F EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL Phone 0788 1131 6803 Email music.teacher@markallengroup.com Editor Harriet Richards Editorial Assistant Hattie Fisk Resources Editor David Kettle Design Calvin McKenzie ADVERTISING Head of Sales Amy Driscoll 020 7333 1719 amy.driscoll@markallengroup.com Production Controller Daniela Di Padova daniela.dipadova@markallengroup.com SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES Phone UK 0800 137207 Overseas +44(0)1722 716997 Email subscriptions@markallengroup.com Subscriptions Manager Bethany Foy UK Subscription Rate £70 PUBLISHING Phone +44(0)20 7738 5454 Managing Director Ravi Chandiramani Publisher Amy Driscoll Marketing & Events Director Tony Hill Head of Marketing John Barnett Group Institutional Sales Manager Jas Atwal Production Director Richard Hamshere Circulation Director Sally Boettcher Chief Operating Officer Jon Benson Chief Executive Officer Ben Allen Executive Chairman Mark Allen
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Music Teacher, ISSN 0027-4461, is published monthly by MA Education Ltd, St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road, London SE24 0PB, UK Subscription records are maintained at MA Education Ltd, Unit A, Buildings 1-5 Dinton Business Park, Catherine Ford Road, Dinton, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP3 5HZ © MA Education Ltd 2021. All rights reserved. No part of Music Teacher may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the publishing director. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the editor. The presence of advertisements in Music Teacher implies no endorsement of the products or services offered. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of statements in this magazine but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for matters arising from clerical or printers’ errors, or an advertiser not completing their contract. We have made every effort to secure permission to use copyright material. Where material has been used inadvertently or we have been unable to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgment will be made in a future issue. 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. Please read our privacy policy by visiting http://privacypolicy.markallengroup.com This will explain how we process, use and safeguard your data. Printed in the UK by Pensord, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood NP12 2YA
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Flying the flag for Wales
S…and banging the drum for England hortly after the June issue went to press, it emerged that the National Plan for Music Education in Wales was due for publication – it has now been with us for around a month, meaning that most of the usual suspects have had a chance to digest the document and share their views (see p.6 for news and p.30 for analysis).
Happily, and quite unusually for government policy, the response has been largely positive, and it seems that the Welsh Plan has been written with the medium term in mind, as well as a base level of funding. As commentators have pointed out, as this is Wales’s first ever NPME, it remains to be seen whether estimated funding is sufficient, and whether promises of longer-term investments and initiatives are followed through. As I write, the NPME in England has still not materialised.
This issue has a Percussion focus, which sees our coverage span a range of experiences, ideas, and initiatives. Continuing the Welsh theme, our cover star Owain Wyn Evans shares his passion for showing young people that anyone can be a drummer (p.12), and head of percussion at RWCMD Patrick King offers insight into how he’s preparing students for careers as modern portfolio percussionists (p.32). On p.16, you’ll find inventive percussion ideas for your primary classroom; on p.26, Chris Woods explores ‘counting culture’ in our lessons; and on p.28, Akshay Sharma reports back after creating a Beatboxing unit for Leicestershire Music.
Elsewhere, you’ll discover how Ealing Music Hub and partners are bringing the joy of music to children in hospital (p.18), learn about the Stave House method of teaching notation to young children (p.38), and we meet founder of Young Voices and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s MDEA, David Lewis, on p.22. Plus, you’ll find all of the usual reviews and columns scattered throughout.
Speaking of the Music & Drama Education Awards, we’ve opened nominations for the 2023 event – you can find out more about nominating yourself or others on p.7. Finally, the more astute among you may notice that my surname has changed, as I got married a few weeks ago! My email address will change soon, but any correspondence to my old address will be redirected. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our conference on 5 July.
Harriet Richards (formerly Clifford), editor
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Music Teacher is the UK’s only magazine aimed at music educators from across the sector. It is a place where music is valued in and of itself, embracing all genres. We offer up new approaches to pedagogy through in-depth features, engaging opinions, lesson plans and schemes of work. We cast a critical eye over the latest research and products to help inform the conversations that shape musical teaching. This is a platform for raising awareness of the key issues affecting music teachers, and for championing existing efforts to ensure music education is accessible to all.
MUSIC TEACHER F July 2022 F 5