News from our corporate members

We welcome your brief news (max. 150 words for platinum and gold members, max. 100 words for silver members) and good high-res images. Please email mj@ism.org. The next deadline is 28 January 2022 for the March/April 2022 issue

The Piano Teachers’ Course UK

This academic year, The Piano Teachers’ Course UK has adapted to run a successfully international hybrid course, with students coming together from around the world to raise the bar in piano teaching. Our first residential and online long weekend in October welcomed a combination of students and tutors in person at the Purcell School of Music, and online from their homes, some braving the time difference until the early hours of the morning to take part in a varied schedule of lectures, workshops and group tutorials. ‘Thanks so much for organising what was a life changing event, loved every minute.’ 2021-22 Cert PTC student

Enrolment is open for 2022-23 under the directorship of international pianist and pedagogue Masayuki Tayama (online attendance available for all courses): pianoteacherscourse.org/courses For piano teachers who feel there must be more to learn.

T: 07833 687473

E: info@pianoteacherscourse.co.uk

The National Children’s Choir of Great Britain

The National Children’s Choir of Great Britain is inviting applications for its 2022 Introduction to Choral Conducting Programme. This offers the opportunity for musicians with an interest in conducting a children’s choir to attend a residential course and observe professionals with a wide range of experience in this field. Applicants must have a good music education themselves but be at the beginning of their choral conducting journey. The programme is designed to give participants an awareness of choral conducting, planning and executing rehearsals, the music education of children and the appropriate all-round care that is required. nccgb.com/introduction-to-choralconducting-programme-iccp/ Association of Teachers of Singing (AOTOS)

Our Sunday Area Days are back in person! Scotland: 27 February Peak performance Heather Nicollp

South West: 20 March Crossing genres Helen Porter North: 3 April Exploring blues, jazz and soul Jennifer John Central: 30 April S(pr)inging into speaking Melanie Mehta

South East: 15 May No dots? No problem! CharlesMacDougall/Anne Bradley/ Kate Mattis

NEW: accredited ‘Essentials’ online teaching course Our new beginner teacher course is now on and accredited by the CPD Standards Office. Real time group sessions are supplemented by video material provided by experts in their field. For singing teachers with four years’ experience or less. £80. There is never a better time to become a member! Check our webpages for all the latest information.

aotos.org.uk

Right: AYM Award winners perform alongside BBC Symphony Orchestra musicians (held prior to the changes to COVID-19 regulations in December 2021) Photo: Triptych Music Photography Leeds Conservatoire

Leeds Conservatoire has appointed Professor Joe Wilson as Principal. Joe has been with the conservatoire since 2013 and stepped into the Interim Principal role in 2020. During this period he oversaw the conservatoire’s ambitious expansion into performing arts and drama alongside music, and the change of the institution’s name from Leeds College of Music to reflect the breadth of training on offer. Joe’s appointment has since been made permanent, and he brings a wealth of diverse music industry and educational experience with him, not least as a founding member of the band Sneaker Pimps, but as a producer, artist and educator.

Awards for Young Musicians

Awards for Young Musicians and the BBC Symphony Orchestra have joined forces for an exciting new mentoring partnership. Five participants in AYM’s Awards programme and five students from AYM’s Furthering Talent programme have been selected to receive one-toone mentoring from some of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s outstanding musicians. The project will take place throughout 2022. There will be online one-to-one mentoring and a series of virtual and in-person events, plus opportunities to make music together. The project is an exchange of skills and experiences between musicians at very different stages of their musical journeys. AYM students will be able to access support, advice and ideas from world-class musicians. Meanwhile, the BBC Symphony Orchestra will benefit from AYM’s significant expertise in training and mentoring. Music Mark

Music Mark has launched Talk into Action, a movement supporting organisations in the music education sector to help them achieve their Equity, Diversity and Inclusion goals. We believe that building an inclusive sector is something we must all be constantly striving towards. Everyone has an equal right to make music and to be a part of the industry. We are assembling resources, programming events, and developing training opportunities, developed in partnership with ED&I specialists, and will commission more where there are gaps. It’s an ongoing process, focusing on our workforce development, governance, programming, and of course the children and young people we’re working with. Find out more about how you can put talk into action at musicmark.com/TalkIntoAction. Music Mark’s 2022 Annual Conference will have the theme Talk Into Action, providing a platform for all of us to share and learn.

musicmark.org.uk

Practising the Piano

Practising the Piano – Further Resources for the Trinity 2021-23 Piano Syllabus We’re delighted to announce that our resources for piano examinations on the Practising the Piano Online Academy now feature video walkthroughs for repertoire from all grades of the 2021-23 Trinity syllabus. Several new videos on other aspects such as exam preparation and managing performance nerves have also been added to what is now a comprehensive collection of 100+ videos!

More information on these resources is available here: mailchi.mp/informance/ piano-examination-resources ISM members are entitled to 30% discounts on all of our products (please visit mailchi.mp/informance/ismmember-offers for information on ISM member discounts)

Music Education Solutions

The sixth annual national Curriculum Music Conference takes place in Birmingham and online on 18 March 2022. Featuring sessions for early years, primary and secondary teachers, this event will inspire all aspects of your curriculum music teaching practice! Tickets and further information can be found at: musiceducationsolutions.co.uk/ our-events/

English Folk Dance and Song Society

The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) will present three National Youth Folk Ensemble Open Days over the May/June half-term 2022.

The events in South West England, Manchester and London will offer young instrumentalists the chance to take part in a band for a day, develop their creativity and play by ear. The participants will explore folk music with their peers, led by inspiring professional musicians, and will also find out about the National Youth Folk Ensemble.

The Open Days are open to confident players of any instrument aged 12–18 who live in England. No experience of folk music is necessary. All playing and learning will be done by ear. The Open Days are free to attend, and can be booked at efdss.org/youthfolk. The National Youth Folk Ensemble celebrates excellence in youth folk music, bringing together talented young folk musicians from across England to create and perform inspiring new arrangements of folk music and work with leading folk artists. It was founded by the EFDSS in 2016, and is funded by Arts Council England. MTB Exams

We are thrilled to have been voted the highest rated exam board in 2021 by an independent survey of teachers on Pianodao. MTB offers:

• free Choice pieces, including those set by any other regulated exam board • total freedom over exam dates and location • instrument specialist examiners • dedicated exam recording and submission app for phone or tablet.

Our brand-new Exam Portal is live and available to all MTB users and centres. This new addition is designed to offer maximum flexibility and control when it comes to keeping updated with and managing exams. Centres and users can now:

• easily download front covers and marksheets directly from the exam portal • conveniently track realtime statuses on the progress of submitted exams • download an Excel report to review all exams and results taken via their centre • edit exam details before submission if an error was made during the entry process.

Association of English Singers and Speakers

The Association of English Singers and Speakers (AESS) promotes the clear and imaginative use of the English language in singing and speech through our competitions for singers, composers and actors. The finals of the 2022 Courtney Kenny Prize for singers between the ages of 18 and 23 will be held on 6 March.

Competitors must prepare a themed recital of both words and music lasting 20 minutes.

The finals of the 2022 Timothy West & Prunella Scales actors’ prize will take place on 8 April at the CAA in London. For full details of all competitions and membership see aofess.org.uk

Hal Leonard Europe (HLE)

Hal Leonard Europe (HLE) is proud to have been chief sponsor of the Youth Music Awards 2021, a celebration of the extraordinary achievements of young people in nationwide projects enabled by Youth Music funding. After its inauguration in 2019, the Youth Music Awards returned in style on Wednesday 20 October at Troxy, London. The evening was a spectacular and humbling celebration of musical talent, inspirational project leadership, and social activism, with HLE’s UK Managing Director Tom Venvell taking the stage to announce the Social Action Award. The award,

Left photo: Peter Craik (held prior to the changes to COVID-19 regulations in December 2021)

sponsored by HLE, went to the ‘Words Not Weapons’ project by Music Fusion in Portsmouth, a powerful example of the direct and positive impact that Youth Music funding has on the lives of young people. Chaired by Hal Leonard author YolanDa Brown, Youth Music is a charity that invests in grassroots projects nationwide so that more young people can make, learn, and earn in music, whatever their background. halleonardeurope.com youthmusic.org.uk

Impulse Music Consultants

impulse-music.co.uk The Music Industry Has Evolved! The rise of the internet and social media platforms has revolutionised how performers and composers establish and promote themselves. Impulse was part of that initial revolution when our first website went live in 1995.

Before that, musicians would need to showcase their talents through recordings, broadcasts, tours and live performance, seeking an agent or record label to take them on and do the work needed to get them known. Now, social media platforms level the playing field and empower individuals and there are so many musicians who deserve the benefit of this empowerment. Having a short, affordable, wellproduced video to promote your work is key to your visibility. Impulse have developed Creative You for those artists who want to engage with social media in a way they can manage and afford. Impulse is here to help you showcase your music and performance in a new way. Start 2022 in a new way and find out what you can do to promote yourself and your music. Contact geraldine@impulse-music. co.uk to find out more.

Collins Music

The newest addition to the Inspiring Ideas series from Collins Music, The Primary Music Leader’s Handbook, is out now. An essential resource for any primary music subject leader, this handy little book includes information on every aspect of the role, including defining your vision, curriculum design, assessment, extra-curricular activities and supporting colleagues.

Written by Dr Elizabeth Stafford, an internationally-recognised music education expert with over two decades’ experience as a primary music teacher, this book has been described as ‘a real treasure trove’ and will be a great support to anyone navigating the role. The Primary Music Leader’s Handbook joins other practical guides in the range, including Rachel Shapey’s How to teach Composition in the secondary classroom and Kay Charlton’s How to teach Wholeclass instrumental lessons. These books are packed with concise, easy to implement ideas and can all be purchased at collins.co.uk/ inspiringideas.

Middlesex University

The academic year 2021-2 has seen a welcome return to largely oncampus teaching for music and other performing arts. Highlights so far include the livestreamed festival New Pathways in Improvisation, organised by Professor Benjamin Dwyer and featuring lecturer in performance Kate Ryder; and a book launch concert for Heart’s Ease: Spirituality in the music of John Tavener (edited by June Boyce-Tillman) featuring performances by students on our Performance/Composition pathway. In staff news, jazz lecturer Nikki Iles was nominated for a British Composer Award for Jazz Composition for The Caged Bird (commissioned by The International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers). mdx.ac.uk

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Composer and performer Errollyn Wallen joins Royal Welsh College (RWCMD) as its Artist in Residence At a concert celebrating her work at St David’s Hall, Cardiff on 4 November, composer, performer and RWCMD Fellow Errollyn Wallen, one of the most inspirational international artists, was welcomed as the college’s Artist in Residence.

Last term her work was performed across the college’s music departments. On her visit to the college Errollyn spent time with students, including brass and guitar students. She took part in a session with the Diversity Advisory Group for Music and a Q&A session with the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra, which then performed for her at the evening concert.

Left: Errollyn Wallen working with students at RWCMD (held prior to the changes to COVID-19 regulations in December 2021) Photo: Kirsten McTernan

Protect yourself at work with 30% off PPE

Want to protect yourself while you’re teaching or performing? Ethical stationery company Ethstat offers ISM members an exclusive 30% discount on personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, hand sanitiser, cleaning supplies, gloves, wipes and visors, as well as additional discounts on office supplies and carbon reporting. Access the discount at ism.org/my-ism/your-discounts

Set up a Direct Debit to save money

Take the hassle out of renewing your membership by setting up an annual Direct Debit. Your membership will automatically renew every year and you won’t have to contact us unless you wish to cancel or change your payment method. If you are a full member, you will get £10 off your membership fee if you pay by annual Direct Debit. It’s quick and easy to set up Direct Debit payments. Simply log in at ism.org/direct-debit, call us on 020 72213499 or email membership@ism.org

to consolidate learning and offer an extra layer of fun. We are very grateful to all our corporate members for their support.

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ABRSM

Allianz Musical Insurance

BAM! Baird Artists Management Consulting

Hal Leonard Europe Ltd

Insure4Music

Lark Music

Leeds Conservatoire

London College of Music

Mark Allen Group

Newmoon Insurance Services nkoda

NMC Recordings

Portsmouth Music Hub

Rocksteady Music School

Printed Music Licensing Limited

The Royal Central School Of Speech & Drama

The Royal Philharmonic Society

Trinity College London

Victoria College Exams

Yamaha Music Europe GmbH (UK)

GOLD CORPORATE MEMBERS

Classic FM Collins Music Henri Selmer Paris Impulse Music Consultants London College of Music Examinations Middlesex University Music Mark Music Teachers’ Board musicteacher.com National Preparatory School Orchestras Open College of the Arts Oxford University Press Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Stainer & Bell Ltd Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH Take it away The Academy of Music & Sound The Curious Piano Teachers The Piano Teachers’ Course UK Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Tutti University of St Andrews VLT Legal Services Ltd Voice Study Centre

For further information about our different levels of corporate membership and a full list of over 180 corporate members, visit ism.org.