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Gove wants 'core curriculum' - and suggests music isn't in it
24 November 2010
Michael Gove, the education secretary, today hinted that under his recommendations music would no longer make up part of the national secondary curriculum.
Speaking on Radio 4's Today, Gove suggested he favoured a 'miminum curriculum entitlement' which would be followed for 'perhaps 50%' of school time, going on to include music in a separate list of other subjects.
Asked about the national curriculum, Gove responded that he believed there should be 'a debate about which subjects we mandate from the centre have to be taught, and after that you free it up.
'Our coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, have made the case very powerfully that what schools should follow is a minimum curriculum entitlement that takes up perhaps 50% of school time - and then there’s more space, not just for some of these other subjects but also for music, art, culture and so on,' said Gove.
The Department for Education's white paper will be released later today.
Cultural Learning Alliance's 'The Big Link Up' discusses future of arts education
23 November 2010
The Cultural Learning Alliance, an arts education umbrella organisation, held 'The Big Link Up' on 23 November at the British Museum in London. The event was attended by over 200 delegates from across the arts education sector, and was addressed by culture minister Ed Vaizey with responses from panellists including children's author Michael Morpurgo, educationalist Professor Mick Waters and Arts Council England's director of arts strategy Andrew Nairne.
Many of Ed Vaizey's comments focused on music education and the current Henley Review. The minister stated that, if successful, the review could and should become the model for all areas of cultural learning, effectively putting music at the forefront of the coalition's policy on arts education.
However, one delegate, a music teacher with Bedfordshire Music Service, questioned the relevance of the review, claiming that Bedfordshire local authority had not even been aware of its existence until very recently. The delegate claimed that she and and her colleagues had been forced to undertake a time-consuming campaign to persude councillors to wait for the review's findings before making any funding decisions that might affect the music service's future. Bedforshire's councillors had previously indicated that the music service's local authority funding might have to be withdrawn, leaving parents and schools to pick up the shortfall.
In addition, there was some disagreement between delegates who focused on the need to fight cuts and those for whom the current austerity suggested opportunities for creativity and development.
www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk
Venezuelan quartet visits Sistema Scotland
23 November 2010
The Millennium string quartetMarc Marnie
A string quartet whose members are graduates of Venezuela’s famous El Sistema has just completed a successful six-week residency at Sistema Scotland in Raploch, Stirling, the Scottish pilot project based on the Venezuelan model.
It is the second visit to Raploch for the Millennium Quartet, and has come during a busy autumn for the project – violinist Nicola Benedetti also visited recently to give masterclasses and perform with participants at the Scottish Parliament.
Staff and teachers were thrilled when the quartet identified several children with the potential to have musical careers – though the primary aim of the project is not necessarily to produce future maestros, but to nurture talent.
‘What’s really exciting about having people like the Millennium Quartet and Nicoletta Benedetti mentor for us is that the children can see themselves that this is where they could get to,’ said George Anderson, the project’s communications officer.
There are plans for the Millennium Quartet to return next year and Benedetti is keen to become more involved. So far the project has exceeded expectations with 350 children, from an original 30, now taking part.
SUSAN NICKALLS
'Buy-a-brick' appeal launched by Chetham's school of music
17 November 2010
Pupils and staff making bricks for the new building
Chetham’s school of music has launched a public fundraising campign to ‘buy-a-brick’ of its new £36m concert hall complex.
Each brick costs £10, and the school is hoping to raise £1m as part of
the School’s ‘Raise the Roof’ campaign. Works started on the building
project in April 2010 and are scheduled for completion in early 2012.
The new building will be a crucial part of the school’s existing
community projects, as well as holding a 400-seat Concert Hall and all
of the music teaching and academic classrooms required for the school's
290 students.
Claire Hickman, head of Chetham’s, said: ‘This is a fantastic
opportunity for people to pledge their support to help us secure the
future of the school, enabling us to raise funds to complete the fit-out
of a much needed 21st-century school building.’
www.chethams.com/support-us/raise-the-roof
Discount for MT readers at www.choraline.com
15 November 2010
Music publisher ChoraLine last month launched a new website for its range of voice
part-specific choral learning materials. The site provides SATB vocal scores,
rehearsal recordings, performance CDs, and comprehensive ‘Singing Sets’ for
learning outside of rehearsals.
A special 10% discount has been set up for MT readers: simply type MUSICTEACH in the discount code box on the website’s shopping basket page to take advantage.
www.choraline.com
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