Strange - and worrying - that these two messages appear side-by-side in my feed this morning:

I really, really don't like the sound (or smell!) of this: schoolsweek.co.uk/row-over-new...

Listening to Ed Watkins on latest Music Teachers Association podcast talking about A-level music grading issues, I hope he manages to make waves about this, as for a while I've been fruitlessly asking about disparity in A* grades awarded between music & maths & getting nowhere! Reposting image:

The ISM has long called for the reform or scrapping of the EBacc and Progress 8. These measures have marginalised arts subjects in schools. Since 2010, we've seen a dramatic fall in the uptake of music - entries have dropped by 43% at A-level and 30% at GCSE.

In the run up to our #MMConference25, Bridget's blog reflects on the past 9 Years of Music Mark Conferences! 🎤 Bridget shares the wide range of conferences we've had, from different locations across the country to going fully digital in 2020! 📽️ 🔗Read the blog: www.musicmark.org.uk/news/bridget...

DfE data out today. Initial back-of-an-envelope analysis shows numbers of trainees achieving QTS in secondary music seems to be the lowest it's been for some years. Not sure what this means for the future of the profession though?

From 'The Times' obituary of Ozzy Osbourne: "...given that his only accomplishment at school had been to appear in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, he resolved to become a singer..." Wow! (Just thinking of the parts he could have played 🤔)

24 composing challenges for young people this summer. Unleash their creativity! resources.bcmg.org.uk/creating-mus...

Been thinking again about where schools have a requirement for 'assessment lessons' in music, and how this fits with notions of coherence/consistency. If a school has requirements for an assessment lesson every six weeks: if said school has 1 hour lessons, teaches ... 1/2

In recognition of it being the centenary of the birth of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, am listening to his versions of BWV56, 4, and a personal favourite, BWV82. Ahh....

This piece from @drlizstafford.bsky.social gets a hooray from me for dissing the "music is a universal language" nonsense! 👍

This Music Teacher article makes for sobering reading "Nearly half of the teachers reported a decline in extracurricular music participation over the past five years. The story is the same for instrumental lessons, with 45% noting a drop". Article at www.musicteachermagazine.co.uk/content/news...

Lots of fascinating things in this piece from @drlizstafford.bsky.social as well as quite a lot of food for thought re the future of music education in England

Tonight seems to be a night for Fischer-Dieskau and BWV 82 - Ich habe genug

Brilliant news!

Composing at Key Stage 2: the LICP legacy: www.musicteachermagazine.co.uk/content/feat...

Hooray - as Geoff says; "The arts must be brought back from the curricular margins, and the EBacc measure that consigned them there needs to be scrapped." In music ed some of us have been saying that for a good while!

I know it sounds pedantic to privilege the verbal form, but in music classroom terms, I think using the word "composing" matters in the school classroom, as I explain in www.musicteachermagazine.co.uk/content/qa/q...

Nice piece in Music Teacher Mag in which I am interviewed about being honoured with the lifetime achievement award for music education. Trouble with being interviewed is you can’t edit what you said –anyway here is what tumbled out of my mouth! www.musicteachermagazine.co.uk/content/qa/q...

I see we are to get a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education. This could be interesting, although I have no idea what it will be, or what it will do?

Happy Birthday, The Mikado! 14/3/1885 First performance. Picture from last week's show by Birmingham Savoyards at the Old Rep in Brum.

This is interesting www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/m... And I'm one of those drivers who thinks the problem has got worse recently.

Also having another look at the National Plan for Music Education, web page for which carries a big banner "This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government" so wondering if this will fall into abeyance?

Just revisiting the Model Music Curriculum, and am reminded of this piece of helpful advice contained therein:

Failing to find the source of "Some people say they have 10 years of experience, but actually have 1 year of experience 10 times", but anyway, currently thinking (again) about it!

What a fabulous day! Thank you to @sueyoung for her fascinating and thought-provoking keynote and to everyone who came to hear about, and think about what next for Listen Imagine Compose Primary.

Listen Imagine Compose conference day - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG). Nancy Evans who led the project introducing the Bristol Beacon team and their work.

Interesting to read about staff perspectives on conservatoire alumni here... doi.org/10.1080/1461...

The DfE has pulled its funding for National Youth Music Organisations. Government has routinely promised to improve access to music and the arts for young people. Cutting the funding of brilliant organisations that offer that access is a big step backwards. www.musicmark.org.uk/news/departm...

Interesting DEMOS report from Music Mark available at musicmark.org.uk/news/160m-in... The headline is this:

Prof. Martin Fautley, together with Ally Daubney wrote the new curriculum documents which are available for all music educators to access. Music is an essential part of a rich a broad curriculum, use this framework to create joyful engagement of music within the classroom. @ism-music.bsky.social

Interesting article by @sgtoyne.bsky.social . Includes this gem (attached)...

Interesting thread from the ISM here:

There are other important changes required for music to thrive in schools, including reform of the damaging EBacc and Progress 8 accountability measures and investment in provision and the music education workforce. Children benefit enormously from access to music education.

Banging the drum for music education: the UK school run with an orchestra www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Brilliant thoughts as always

Link to a piece by me in which I do a bit of thinking ready for the New Year! www.musicteachermagazine.co.uk/content/feat...

"A group of MPs has said that arts education in the UK is in a “state of crisis” and has called for an overhaul of the English Baccalaureate to give subjects such as music and drama more prominence in the national curriculum" Source: www.tes.com/magazine/new... Good-oh, let's ditch the EBacc ASAP!

We know! “Engagement with performance-based art such as plays, musicals and ballet, and particularly participation in music, is linked to reductions in depression and in pain and improved quality of life,” www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Do we know anything about the new National Music Education Network? (This is an England-based message, I should point out!)

Please keep your eyes out for the release of my NEW BOOK in two weeks' time! It's available for pre-order now - tell your libraries! ✏️📚🎶 www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/1...

Music people who follow me! I've got a new article out about 'youth voice' in instrumental classical music education. I've argued that if we take youth voice seriously, then the music itself has to be open to changing. Teacher toolkit to accompany the article linked below doi.org/10.1017/rma....

In which Martin rightly calls out the argument that “children can’t be creative until they have accumulated a lot of domain-specific knowledge” as twaddle. Anyone who has children / grandchildren knows in terms of music this is indeed complete “twaddle”

Some thoughts by me on classroom composing at www.icancompose.com/composing-in...

Reminder - Full time funded PhD opportunity at Birmingham City University, UK. Details at: www.bcu.ac.uk/research/our...

Is there someone out there with availability for a January start and who might be looking for a Music Education Leadership role on a fixed term 12 month position? The new post holder will work with me as part of the London West Music Hub. #MusicEducation. jobs.hillingdon.gov.uk/vacancies/25...

We have a great funded PhD opportunity at BCU for a project looking at musical journeys of children with a disability: www.bcu.ac.uk/research/our.... Please share widely! #musiced

I haven't quite managed to leave 'the other place' yet, but whenever I do drop back in, within minutes I read something that does bad things to my blood pressure! 😡