5 minute read
Quality in Music Education Magazine
DR LIZ STAFFORD
At the moment we don’t seem to be able to move in music education for discussions which seek to define – all differently, I might add – the concept of a ‘high-quality’ music education.
This phrase has become so ubiquitous as to become meaningless, and in fact when you stop and think for a minute, surely the whole concept of ‘quality’ in education is a given anyway? Nobody is trying to give a child a ‘low quality’ education!
The problem with the concept of a ‘high-quality music education’ is that it is too broad – there are too many variables at play. What looks like ‘high quality’ in one school could be totally unsuitable in another. So if we are to pursue the aim of improving our music education provision, we need to ensure that we are considering the concept of quality in context.
Secondly, for me the latest discussions around ‘quality’ have not been about quality at all, but in fact about auditing the number of activities on offer. In England’s new National Plan for Music Education, the ‘key features of high quality’ are listed as things like having music timetabled for an hour a week, having a choir and an ensemble, and having access to instrumental lessons.
There is no argument from me that all of these things would be great activities to provide, but just having them doesn’t make provision ‘high quality’. You could have an hour a week of awful, uninspiring music teaching, a choir of children who refuse to actually sing, and ‘access’ to instrumental lessons that are priced so high that no-one can actually afford to take them up!
For me, the heart of music provision in a primary school is curriculum delivery in the classroom. I would rather see 20 minutes of fantastic music teaching and learning than 60 minutes of a teacher and class looking like they would rather be anywhere else on earth! So to truly define quality we need to look deeper into the ‘how’ of musical activity, rather than just counting the ‘what’.
There are numerous theories and pedagogies of music teaching which all claim to present the ‘best’ way to teach. However, across this multitude of approaches there are some areas of commonality which can give us clues as to how we might ensure quality of teaching and learning.
Focus on Music-Making
Whether you're teaching classroom music, instrumental lessons, choir or band, one golden rule applies. The majority of your session should be active music-making! If you're filling out worksheets, listening in silence, or reading about music, then you're doing it wrong!
Sound before Symbol
Music is an abstract concept, and music theory is terribly complex to grasp without a point of reference. Musical ideas, concepts and devices should ALWAYS be experienced aurally in sound first BEFORE related to musical notation, to give children a point of reference to work from.
Integrated Skill Areas
Real musicians listen, perform, compose and improvise simultaneously Rather than teaching these skills as separate units these should be combined holistically in order to help students progress as rounded musicians.
Respect for the Style
To understand music and its role in society, we need to experience many different types of music from all around the world. This does not mean just singing a song from another culture once in a while but really exploring different musical styles, traditions and genres in depth throughout the curriculum
Internalisation
Although we hear music through our ears when we listen, when we perform we need to feel the music inside of us. Movement, body percussion, and vocalisation should all be used to establish musical concepts and embed them internally so that we can then use our brains and ears for more complex tasks
Creativity and imagination
We shouldn't just learn to play other people's music, but use our creativity and imagination to create our own. Composing and improvising should be an integral part of every music lesson, even if sometimes it is just making up a rhythm for others to clap back. Children will understand musical concepts and devices quicker and better by experimenting with using them in their own music.
Perhaps the most important feature of 'quality' teaching is that it is delivered with confidence and skill. This does not mean 'delivered by a specialist' necessarily! Teachers need the right resources, training, and support to deliver music confidently in the classroom whatever their own musical background.
If you are in charge of music in your school and looking to improve the quality of curriculum delivery, the two best things you can invest in are training for your staff and a fully-resourced scheme to work from. As your staff grow in cofidence you will be able to step back from the scheme partially or entirely, as you see fit, in order to make your curriculum more bespoke to your school's individual requirements
Remember that 'high-quality' looks different for everybody, and in a way we should never be able to say we have achieved it! As our provision improves so our standards should rise, and we should always be looking towards attaining even higher quality over time.
