And the winner is….

To kick off 2018, we wanted to celebrate the teachers and members of staff who are dedicated to delivering high quality music education. A broad and balanced curriculum can lead to positive, even transformative social outcomes for all children and young people and it is vital we continue to support and celebrate these efforts.

Teaming up with Normans Music, we took to Twitter and invited schools and teachers to answer the following question:

@musicmarkuk “What and who would help boost Music Education in your school?”

We had a great response and got some really interesting answers, all fantastic food for thought. After much deliberation, we decided that @HeatherPrimary  had the best answer, so a huge congratulations to them! They have been rewarded with £250 worth of @NormansMusic instruments!

We want to thank everyone who took part. We loved your answers and will be taking these wise words with us to our Spring Summit, as we discuss Music Education beyond March 2020 #MM2020.

Here below are some of the answers..

Mr Heath‏ @robheathmusic

Small wish – More time for specialist music lessons Medium wish – Easy access to subsidies for instrumental tuition Large wish – Music elevated to same status as Literacy/Maths/STEM Time/Money/Status!

Malc Evans‏ @MalcEvansMusic

@corley_centre would love the funds to purchase an electroacoustic guitar for our budding singer/songwriters to showcase their talents to a wider audience and inspire other students to do the same. We don’t have the ‘plug and play’ option at the moment! Fingers crossed!

bridget Snasdell‏ @Bridgetvic

Either more CPD to boost confidence in others to deliver music or more non contact for me so I can teach across the school. And of course £250 worth of instruments would hurt either

Donna Derbyshire‏ @MrsDotto

How fabulous. Our music teacher @EdwardWorlledge would love us to win. With 20 glockenspiels our reception children could all make music together #startingmusic #engagementearly

Will Roberts‏ @WRoberts3

What: an improved profile of music as a field of study amongst parents and the wider community. Who: people in respected positions in all fields locally, nationally and globally acknowledging the arts as a fundamentally valuable part of life.

Music at Forest‏ @forestprepmusic

I’d love Doctor Who (preferably the David Tennant incarnation) & his Tardis to stretch the timey-wimey-ness of our week so that all the rehearsals, prep and planning can be achieved in a less frantic & more focussed fashion. A class set of pBones wouldn’t go astray either.

Meltham Moor Primary‏ @MelthamMoor

We have a fab specialist music teacher but the opportunity for or kids to hear more professional musicians play – either in school or preferably in concert halls – would be eye-opening for them. Plus the £250 of instruments would help!

West Meadows Primary‏ @WMPrimary

£250 worth of instruments from @NormansMusic would enable our amazing Mr. O to spread his musical magic to a while Class through glockenspiel sessions! @WMPrimaryMusic

Katie Lawrence‏ @MrsMcFly1980

I would like to try and get more of a range musicians from our island community into school to play to pupils. Live music and seeing professionals play are really powerful tools in trying to motivate children to want to learn an instrument and further their musical learning.

VQ‏ @VQGallifrey

Some new equipment would enable me to start our first instrumental ensemble and give our children a new extra curricular focus. Small rural school, passionate about opportunities.

Sarah Kettlety‏ @sazkett

Just about to start teaching in a huge Academy….with no piano. So the ‘what’ is pretty obvious. The ‘what’ will aid and inspire the ‘who’ – a small team of talented Educators and the vast pool of wonderful, hungry kids

Squeaky‏ @BeesBugsNBass

Somebody who could teach me to repair classical & electronic instruments in the way I already do the guitars, percussion, basses, ukuleles and PA equipment. We’ve got a cupboard full of broken violins, brass & keyboards, but not enough of the latter for each GCSE student at once.

Ruth Malone‏ @RoofieM

I wish we could offer free instrumental lessons to everyone who had a passion to learn an instrument. We try but it’s a shame that it so depends on parents and money.

HeatherPrimarySchool‏ @HeatherPrimary

More resources that don’t have bits missing and there are enough for a class to use. Getting more musicians in school to help inspire and spread awe and wonder!

S Lawrenson‏ @TeachMus

Outreach work with Primary Schools to get them enthused and passionate about music early on. #pbone #jsax

clairer‏ @redcurrant101

More time to sing and explore with voices – an hour a week just scratches the surface, and sufficient instruments to start whole class band early so all can experience an instrument, regardless of financial ability to access!

Ruth Travers‏ @StaveHouseRuth

If every school introduced Stave House at FS level – every child would be able to read write and play music . The standard of music in every school would be higher . The resource is the most economically viable resource possible and grows up with the children.

Robbie Mitchell‏ @robbiemitch2

What – deletion of the EBacc thumbscrew on the curriculum; who – a Sec of State with some intelligence & guts

Highworth Music‏ @highworthmusic

What we’d like is more time to fit in all the musical things we and our students would like to do into the week!

Hilary Quinn‏ @MrsHFQ

What – more ‘free time’ outside of curriculum teaching to work with smaller groups of children/ support children working towards exams/ give groups time to make music . Who – an extra pair of hands to find/prepare resources/instruments, keep music cupboard tidy……..

AMAzing‏ @AMAlderrick

Government funding, a strong national commitment to the arts and a vision that includes the creative needs of the next generation.