from the parliamentarians. Our colleagues explained clearly and succinctly what the issues are and why there is an open letter from 31 academics and a petition which already has over 5,500 signatures. The response from NESA was deeply concerning (1:38:30 ish onwards), a small concession to drama concerns but no acknowledgement of the huge issues in the music syllabi which if implemented will be disastrous for Music 1 enrolments. Given that NSW has 5,000 students taking music (7% of the cohort) and 85% of those do Music 1, this is hugely significant nationally. https://lnkd.in/giYWHehK Please share the petition widely (and if you’re a NSW resident, including under 18 years, please sign) - if it gets to 20,000 signatures, it has to be debated in parliament. https://lnkd.in/gpuer-TY

NSW Parliamentary Inquiry Report Champions Music Education The NSW parliamentary inquiry's Report No.1 on Arts and Music Education and Training in NSW is a significant step towards ensuring all students have access to the benefits of quality music education. Music in Me is proud to be recognised as a successful model for addressing the decline in music education quality. The report's recommendations strongly align with our mission to empower teachers and transform lives through music. Key Recommendations: - Enhance initial teacher education and professional development opportunities in the arts.  - Increase funding for organisations delivering arts and music education, particularly those serving vulnerable communities.  - Develop a comprehensive Music Education Plan for NSW with clear standards and targets. We commend the NSW government for initiating this inquiry and are eager to collaborate with stakeholders to bring these recommendations to life. Let's work together to make music education a priority for all! #MusicEducation #NSWParliament #ArtsEducation #MusicInMe #MakeMusicMatter Read our statement here: https://lnkd.in/gWfGr5Jt

“Music education has shaped who I am. I’ve always enjoyed playing music, and it’s led to some of the best moments of my life.” Singer Ed Sheeran has launched a foundation in his name to support music education in the UK, improving access to music for more than 12,000 children and young people by providing instruments, creating performance opportunities, and opening pathways into the industry. The Ed Sheeran Foundation will aim to provide inclusive music education and has already supported 18 grassroots music education organisations and state school music departments across the country. To what extent does your school prioritise the arts? https://bit.ly/4j6B5Yh #ReedEducation #Education #MusicEducation #EdSheeren #Music

Pentucket Regional School District Alumni Share Industry Experiences with Music Students : Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and Fine & Performing Arts Department Chair David Schumacher are pleased to share that alumni Jon Hayes visited music classes to perform his music and teach students about songwriting.  Hayes (’14) is the latest of four different guests, most of whom are connected to PRHS, to visit Beat Lab, Guitar, and choir students […] The post Pentucket Regional School District Alumni Share Industry Experiences with Music Students  appeared first on John Guilfoil Public Relations LLC. https://lnkd.in/etSDpP-S

BRAVO! The NSW Inquiry report from the Joint Select Committee on Arts and Music Education released in December made 30 recommendations to reprioritise arts and music within schools, the creative industry, and across society. We look forward to seeing this develop across NSW this year through increased funding in sequential arts and music programs, increased support for teacher training, and a comprehensive Music Education Plan for NSW to improve standards. The full report can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/4gZfJKV #ArtsLearningInSchools #MusicEducation #ArtsLearningPrograms #TeacherTraining

"Over 300 primary school pupils can now read and write music, thanks to top music school" In a pleasant suprise for a normal Wednesday in January, our video has been featured in Classic FM today. 😊 This is such a heartwarming project which makes a huge difference to local children. It's amazing to see the programme getting so much recognition and hopefully paving the way for primary schools across the UK to replicate this model. Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) launched the two-year School of Music project to make music lessons more accessible in schools and to allow children to express themselves creatively, regardless of background. Find out more about the programme in this video. 📹 Video and editing by Charlotte Barnes

Does your university or conservatory have a double major in music performance and private lesson music education? If not, it should. How many of us musicians had private lesson teachers at any point in our lives? Also, consider how many musicians end up teaching private lessons after or during college, no matter their career (if it isn’t lessons). Why aren’t conservatories and music schools formally teaching us how to be private lesson teachers? We need change. We need to support future musicians. I’d love to talk more about my vision for a private lesson and performance double major if anyone is interested.