Inclusive Music Practice: A map to accompany you on your journey

We are proud to launch a bank of resources to accompany you on your Inclusive Music Practice journey.

These resources were developed as part of the Think22 programme that helped to bring inclusive practice to the fore in music education in England. The programme was funded by Youth Music, and we worked in collaboration with four core partners: Essex Music Education Hub, Newham Music, THAMES (Tower Hamlets Arts and Music Education Service), and Coventry Music.

These resources reflect Drake Music’s core organisational approach of Disabled and Non-Disabled educators, musicians, leaders, artists, and practitioners working together.

What is Inclusion? Making Music is the Key

This resource began life as an internal Drake Music discussion. Its purpose is to be a working, living document to pull together our current knowledge, experience, understanding and practice of Inclusion, particularly in the context of music education and Drake Music’s practice.

It includes 4 principles of Inclusion and encourages readers to be bold and radical.

Supporting Inclusion – Taking positive action in your organisation

This resource was created to enhance discussions within organisations to create a strategy and positive action for progress and change, in the context of Inclusion and Disability Equality. It is aimed at people with strategic responsibilities within the organisation who are working on and leading the process of holistic, system, structural, and strategic change across their organisation.

It includes 8 approaches for taking positive action in your organisation with examples illustrating each one. We highlight some of the thought processes, stages and actions we have explored at Drake Music to progress change within our organisation.

9 Competencies of Inclusive Music Practice – What does Inclusive Music-Making look like in Practice?

This resource is primarily for people working in music education settings who would like to develop their skills and understanding, and take their inclusive practice further. It includes 9 competencies with:

• Descriptors – ideas on what the competencies mean
• Indicators – pointers on what this may include in practice
• Reflections – invitations to reflect on how they manifest and grow in your own practice
• 9 case studies written by music leaders from the Core Hub Partners illustrating how the competencies have been applied to their practice

Let’s Make Music – Fun musical activities for young musicians to learn about tempo, rhythm, melody, and turn-taking

This resource includes five videos showing examples of inclusive music practice in action: fun musical activities for young musicians to learn about tempo, rhythm, melody and turn-taking. You don’t have to be an experienced music leader to use them as all the activities are fully explained and contextualised.