Music Teacher Higher Education 2013 by Rhinegold

TEACHER GUIDE TO HIGHER EDUCATION 2013

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Access to Music the UK’s leading popular music college Access to Music is launching three new degree programmes in September 2013: • BA (Hons) Popular Music Performance (3 years) in partnership with the Royal Northern College of Music, run at Manchester. Conservatoire training for instrumentalists and singers with high performing ability who intend to work as professionals performers. One-on-one instrumental/vocal tuition.

• BMus Popular Music Performance (2 years) in partnership with Birmingham City University, run

at Birmingham. Fast-track degree providing vocational training for musicians who intend to progress into the industry to work as freelancers in a wide variety of professional applications. Fees only £6K per year.

• BA (Hons) Music Business (2 years) in partnership with Birmingham City University, run at

Birmingham, London & Manchester. Fast-track degree providing aspiring music entrepreneurs with the key skills required for a business and management career in the music industry. Fees only £6K per year.

www.accesstomusic.c

o.uk

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Take your professional and personal development to the next level with a Trinity Music Diploma Trinity College London offers diplomas in Performance, Teaching, Theory and Composition designed for musicians who wish to progress their musical education to a higher level. Available at Associate, Licentiate and Fellowship levels our diplomas are available up to postgraduate level, offering you the freedom to continue your studies in a range of musical disciplines.

To find out more visit

www.trinitycollege.co.uk/music

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MUSIC AT MANCHESTER The Music Department at Manchester University is now recognized as one of the best places to study Music anywhere. The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise placed us among the top three Music departments in the UK and in 2012 we scored a phenomenal 96% in the National Student Survey. Housed in one of Manchester’s premiere concert venues right at the heart of the city, we maintain a performance culture that is arguably the liveliest of any university in the UK. We put on around 100 concerts each year to standards that equal many conservatoires. But at Manchester we do more than just make music… we think about it too. We examine what music is, what it has been, where it might be going and just how far we can push it! With a lecturing staff of composers, performers and musicologists that rank among the finest minds in their fields worldwide, our research culture provides the foundation for a distinctly unconventional curriculum of cutting-edge teaching. A Music degree from Manchester offers fantastic employment prospects. Our graduates include some of the world’s leading performers, composers, conductors and music scholars, as well as those in a range of other professions such as accountancy, law, journalism, broadcasting, publishing and the military.

COURSES OFFERED:    

MusB(Hons) MusB(Hons) and Graduate Diploma RNCM Joint Course Music and Drama BA (Hons) Masters (MusM) and PhDs in Musicology (including Ethnomusicology), Composition and Electroacoustic Composition CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: www.manchester.ac.uk/music • ug-music@manchester.ac • uk pg-music@manchester.ac.uk UG queries: t +44 (0)161 275 4987 • PG queries: t +44 (0)161 306 1259 / f +44 (0)161 275 3098

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Music at Brunel Interested in performing, composing, or studying the music of today? Whether using traditional instruments or new technologies, you can study a programme which will provide you with both the necessary professional skills and the academic grounding to kick-start your musical career.

BA Music BA Sonic Arts BMus Musical Composition BMus Musical Performance Email: artsug.enquiries@brunel.ac.uk

www.brunel.ac.uk/music

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TEACHER GUIDE TO MUSIC EDUCATION Editor Christopher Walters News Editor Rhian Morgan Resources Editor Janet Murray Technology Editor Frances Matthews Head of Design & Production Beck Ward Murphy Designer Hal Bannister

CONTENTS

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Music Teacher is interested in articles on all aspects of music education; if you wish to submit one please contact the editor. We reserve the right to edit material for publication. The presence of advertisements in Music Teacher does not imply endorsement. Music Teacher tries to avoid inaccuracies; if readers believe an error has been made they should contact the editor before taking any other action.

7 NEWS 11 GETTING READY FOR WORK Are our PGCE courses offering the best training for music teachers? 15 ASTRIDE THE MERIDIAN A visit to Trinity Laban, the UK’s ﬁrst conservatoire of music and dance 18 NEW SOUNDS How Huddersﬁeld University is developing its music technology courses 22 IRISH MAGIC Masterclasses for conservatoire students at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival 25 BEYOND THE CAPITAL What it’s like to study at a regional conservatoire

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26 SOUND CHOICE Two new undergraduate degrees at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance

Welcome… …to MT’s annual Teacher Guide to Higher Education. This year we take a good look at the state of teacher training, one of the most emotive issues in musical higher education. Should music teachers train on the job or at university? Is teacher training necessary at all? We attempt to answer these difficult questions and more on page 11. We also find out what’s new at three of the most pioneering higher education establishments for music – Trinity Laban, Huddersfield University and the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance – and discover whether geographical location makes a difference to the experience of studying at a conservatoire. Finally, we pay a visit to the West Cork Chamber Music Festival to experience a unique programme of masterclasses for conservatoire students. Whether you are a teacher, parent or student, I hope you find this guide useful and interesting.

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Christopher Walters editor

musicteachermagazine.co.uk

MUSIC TEACHER HIGHER EDUCATION GUIDE | 2013

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Cover photo: Tim Crocker

Study somewhere special: Music@Bangor

Make your own contribution count within the musical life of a vibrant School in one of the most stunning UK university locations. Bangor is ranked the top University in Wales for quality of teaching and you’ll be taught in a School where 70% of our research was rated either ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally recognised’ in the latest Research Assessment Exercise. Select from a broad-based degree or specialise in areas such as Historical, Editorial or Popular Musicology, Composition (Acoustic and Acousmatic) and Performance. • Undergraduate courses: BMus, BA and many Joint Honours including BA in Music Technology • Taught postgraduate courses: MA, MMus • Research degrees: MA, MPhil and PhD Undergraduate or Postgraduate Admissions Tutor, School of Music, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG. Tel: 01248 382181 E-mail: music@bangor.ac.uk www.bangor.ac.uk/music

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No music degree doesn’t mean silence... Warwick is one of the UK’s top five universities, rated both academically and for its quality of student life. We have one of the most thriving, vibrant and musical campuses in the country: More than 20 vocal and instrumental ensembles plus opportunities for solo and chamber music The best University Arts Centre in the UK

Generous scholarships & bursaries available (apply before 10th Feb in year of entry) World Music resources include a range of Indian and Chinese instruments, Arabic and African drums and Samba and Steel pans A full range of individual tutors including the fantastic Coull String Quartet in residence

For further information please contact us: 024 7652 3799 music.centre@warwick.ac.uk www.warwick.ac.uk/musiccentre

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Tours, competitions and other amazing opportunities!

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NEWS

GUILDHALL SCHOOL LAUNCHES ORCHESTRAL ARTISTRY SPECIALISM The Guildhall School of Music and Drama has announced a new Masterslevel performance specialism entitled Orchestral Artistry, in association with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). The specialism forms part of the Guildhall Artist Masters Programme, open to string, wind, brass and percussion students. Orchestral Artistry will place students alongside LSO players, international artists, conductors and Guildhall School professors in a context similar to a professional environment. The aim is to produce fully rounded, excellent musicians with the skills, knowledge and capabilities to become part of the 21st-century orchestra. The programme is focused on excellence in performance, core musicianship, leadership and communication. As well as coaching and mentoring from members of the LSO, students will be given the opportunity to play in LSO family concerts, conduct masterclasses and participate in LSO outreach work. The Guildhall School’s director of music, Jonathan Vaughan, commented: ‘The Guildhall School’s relationship with the LSO has thrived

and prospered in recent years. In this exciting and far-reaching new course, the Centre for Orchestra has come of age – it will be the Rolls Royce of orchestral training, giving students the best possible preparation for the profession with a world-class orchestra.’ The LSO’s managing director, Kathryn McDowell, said: ‘This new course will give young instrumentalists a unique opportunity to study the art of orchestral playing, and to build the skills needed in the orchestral profession today, from specialist performance practice to techniques for leading workshops in the wider community and tools for maintaining health and wellbeing.’ There will be 60 to 70 students on the new specialism, enabling them to form a large chamber orchestra as well as string, wind and brass ensembles. Other course options in the Guildhall Artist Masters programme include: Advanced Instrumental Studies; Chamber Music; Composition; Repetiteur; Piano Accompanist; Vocal Studies; Opera; Historical Performance; Leadership; and Jazz. gsmd.ac.uk

UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON TO VALIDATE TECH MUSIC SCHOOL DEGREES London College of Music, part of the University of West London, has announced that it will now validate Tech Music School’s longstanding BMus Popular Music Performance course as well as its three new BA courses in Music Production, Music Business and Songwriting. The new arrangement means that Tech Music School’s students will now be able to access the university’s library and Students’ Union facilities, as well as enabling them to be part of a larger community of musicians through the opportunity to collaborate and network with students on the university’s music programmes. In addition, a jointly delivered MMus in Popular Music Performance is Tech Music School’s first venture into postgraduate provision and will provide the opportunity for students from both institutions to develop higher-level performance skills. Andrew Bates, principal of the Tech Music School, said: ‘I am delighted that Tech Music School’s partnership with the University musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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of West London’s London College of Music has been strengthened through the University’s validation of the School’s new portfolio of undergraduate courses. The University has made a significant contribution to our work during the past 18 years and the extension of the partnership will underpin an exciting period of development and growth for the school over the next three years.’ Sara Raybould, director of London College of Music, said: ‘We are incredibly pleased that this longstanding relationship has been cemented even further with the introduction of these new courses and through the development of the co-delivered MMus. This brings together what are two strong education brands, both representing high quality music education. We look forward to working with Tech Music School in research projects planned for later this year as well as performance opportunities for all of our students.’ uwl.ac.uk / techmusicschool.co.uk

MUSIC TEACHER HIGHER EDUCATION GUIDE | 2013

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Y institute of sacred music GRADUATE STUDY IN VOICE: ART SONG AND ORATORIO Special emphasis on early music and chamber ensemble WITH James Taylor, program adviser, oratorio and voice Masaaki Suzuki, director, Yale Schola Cantorum Judith Malafronte, vocal coach, performance practice Ted Taylor, vocal coach, art song Avi Stein, lecturer in early music Holly Chatham, vocal coach and pianist / early keyboardist

The Yale Institute of Sacred Music and School of Music offer to 8 singers selected to form an octet: ·

2 year program leading to Master of Music degree

Full tuition scholarships for two years plus stipends awarded to all singers

Numerous opportunities for solo work with the Yale Schola Cantorum and elsewhere

Additional degree options after 2 years

Yale University / Institute of Sacred Music / 409 Prospect Street / New Haven, CT 06511 tel 203.432.9753

www.yale.edu/ism

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Royal Holloway’s Music Department is: • ranked top music department in the UK for research • consistently recognised for international excellence • among the largest music departments in the country • exceptionally diverse in its range of research-led courses and performance opportunities • holistic and integrated in its approach, encompassing global, historic and contemporary perspectives • home to a large and dynamic postgraduate community • located on a beautiful historic campus, with easy access to central London www.rhul.ac.uk/music

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CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MUSIC LIBRARIES WIN EXCELLENCE AWARD Cambridge University Library’s Music Department and the university’s Pendlebury Library of Music have been jointly awarded the 2012 International Association of Music Libraries (IAML) UK and Ireland Excellence Award. The judges commented: ‘Of particular interest is the initiative now in its second year, to manage both the CUL and Music Faculty’s Pendlebury Library as a single entity. This is a good example of pragmatic collaboration which has the potential for further fruitful development. The staff are formidably qualified and the active support of volunteers undertaking

work on the collections, which would otherwise go unrecognised, is remarkable.’ This year’s judging panel, which was made up of experts from the music and library worlds, was chaired by Professor Jan Smaczny of Queen’s University, Belfast. ‘The invitation to chair the 2012 Excellence Awards Panel was a huge honour for me,’ said Professor Smaczny. ‘I have always been a keen supporter of music libraries and the vital work they do. The work of the music librarian is key to all aspects of musical studies and this is a wonderful opportunity to recognise that.’ cam.ac.uk

Pendlebury Library of Music

NEW HEAD OF MUSICAL THEATRE BIRMINGHAM FOR ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC CONSERVATOIRE APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF STRINGS The Royal Academy of Music has appointed Björn Dobbelaere as head of musical theatre. Dobbelaere will succeed Mary Hammond, who founded the Academy’s oneyear postgraduate musical theatre course in 1993. Dobbelaere started his career as a music director and conductor in Germany and Belgium. He went on to conduct the UK touring production of the Phantom of the Opera before working as music director and music supervisor to West End productions and international productions of Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Saigon, Chess, Cats, Guys and Dolls, Mary Poppins and others. Mark Racz, deputy principal of the Royal Academy of Music, said: ‘Speaking on behalf of all Academy students and staff, I am delighted to welcome Björn to the Academy. He brings to the role an exceptional wealth of experience from over 20 years’ MD work at the top of the profession, both in the West End and internationally.’ Dobbelaere said: ‘I feel honoured to become a part of what is one of the flagship departments of the Royal Academy of Music. To take over from Mary Hammond will surely become one of the great challenges of my career. I am very much looking forward to maintaining the superior level of this course, as well as to leading the department to new heights, together with and supported by the excellent staff already teaching here.’ ram.ac.uk Björn Dobbelaere

Christian Hunt

NEWS

Birmingham Louise Conservatoire, part Lansdown of Birmingham City University, has appointed Louise Lansdown as its new head of strings. Since 2001, Lansdown has worked full time as senior lecturer at the School of Strings at the Royal Northern College of Music and has also held part-time teaching positions at the University of Manchester and Chetham’s School of Music. Currently a member of the Pleyel Ensemble in Manchester, the majority of her performing experience has been as a chamber musician. She said: ‘I’m delighted to have been appointed as head of strings at Birmingham Conservatoire and I’m really excited to be a part of such a forward-thinking and innovative institution. I’m looking forward to developing the international and national profile of the strings department and initiating an energetic and creative hub of inspirational musical activity within the conservatoire.’ conservatoire.bcu.ac.uk

musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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Juilliard Pre-College Organ Study with Matthew T. Lewis Information at juilliard.edu/precollege

Joseph W. Polisi, President

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GETTING READY FOR WORK If your students are thinking of studying music at university or conservatoire, they might find themselves looking at a career as a classroom music teacher in a few years’ time. But what training options will await them? Hanh Doan, head of music at Beaumont School in St Albans, explores this emotive issue

Let’s face it – teacher training is in a mess. Year on year, the number of teacher-training places – in particular PGCE places – is gradually declining, while the government has recently decided that academies and free schools no longer need to employ qualified teachers. The government has also indicated that it is opposed to Initial Teacher Training (any course that trains teachers before they enter the classroom) in universities. However, Ofsted still maintains that ITT is the best training route for teachers. Charting a course through all this is not for the faint-hearted. Do we need teacher training? If so, which approach is most appropriate for the music teacher? And what should be the end product?

(excluding those on Teach First, a scheme that offers on-the-job teacher training) in 2012-13. Cuts to higher education may explain the reduction in the number of PGCE courses being offered. Jonathan Savage has argued on the teachingmusic.org.uk forum that the government has deliberately targeted secondary music PGCEs in an attempt to limit the number of music teachers. The cynics among us – fearful of the impact of the English Baccalaureate (a new GCSE performance measure which excludes music) and all too aware of the gradual decline in curriculum music time – might be inclined to agree.

GOVERNMENT APPROACH THE CURRENT SITUATION At first glance, the picture is not a good one. The number of PGCE music places has significantly declined over the past few years: during 2010-11, 690 would-be music teachers were trained on a PGCE course, but last year only 390 students did PGCEs. That number is set to reduce to only 340

The government’s approach to teacher training is unhelpfully inconsistent. The decision that academies and free schools no longer need employ qualified teachers sends an all-tooobvious signal that ITT is not a necessity. However, education secretary Michael Gove has indicated that he anticipates more schoolbased training in the future, along the lines

THE GOVERNMENT’S CLEAR PREFERENCE FOR SCHOOL-BASED TRAINING HAS CERTAINLY NOT HELPED THE UNIVERSITY-LED PGCE musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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of the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP), School-Centred Initial Teacher Training and Teach First. Indeed, despite the position with regard to academies, the government has admitted that it still expects ‘the vast majority’ of teachers to have a teaching qualification, but wants the headteachers of academies to be able to bring in professionals with ‘great knowledge and new skills’. Of course, the government’s clear preference for school-based training has certainly not helped the university-led PGCE.

DO WE NEED TRAINING AT ALL? Do teachers need training at all? After all, schools in the independent sector have employed unqualified teachers for many years, and it doesn’t appear to have done them any harm. I put this question to a large cross-section of members of the profession, including teachers of music and other subjects, teachers in the state and independent sectors, senior leaders, academics and ITT providers (of both PGCE and GTP). The respondents were unanimous that the government’s decision to allow academies to employ unqualified teachers is a real step back and hugely detrimental to the profession. Simply, everyone agreed that training is needed to prepare teachers for their role. ‘Great knowledge and new skills’ may be helpful, but they do not guarantee an ability to develop and nurture students. For example, while an MUSIC TEACHER HIGHER EDUCATION GUIDE | 2013

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A PGCE QUALIFICATION DEMONSTRATES, AT LEAST, THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN WILLING TO ENGAGE LONG-TERM WITH THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A GOOD TEACHER individual may be a very talented musician and performer, this does not mean that they are able to develop musical skills and understanding in young people. At the most basic level, we expect our doctors and nurses to be trained; why should we not expect this of teachers too? The fact that an individual teacher has an ITT qualification at least demonstrates that he or she has been subject to some consistency and standardisation in trying to guarantee a certain ability or aptitude in the classroom. It should reassure headteachers that observations, mentor sessions and teaching experiences have been completed, at least to a satisfactory level.

WHAT SORT OF TRAINING? So, assuming we’re agreed that music teachers should be trained, what kind of training is most appropriate? The GTP is a not-unpopular option for music teachers. With a salary, clear timetable and support, many people feel that the GTP year best prepares trainees for the stresses and challenges of the profession. Some subject mentors in schools feel, for example, that it is an ideal option for someone who has already experienced the workplace and who is coming into the teaching profession later than a graduate fresh out of university, and thus for whom the PGCE qualification may not be appropriate. Teach First has attracted as much criticism as it has praise. On the surface, it looks like a great way to bring talent into the profession. In an article in the London Evening Standard only last month, Lord Adonis attributed part of the recent success of London state schools to Teach First. However, comments below the online version of the article reflect the views of many in the profession: ‘The effect on the morale of committed professional teachers of being bypassed by parachuted-in whizz-kids, many simply wishing to polish their CVs before moving on rapidly, may be imagined. Getting a share of the top talent into teaching is vital, but not this way.’ 12

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This brings us to the humble PGCE, still considered by many to be by far the best training route for classroom music teachers. Many agreed with John Finney (until very recently senior lecturer in music education at Cambridge University) when he wrote that ‘outstanding teachers are produced when well-educated music graduates with deep subject knowledge are supported on their passage into teaching by becoming a part of a university-school partnership’. While the government seems to prefer school-

based training, it should be noted that PGCEs currently involve much more time in school than was previously the case. In fact, in 2010, Ofsted’s Annual Report stated that ‘there was more outstanding initial teaching education delivered by higher education-led partnerships than by school-centred initial training partnerships and employment based routes’. One of the major factors in people’s preference for the PGCE is the amount of time dedicated to pedagogy and reflection with fellow trainees, both structured and anecdotal. musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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S n t a d Q t

s d m t

OUTSTANDING TEACHERS ARE PRODUCED WHEN WELL-EDUCATED MUSIC GRADUATES WITH DEEP SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE ARE SUPPORTED ON THEIR PASSAGE INTO TEACHING BY BECOMING A PART OF A UNIVERSITY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP performance can be also be carefully monitored, as Martin Fautley, professor of education at Birmingham City University, has argued. Perhaps above all, the engagement required of the PGCE student suggests a significant commitment to the profession. As Fautley points out, a PGCE qualification demonstrates, at least, that ‘someone has been willing to engage long-term with the process of becoming a good teacher’. Given the clear benefits of a PGCE in music, the gradual decline in the number of places is to be greatly regretted. After all, the logical corollary of a reduction in outstanding teacher training opportunities is a reduction in the potential for more outstanding music teachers.

BEYOND INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING

Savage writes, ‘Just knowing about a subject is not enough; you have to know how to teach it too. For this reason, I firmly believe that a PGCE, as an academic qualification that allows you to demonstrate the competencies demanded of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), is the best way to start your teaching career.’ Fundamental to the PGCE is the universityschool partnership, which ensures a continued dialogue, involving the trainee too. The external monitoring of the trainee (which is arguably therefore more objective) means that the pupils’ musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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Of course, the effectiveness of any training will depend on that of the mentor, department and school into which a trainee is placed. The designation of a school as outstanding or as a training school does not necessarily mean that that school’s music department is outstanding. I regret to say that there are plenty of us with stories to tell about unsatisfactory placements. We as music teachers must think hard about how we can become successful role models and mentors for future trainees. This does, of course, depend somewhat on access to continuing professional development (CPD) – both inside and outside school – and an individual’s own drive to keep up to date with the latest research, technology, innovations and news in music education. But a number of the music teachers I spoke to lamented the lack of interest shown by some of their colleagues in the wider issue of music education. The trouble is that if music teachers are not engaging with their own careers and progression, it is difficult to see how capable they are going to be at engaging with someone else’s in a mentoring role. Finding inspiration is not particularly challenging. There is a wealth of free CPD online for music teachers and, of course, this very magazine promotes many of the online forums that enable an ongoing discourse on music education.

Perhaps we should follow the lead of other professions (for example, the legal profession) in which a certain number of hours of CPD must be completed annually and a record submitted to an external regulator. Is there something similar that the teaching profession could adopt? John Finney has suggested an integrated model of initial training and continuing development which could, for example, address the difficulty of music provision in the primary PGCE.

FINAL THOUGHTS Effective teacher training is at the heart of good music education – indeed, it is at the heart of all education. The question of which form of training is most effective is complex, but the government’s preference for school-based training is short sighted in light of the excellent work being done on PGCE courses. And as an additional word of warning, we should not forget that basing more teacher training in schools risks damaging the pupils’ experience. Even the most promising of trainees make mistakes and struggle at the beginning of their training. If this were to become widespread, it would be at the expense of pupils’ progress. Moreover, teachers do need time, outside of the classroom, to reflect on, discuss and process classroom experiences. Of course, this continues to be the case throughout their careers. The reality of the situation is that every trainee music teacher is different. Differing circumstances and personalities require different training options to cater for everyone who wants to be a music teacher. However, no one route should be preferred as a matter of policy, to the neglect of other perfectly valid approaches. There are many outstanding music teachers who have followed the PGCE route – and this route should not be denied to the outstanding music teachers of the future. And finally, let’s not forget our trainees after they have qualified. How can we best encourage all of them to engage with their professional development so that they too can become effective mentors? Answers on a postcard… MT MUSIC TEACHER HIGHER EDUCATION GUIDE | 2013

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ASTRIDE THE MERIDIAN

Tas Kyprianou

Trinty Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Faculty of Music

Seven years ago, Trinity College of Music joined forces with the Laban Centre for Contemporary Dance to become Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Since then Trinity Laban’s music courses have gone from strength to strength, writes Rhian Morgan What would you expect students to worry about as they set off for their first year at university? Money? Relationships? Being unable to keep up with the work, perhaps? This was a question asked by the welfare services at a recent University of Bristol open day. And the answer from my 18-year-old would-be undergraduate daughter as to what would worry her most: ‘studying in an aesthetically displeasing place’. Well, she would have no such worries if she were to choose to study music at Trinity Laban in Greenwich, south London. As Europe’s only conservatoire housed within a baroque World Heritage Site, the conservatoire’s Faculty of Music sits right on the Thames, in the glorious surroundings of King Charles Court at the Old Royal Naval College. As the prospectus points out to potential applicants, Christopher Wren may not have realised he was building a music conservatoire, but his buildings here have given students the opportunity to rehearse, perform and learn within a variety of stunning spaces – within King Charles Court itself, in the adjacent Old Royal musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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Naval College Chapel, as well as at the nearby Blackheath Halls and Thomas Tallis’s St Alfege’s Church. It was in 2001 that Trinity, founded in 1872, moved to Greenwich from Mandeville Place in central London. In 2005 it joined Laban to form Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, the UK’s first conservatoire of music and dance, with a mission to ‘advance the art forms of dance and music by bringing together artists to train, collaborate, research and perform in an environment of creative and technical excellence’. And it has done just that. Of the 152 higher education institutions in England, Trinity Laban is one of just five to achieve a success rate of almost 98% in getting graduating students into employment or further study. In the most recent Guardian university league table for music, it is rated 22 out of 78. The current principal, Professor Anthony Bowne, puts its success down to the way the institution embraces ‘the new, the experimental and the unexpected’. ‘As the traditional divisions between art forms

blur,’ says Bowne, ‘Trinity Laban students – and we have 1,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students across two stunning sites – have unique collaborative opportunities in an environment of creative and technical excellence. ‘As part of a diverse community of performers, composers, choreographers, teachers and researchers, our students are learning the real-world skills they need to become the artistic leaders of the future.’ And music students cannot be reminded too often of the difficult – but wonderful – world they hope to inhabit. Only some will become fulltime performers, and knowing how to market yourself, how to get education and outreach work, is as important as nurturing instrumental skills. Every music student will join one of seven departments – composition, historical performance, jazz, piano and organ, strings, voice and wind, brass and percussion – and there are plenty of performance opportunities, with core ensembles including symphony, chamber, baroque/classical and opera orchestras, pit band, big band, jazz, string, wind, brass and percussion ensembles, as well as more specialised groups in contemporary music, jazz and musical theatre. The Engaging Audiences programme helps students develop outreach work, with opportunities to work on social inclusion projects, including intergenerational work, music-making with people with disabilities and MUSIC TEACHER HIGHER EDUCATION GUIDE | 2013

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TRINITY LABAN STUDENTS HAVE UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF CREATIVE AND TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE special needs, and with young people. There’s also plenty of scope for composers and students wanting to develop music technology skills, with an industry-standard recording studio and control room. There are regular visits from ensembles-inresidence the Wihan and Carducci Quartets, and links with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, the BBC Concert Orchestra, The Sixteen and the Royal Opera House Chorus, as well as the jazz ensemble Empirical. Concert opportunities on the doorstep are an attraction for students at Trinity Laban too – they frequently perform at the Greenwich International Early Music Festival and at the London Handel Festival. Staff at Trinity Laban’s Department of Historical Performance believe that ‘every student should take an active interest in informed performance’. The conservatoire has a large collection of historic instruments for loan, including shawms and crumhorns, renaissance and baroque recorders, lutes and a theorbo, baroque flutes and oboes, classical clarinets and bassoons and a range of trumpets, sackbuts, and cornetti as well as access to the Dartington International Summer School collection of keyboard instruments and viols, complementing its own harpsichords, clavichord, fortepiano and chamber organs. And the department boasts some big names – Chi Chi Nwanoku, baroque bass, Alison Crum, viols, and Philip Thorby, recorder and renaissance wind – giving students not only technical expertise but contacts and mentors within the industry too. ‘The expertise on the part of the teachers and the high level of excitement produced while making music under their imaginative and inventive guidance has affected the way I play and think about all musical projects I am involved in,’ says Jan Zahourek, a viola da gamba student. There’s a lot going on for singers too. The vocal department aims to support students’ 16

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development as versatile and inquiring musicians while helping to build a sophisticated technical foundation, with plenty of workshops, language and stagecraft classes, concerts and masterclasses. There are the usual chamber choirs and choruses, but also an early music vocal ensemble and a chapel choir, directed by Ralph Allwood, offering a strong training in sacred music. And it is in this area that the conservatoire has excelled of late, with four current and former chapel choral scholars taking half of the eight places on the sought-after Monteverdi Choir’s Apprenticeship Scheme. ‘What is so refreshing about the candidates put forward annually by Trinity Laban for the Monteverdi Choir apprentice scheme, quite apart from the individual quality of their singing, is their openness to the rewards and creative buzz of ensemble singing at the highest level,’ says Sir John Eliot Gardiner, founder and artistic director of the Monteverdi Choir. The range of performance opportunities available at Trinity Laban impressed Samuel Burstin, who studied viola and now plays with the Philharmonia Orchestra. ‘It gave me a breadth of musical experiences that have been vital to my progress as a violist and as a musician.’ he says. ‘The range of musical performances, specialist tuition and personal freedom I enjoyed was wonderful. That, allied to the beautiful setting, allowed me space to grow and develop musically.’ But practicalities must be considered too, and accommodation and transport are frequently problematic for London-based students. Trinity Laban students can apply for a place at the nearby McMillan Student Village, a ten-minute walk from the conservatoire. Shared with students from the University of Greenwich and Goldsmiths, accommodation starts at £135 a week (without meals). And the area? From my brief stroll through Greenwich, I’d be very happy to move in

tomorrow. Much calmer than the central London locations of the other conservatoires, there are plenty of open spaces – not to mention the famous Meridian line slicing through the centre. There’s no Underground station but the overground and Docklands Light Railway provide plenty of options in all directions – and nothing beats following in the footsteps of kings and arriving at King Charles Court by river boat. Tyler Rix, one of Trinity Laban’s jazz performance students, has already achieved more than many musicians will achieve in a lifetime. A second-year saxophone player, 19-year-old Rix recorded an album which reached number one in the classical album charts in 2009. He has also had great success as a footballer and now also works as a model. An Olympic torch bearer, he lit the cauldron in Hyde Park in front of a crowd of 80,000 and then went on to play 23 gigs during 11 days of the Olympics. ‘I can remember turning up for my audition at Trinity Laban in the snow and it was just so beautiful it absolutely blew me away. And then when I first arrived, the standards were just unbelievable. I’d already done eight years at Junior Guildhall and I was used to playing with good people but I was just amazed with what the people could do here. ‘People here don’t need music – just pick any song and they can do it. In one of my classes, we all had to write our own piece and then teach it to the whole group. In ten minutes, just ten minutes, everyone could do it, every time. I’m just in awe of it all.’ Speaking of his Olympic role, Tyler says he wants to be a role model for other people, for everyone to realise that London is full of opportunities, and that he doesn’t think he could have achieved so much in another city. ‘When I look around Trinity Laban and see the calibre of performance, the beauty of the environment, I’m just so inspired. I look around and think I’m just so proud to be part of it all.’ MT musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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Music and Music Technology at Huddersfield

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We’ve had years of practice As the University of St Andrews celebrates its 600th anniversary, music-making goes from strength to strength. The vibrant musical scene of concerts, choirs and instrumental ensembles attracts students of all disciplines as well as members of the local community. This year's highlights include St Andrews Opera's production of Acis and Galatea, regular performances and masterclasses by our orchestra in residence the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and the launch of St Andrews Voices, a new festival of vocal music of all genres.

University Chapel Choirs Instrumental, choral and vocal scholarships Music as part of your degree Orchestras, choirs and ensembles www.st-andrews.ac.uk/music 01334 462226 music@st-andrews.ac.uk The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

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NEW SOUNDS

Huddersfield University made its name as the pioneer of the conservatoire-meets-university music course. Now it is forging ahead again, this time in the field of music technology. Lauren Strain finds out more The music and music technology department at the University of Huddersfield has long been regarded as one of Europe’s leading centres for contemporary music practice and research – but a new undergraduate course to be introduced in September 2013 looks set to take the institution’s reputation to the next level.

The BA (Hons) Music and Sound for Image degree will harness the commercial and academic expertise of faculty and visiting professors to prepare the ‘next generation musician’ for a career as a composer or sound designer within an increasingly audio-visual world of video, soundtracks and adverts. It

should also help cement Huddersﬁeld’s status as a go-to destination for students wanting a truly up-to-date education which prepares them for a portfolio career within an everevolving, increasingly multimedia music industry. ‘Hopefully it will help secure our future,’ says Dr Geoff Cox, subject leader for music technology. ‘Obviously at the moment the climate is uncertain for universities, so there’s a certain element of wanting to secure numbers. It’s about looking at areas where we feel we have strength, and building on that.’ The department’s strengths lie in its tradition of forward-thinking tutors, its world class facilities – housed predominantly in the curved,

IT’S ABOUT STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN CREATING COURSES THAT HAVE A STRONG ACADEMIC BASE, BUT THAT ALSO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR WHAT’S TO COME AFTER UNIVERSITY 18

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d o a F m P r

B i r b p t H l H I o r c s

THAT’S THE IMPORTANT THING – THAT STUDENTS CAN PICK UP SOMETHING NEW AND BE ABLE TO ADAPT TO IT QUICKLY

daylight-drenched Creative Arts Building, opened in 2008 – and its connection to the annual Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (HCMF), which utilises the department’s main performance spaces, Phipps Hall and St Paul’s Hall, and involves students in a number of roles, from volunteers to performers. A tour of the four-storey, £15m Creative Arts Building quickly reveals how well-equipped it is for the new course. The department’s main recording studio is flanked by two recording booths and overlooks Phipps Hall, a multipurpose recording and performance space with two grand pianos (including a Steinway D), an HD projection system and a historic replica of a late 17th-century North German organ. Phipps Hall is also home to HISS, the Huddersfield Immersive Sound System: an ‘orchestra’ of loudspeakers specialised in the concert rendition of electronic music. Elsewhere, three composition and mixing studios feature plasma screens for post-production, while students can musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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hire equipment from an instrument store and use rare and specialist items from the Early Music Studio. Study and rehearsals take place across four smart classrooms, one 25-seat PC lab and two 24-seat Mac labs, 26 practice rooms, one large ensemble and four chamber ensemble rooms, two large piano practice rooms, two percussion practice rooms and an organ practice room. The building’s most impressive asset is SPIRAL, a spatialisation and interactive research laboratory in which the producer sits inside a cylindrical arrangement of 25 monitors – though this is usually reserved for postgraduate research. But it is the department’s longstanding commitment, across its several music and music technology courses, to giving students the practical skills and savvy to forge a varied career in the ‘real world’ that means it is especially well-placed to deliver this very modern course. As Cox says: ‘It’s about striking a balance between creating courses that have a strong academic base, but that also prepare students for what’s to come after university.’ He continues: ‘Looking at the relationship between music and sound and image, a lot of commercial applications might come out of that in a variety of ways. So we’re trying to build into the course more entrepreneurial skills, because students may well be working in a portfolio-type career when they leave. Having them play to their strengths is something we want to support.’ The course will enrol 15 students, and will be taught by a selection of lecturers with a wealth of commercial and academic expertise, including visiting professor Philip Tagg, an analyst and theorist who regularly contributes to the Music and Moving Image Conference at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, and Venezuelan composer and sound designer Julio D’Escrivan, who has just joined Huddersﬁeld from Anglia Ruskin University where he was reader in creative music technology. As with all the music and music technology courses, students will beneﬁt from a conservatoire-meets-university mixture of intensive one-to-one tuition with group work and seminars. They will learn to score, record and mock-up music for commercial and artistic media; receive training in various kinds of recording and computer-based composition; and underscore their practical

work with a grounding in areas including audiovisual principles and film theory. Practical opportunities will include creating and performing soundtracks for showings of silent films at the Holmfirth Film Festival and participating in live, improvised sound-painting events. In their final year, students will create and produce their own major practical and performance project. A common pitfall with new programmes is that they can risk erring on the side of zeitgeist. Where fast-moving technology is concerned, what is standard practice now might have changed completely by the time students graduate. Cox is keen to emphasise the care that has been taken in ensuring the knowledge and skills students gain on this new BA remain relevant into the future, and that the priority is producing students with the initiative and versatility to explore new ideas, equipment and contexts. ‘The trap is to be drawn too much into whatever the latest bit of software or hardware is,’ he says. ‘Obviously we have to take note of that and not fall behind the times – but it’s more important, I think, to teach generic skills than it is to worry about specific uses of software. If you talk to industry people, they’ll say one thing, and then a few years later it’s changed again. You have to be able to adapt. That’s the important thing – that students can pick up something new and be able to adapt to it quickly.’ One of the ways students can develop their professional and commercial skills is by taking a placement year, organised by the university’s Industrial Placement Unit (which won a 2011 National Placement and Internship Award). Roughly half of students enrolled on music technology courses choose to do this, extending their three-year degree to a four-year ‘sandwich’ programme. The two undergraduates who show me around the Creative Arts Building’s suites have opted to take their placement year in the department itself – and it’s clear from their enthusiasm that the university’s focus on personal and professional development lends an extra depth to their studies and overall experience. With such a focus on involving students in the workings of the department, a generous concert programme, the ability to book four-hour slots in any of the studios (open late nights and weekends) and the tightMUSIC TEACHER HIGHER EDUCATION GUIDE | 2013

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The Creative Arts Building

knit community feel of occupying a dedicated building, the sense is that students here can fully immerse themselves in their work. Collaboration is encouraged – and occurs naturally, with the airy atrium and open-plan nature of the Creative Arts Building lending itself to chance meetings and coffee breaks – and many students have set up their own ensembles and business initiatives. ‘The industry is looking for interesting, innovative people – not just people who can push buttons,’ Cox says. ‘We’re always trying to strike a balance between the needs of students when it comes to the everyday world of work, but also wanting to engage and interest them in academic and creative work regardless of that. What we found when we talked to people from the BBC and elsewhere when we were designing the new course was that they wanted the students to be able not simply to do what they think industry people want at this stage, but experiment and take risks. They’re looking for innovation rather than just clones, as it were.’ The Music and Sound for Image BA is not the only new development for 2013 – a new student services centre, students’ union and sports

BA (HONS) MUSIC AND SOUND FOR IMAGE: ENTRY REQUIREMENTS » » »

centre will also open next year. The department’s consistent upward progression is reflective of a wider historical commitment to music in Huddersfield and the surrounding area. West Yorkshire has always had a rich musical tradition, with the borough of Kirklees having benefited from a particularly strong music provision, from youth music services like the Kirklees Music School, which grew out of Kirklees Metropolitan Council’s music service, to leading events like the 20-year-old Marsden Jazz Festival and the aforementioned HCMF. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that Huddersfield has the largest music and music technology intake in the country, with a first year undergraduate population of around 85 students on the music courses and 100 on the music technology courses – while the facilities and staff attract a sizeable contingent of international students from as far afield as Iceland and Iraq. It is perhaps this feeling of being part of a large, dynamic environment – which is, in turn, part of a broader musical community – that defines the musical experience here. Students wanting to work on the frontiers

Students should normally have a total of about 300 UCAS points. Typically they will have studied Music and Music Technology at A2 level, with a grade B in at least one of these. Applicants will be expected to be musically literate, have acquired secondary level knowledge and skills in music and music technology and have a strong interest in the relationship between sound and image. BTEC candidates will be expected to have achieved DDM (Distinction Distinction Merit) in a relevant BTEC National Diploma or from an accredited Access course, and will be required to prove sufficient music literacy skills. Any tariff points gained from music practical and theory grade examinations will not normally be considered to be part of the tariff total, but will be used to determine entry in borderline places.

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of contemporary music, while not forgetting the importance of a firm grounding in theory and history, should look to the University of Huddersfield – a real musical ‘hub’ of the North. MT University of Huddersfield open days: 31 October and 1 November hud.ac.uk facebook.com/HuddsUniMusic @Hudds_Uni_Music

UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD: FULL MUSIC AND MUSIC TECHNOLOGY COURSE OFFERING School of Music, Humanities And Media » Music BMus (Hons) » Music with Drama BA (Hons) » Music with English BA (Hons) » Music with a Modern Language BA (Hons) » Creative Music Technology BMus (Hons) » Music Technology BA (Hons) » Music Technology and Popular Music BA (Hons) » Music and Sound for Image BA (Hons) *new for 2013-14* School of Engineering and Technology » Music Technology and Audio Systems BSc (Hons) » Popular Music Production BSc (Hons) » Popular Music Production BA (Hons) Courses Available At University Campus Barnsley Only » Music and Promotion BA (Hons) » Music Production and Sound Recording BA (Hons) » Popular Music BA (Hons) » Students may also choose to undertake a Combined Honours BA (Hons). musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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IRISH MAGIC Claudine Nightingale heads for Bantry Bay in County Cork to experience a chamber music festival with, at its heart, a programme of masterclasses for promising young chamber ensembles from conservatoires across Ireland and the UK Bantry Bay

There can be few things more beneficial for students and young or budding professionals than getting away from the routine of everyday life and spending quality time focusing on music with experienced professionals. More and more opportunities are emerging – in the UK and around Europe – to do just this, and although some institutions offer such masterclasses as standalone projects, increasing numbers of music festivals have adopted them as an integral part of their programme. One festival that has been doing this for many years – in fact for all of the 17 years it has been in existence – is the West Cork Chamber Music Festival. Set in the beautiful bay of Bantry in the county of West Cork, the surroundings of this small but beautifully formed festival are certainly impressive, hailed by many visitors as a real pull for attending. The festival comprises nine days of concerts, talks and masterclasses. Artistic director and festival founder Francis Humphrys is keen to stress the importance of the masterclasses to the festival as a whole. ‘With 20 classes, up to 15 young musicians involved in six concerts, that has to count as significant. It is also a very significant financial and organisational commitment on the part of the festival.’ Particpants for each year’s festival are currently selected from conservatoires in Cork, Dublin and Manchester, and numbers are 22

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kept to around 15 students, who are already in pre-formed ensembles. However, the selection process – mostly undertaken by masterclass director Christopher Marwood – tries to ensure that the training is endowed to the best candidates. ‘The masterclass students are usually at music college in Ireland or abroad,’ explains Marwood, ‘and I have always tried to target those on the cusp of a career in music, to open eyes and ears to the world of chamber music and above all to offer an opportunity, regardless of means, to experience the very best in performance and tuition.’ There’s certainly some evidence to show the training the festival offers can help create successful professionals. Among those who have been through the programme are violinists Catherine Leonard and Ioana Petcu-Colan, and the Carducci and Callino Quartets. The organisers were prompted to set up the masterclasses when an experience in Marwood’s career highlighted the lack of a healthy chamber music culture in Ireland. ‘We were partly motivated by the fact that when we applied for, and won, the post of RTÉ [Raidió Teilifís Éireann] Quartet in Residence in 1985, there were applications from all over the world, but not one from Ireland.’ In order to make sure there were no boundaries for talented students to advance as chamber musicians, a funding programme was also established. ‘At about the same time we

set up the Vanbrugh Quartet Scholarship Fund, which has supported the festival’s masterclasses ever since, raising money through our own fundraising concerts as well as contributions from former beneficiaries and a number of generous donations.’ The format of the masterclasses has been largely unchanged since the early days of the festival. ‘For the first two years we arranged individual masterclasses with visiting artists,’ explained Christopher, ‘but by 1998 we arrived at the formula which has endured ever since, to invite up to a dozen or so of Ireland’s and the UK’s most talented young musicians to form chamber groups, to work together in advance of the Festival and then to spend the week of the festival taking part in masterclasses, performing, listening to concerts and rubbing shoulders with those already at the top of the profession to which they aspire.’ The formula with which West Cork has had so much success is made up of five segments. The first is the masterclasses themselves, which are led by visiting artists – this year including members of RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, the Apollon Musagète Quartet, Adrian Petcu, Andreas Reiner and Olga Solovieva. These are viewed as ‘the core of the experience’ for visiting students. Taking place every day throughout the week of the festival, and open to the public, the students are tutored on their performance as a whole – the music and the art of performing – as well as musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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THE MASTERCLASS STUDENTS ARE USUALLY AT MUSIC COLLEGE IN IRELAND OR ABROAD AND WE HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO TARGET THOSE ON THE CUSP OF A CAREER IN MUSIC Masterclass coach Adrian Pectu with students

on the importance of good working relationships in chamber ensembles. The second aspect of the students’ experience is the private coaching they receive. Each student performer has unique access to the professional visiting artists during the festival. This offers important opportunities for unobserved discussion and even occasional private instrumental coaching. Adrian Petcu, one of the masterclass tutors and senior lecturer at CIT Cork School of Music, thinks this aspect of the programme is hugely beneficial. ‘Students gain inspiration and encouragement from fantastic musicians of international calibre. Having informal contact outside the classes gives them a tremendous boost and motivation.’ Student performer Fiachra Garvey felt a real highlight of West Cork’s masterclasses in particular was ‘the opportunity of taking extra classes with artists whom you may have a special rapport with. The fact that only three or four student groups take part means that we are given a lot of attention.’ The third part of the experience is the concert performances in which each student ensemble participates. They each take part in the Town Concert Series and, on the final day, come together to perform in a concert in St Brendan’s Church, which offers a perfect opportunity for them to put into practice what they have learned during the week. The concerts also act as a gauge for progress. ‘It’s rewarding to see the incredible development of a group from the first lesson to the final concert on the last day of the festival,’ explains Adrian Petcu. ‘It’s also very pleasing to see a good percentage of the audience very supportive of these young groups, following them throughout the week in classes, lunchtime concerts and packing the hall for their final concert.’ Hand in hand with this strong support from the public is another benefit for the student ensembles, participant Fiachra Garvey points out: ‘The opportunity to play a number of concerts during the festival is also great publicity.’ Another benefit for participants – an advantage which can only come from masterclass programmes connected to music musicteachermagazine.co.uk

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festivals – is the offer of reduced entry to the many concerts happening throughout the week. West Cork offers the student performers entry to all festival concerts at a ‘nominal cost’. The festival promotes this aspect of the masterclass package as ‘a great opportunity to learn both from the performances themselves and from the inventive programming techniques employed’. Finally, students are given a unique opportunity to interact and network with composers. The festival runs a composition competition for young Irish composers in partnership with Contemporary Music Centre (CMC). It is the masterclass ensembles which prepare and perform the winning works for the Young Composers Forum – an event which allows the composers and the festival’s composer-in-residence to work together. The student ensembles then play the works as part of a concert performance. Christopher Marwood,

SIMILAR PROJECTS Mendelssohn on Mull Festival Hard-to-reach but well-respected festival with a strong programme of masterclasses for young professional musicians. Takes place in July. mullfest.org.uk International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove, Cornwall Three weeks of masterclasses for students or young professionals aged 16-30. Primarily for string players. i-m-s.org.uk Ulverston International Music Festival Offers three weekends of masterclasses throughout the year for students and amateur pianists, all in the beautiful surroundings of the Lake District. ulverstonmusicfestival.co.uk Oxford Chamber Music Festival Established in 2000 by artistic director Priya Mitchell, offering masterclasses from festival artists, which are free and open to the public. ocmf.net/education

the masterclass director, sees this as the ‘bringing together of future performers and composers under the eye of the festival’s composer-inresidence’ – great exposure for the performers. The festival is already well-established as one of Ireland’s foremost musical events of the year. The innovation of its masterclass programme, and the way it is so firmly integrated into the festival as a whole, is clearly key to its ongoing success. And the organisers are keen for it to develop and grow as the years continue, with opportunities for the visiting students always being rethought and adapted. For example, Marwood explains that ‘for a number of years [they] were joined by renowned record producer Andrew Keener who offered groups the experience of a recording session complete with his extraordinary advice and expertise’. Artistic director Francis Humprhrys has ambitious plans for the future of the festival and its masterclass scheme. ‘Firstly the West Cork Chamber Music Festival is interested in developing partnerships in Europe and masterclass partnerships with other festivals or courses. Secondly, I was at a German festival this summer which had developed a very active collaboration with a university Arts Administration course whereby key festival staff taught a course on planning and developing a festival and subsequently the students all participated in the festival. The course generated credits for the students and helpers for the festival. These ideas are both under consideration, though they could take years to develop. The important thing is to be open to new ways to develop all aspects of the festival.’ With grand plans ahead, it seems that the intensive and valuable student training they offer are set to be a significant aspect of the festival for many years to come. ‘In my view, the seriousness of a music festival can be judged by the quality of its masterclasses and its willingness to look after the next generation of musicians,’ says Humphrys. And from Marwood’s comments, this is exactly what West Cork offers within this blossoming festival: ‘Their involvement really completed the picture of Bantry as a summer meeting point for everyone with a love of chamber music, be they performers, students, teachers or listeners.’ MT westcorkmusic.ie MUSIC TEACHER HIGHER EDUCATION GUIDE | 2013

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All aboard the fast train from London: the UK’s regional conservatoires are attracting more students than ever

BEYOND THE CAPITAL Once upon a time, people seemed to think that London was the only place in Britain to be a conservatoire student. Nowadays, the UK’s regional conservatoires are truly putting that notion to the test, writes Christopher Walters As a conservatoire graduate myself, it’s hard to recall exactly why I felt it was so vital to study in London. Obviously the capital has the biggest and most varied music scene in the country, but it also has the biggest pool of jobbing musicians – not to mention a terrifyingly ambitious cohort of students. But at the time, it just seemed that London was where it was at. The many success stories to have emerged from regional conservatoires over the years have now largely put paid to this idea, and the fact that several regional conservatoires have recently overhauled their facilities has also helped show the world that they are as serious as any London college about what they do. But I was still interested to hear from the people who run these conservatoires about whether the issue of not being based in the capital ever comes up. Professor David Purser, head of orchestral studies at Birmingham Conservatoire, admits that he used to see London as a cut above – until he moved to Birmingham, that is. ‘Having worked as a freelance musician in London for 30 years and taught at two of its music colleges for much of that time, I once shared the metropolitan view of the professional music world,’ he says. ‘Since coming to Birmingham Conservatoire to head a department ten years ago, my view has not exactly reversed, but I have come to understand that the advantages offered by a “provincial” education need trumpeting to the wider musical community. It’s not so much

that the standards of students and teachers are comparable to those in the capital (they are); nor that the range and quality of events is at least as good (it is); but that our integration into the city’s cultural and social life are so much closer.’ Similarly, at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), acting principal Professor Linda Merrick speaks of a close relationship with the cultural life of Manchester and the North West. ‘Being situated in Manchester brings signiﬁcant advantages to students,’ she says. ‘Manchester is the home to the BBC Philharmonic, the Halle and Manchester Camerata, all of which offer placement schemes for RNCM students. We extend our reach across the North West through additional partnerships with organisations such as Opera North, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Black Dyke and Fodens Brass Bands, and through international schemes with organisations such as the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, providing over 60 professional placements per annum to our students.’ Merrick is also keen to emphasise the affordability and convenience of living in Manchester – ‘a vibrant cultural city with low living costs and easy access to other European cities’. Philip Meaden, principal and managing director of Leeds College of Music, makes the same point about his college’s home city: ‘Leeds attracts over 125,000 students annually and is recognised as one of the most cost-effective places to study in the UK.’

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‘Our facilities rival those of any European conservatoire,’ Meaden continues, pointing out that top-notch facilities aren’t just found in London. ‘We recently undertook a multimillionpound capital programme, upgrading studios, performance and communal spaces, and investing in the latest equipment and technology. Leeds College of Music is an Apple Accredited Training Centre and an All-Steinway School, demonstrating our commitment to excellence.’ Dr John Cranmer, director of music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), says that his college’s new facilities are part of wider rethink of what the college offers. ‘In 2011, we opened our new £22.5m performance facilities,’ he says. ‘This physical transformation is part of a broader development which has seen a wholesale review of our complete offer. We believe that this will both allow us to compete with the established London conservatoires within an increasingly competitive market.’ Crammer also believes that regional conservatoires can be more flexible and innovative in their teaching. ‘Being without the burden of established traditions of training can prove to be an advantage, in particular when teachers have to adapt to changes in the music industry,’ he says. It seems, then, that the UK’s regional conservatoires are actively capitalising on the benefits of being based beyond the capital. Indeed, some of them seem quite confident that what they offer is better. ‘It becomes hard to see how to justify the expense involved in studying at the capital’s colleges,’ says Purser. ‘The it’sLondon-so-it-must-be-best argument looks increasingly threadbare.’ MT MUSIC TEACHER HIGHER EDUCATION GUIDE | 2013

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Students at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance

SOUND CHOICE The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in north London has been providing popular music courses since the mid1980s. Christopher Walters finds out about two new degree programmes and other plans for the future The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, also known simply as the Institute, offers a range of degrees, diplomas and certificates in popular music performance and related disciplines from its base in north London. Founded in the mid-1980s, it prides itself in offering pop musicians ‘the kind of rigorous training that conservatoires have offered classical musicians for centuries’. This year it has launched two new undergraduate degrees in Creative Musicianship and Songwriting. According to Gareth Dylan Smith, programme leader for the Institute’s diploma courses, the BA in Creative Musicianship represents a new direction for the college and is different from its existing BMus in Popular Music Performance. ‘The BMus is a toolkit approach – learning lots of different styles of music and the techniques required to play them,’ he says. ‘Whereas the BA is much more about taking musicians who want to become creative, original artists and improving their technique and musicianship, helping them explore and express

The Institute’s base in north London

themselves and collaborate with people. It’s a slightly more “art school” approach.’ In order to create this environment of free exploration, contact time with tutors has been reduced, says Smith. ‘One of the big selling points of the Institute is the large number of teaching hours by comparison to other colleges. But on the BA we’ve actually cut teaching time by a third in order to give students more time to rehearse and write.’ The 15 or so students on the new BA course will spend some of their time in individual lessons, something that hasn’t happened at the Institute before, explains Smith. ‘It’s more like the traditional conservatoire one-to-one tuition,

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except the one-to-one isn’t just instrument lessons – it’ll also be tutorials and career talks.’ Despite their different approaches, the BMus and the BA both require students to identify themselves as guitarists, bassists, drummers or vocalists. But the Institute’s new BA in Songwriting is a departure from this model in that it is aimed at those looking to make a career in songwriting, whether or not they are performers themselves. ‘The BA in Songwriting is coming from a slightly different approach to the BA in Creative Musicianship,’ says Smith. ‘It’s very creative but, I would say, less philosophical. It’s more to do with covering all kinds of writing – singersongwriter stuff, writing collaboratively and working to a producer’s brief. It’s very industry focused in that way. Hopefully it will appeal to people who can already write songs. It’s about how we can make that financially helpful to them in the future.’ The Institute currently has around 700 students and aims to peak at around 1,000. ‘By the time these new courses are three or four years old we should be about there,’ says Smith. With a broader choice of courses than ever and clear plans for growth, what essentially does the Institute set out to achieve for its students? ‘We’re looking at how the music industry is changing,’ says Smith. ‘It seems there’s more of a niche for carving your own pathway. The old models don’t exist – you can’t be a session player in the same way that you once could. The idea is to try and get students out there who are already thinking, “How can I do this? What are the options?” We don’t know the answers, but we can help them develop the critical thinking they’ll need to find them.’ Based in a former Job Centre in Kilburn – a lively but somewhat shabby part of north London – the Institute has now expanded into the building next door and is transforming its premises into a state-of-the-art campus. ‘It has been very carefully planned,’ says Smith. ‘Get the other building, then the right number of students and a certain portfolio of programmes.’ Next year the Institute will launch a Masters programme in Popular Music Performance, a move that will bring its vision another step closer to fruition. It seems that no student is guaranteed a job at the end of their studies nowadays, and aspiring musicians are perhaps in the toughest situation of all. But for those with an unquenchable passion for popular music, who are prepared to face up to the challenges of the road ahead while gaining the wherewithal to meet them, the Institute might just be a sound choice. MT musicteachermagazine.co.uk

14/09/2012 17:19:16

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