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‘SWAG’ Musical Inclusion / Youth Music – case studies

SWAG musical inclusion case studies

The most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in our society are often those who can benefit most from making music. Yet often because of the challenges they face, they’re the least able to access opportunities to do so. SWAG (Swindon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire) Musical Inclusion was a programme funded by Youth Music and others, which addressed…

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Passion – let young people lead the way in music education

“The number of young people opting to take GCSE and/or A Level music is reducing; music-making activities in school time are being squeezed yet music in all its forms continues to be made and listened to outside school by the large majority of young people (A Youth Music survey of 1,000 7-19 year olds across…

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Worth the wait? The National Plan for Music Education in England

Following is my summary of the NPME, written for Music Education UK magazine and website. The full piece includes comments from practitioners and authorities on music education, including school teacher Jackie Schneider, education consultant David Price, music/culture/education campaigner Marc Jaffrey and representatives from Youth Music, Sound Sense, and many other organisations working in music with young…

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Seven tips for advocating what music means to your school

If you’re a music teacher, trying to keep up with all the changes in education is one thing.  Making sure what’s going on in your music lessons and activities is noticed and valued is probably one of those ‘to dos’ at the bottom of an ever-increasing list. There are lots of rumblings about the need…

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How to find out what young people really want from music education

With the national music education plan out hopefully early next week, local authority music services and others hoping to become part of the new music education ‘hubs’ will have to find ways to demonstrate what young people in their area want and need. It’s a tricky one, particularly for music services who have been used…

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Campaigning for music education?

I read about this a while ago but it’s in the news again – U2 have made a massive investment in supporting music education in Ireland. They’re funding instruments and tuition for young people, through Music Generation, a five year programme that happens locally within a national framework. Their strapline is ‘making music education happen’.…

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Apocalypse now for music education in Wales and England?

Music education in many places in Wales is in a dreadful state, and the situation doesn’t seem likely to improve any time soon. The Welsh Assembly Government’s long-awaited music education review was published six months ago now, and yet very little’s happened since. You can read more about this in my article (Music education in…

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Articles section

YOUNG PEOPLE AND MUSIC EDUCATION Music Education in Wales – a warning for England? (Music Education UK, June 2011) A land with less music? (Sounding Board, May 2011) – the music education review in Wales Musical Futures (Sounding Board) – the government’s Wider Opportunities scheme Making the connections(Sounding Board) – Youth workers, community musicians and…

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