What Is Musical Futures All About?
From Vision to Practice – observations on the impact of Musical Futures
(a 12 minute video including interviews with Andrew Adonis, Valerie Hannon, Mark Jaffrey, etc. - January 2007)
Introductory Video (September 2005)
Introduction
The 'Musical Futures' project is a £2m, four-year music education action research project. The aim has been to devise new and imaginative ways of engaging young people, aged 11-19, in music activities. Following a year of consultation in 2003, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation identified the following objectives:
- To understand the factors affecting young people's commitment to, and sustained engagement in, musical participation;
- To develop ways in which the diverse musical needs of young people can be met and their experience of music making enhanced;
- To realise viable, sustainable and transferable models which can support a national strategy for music and young people;
- To investigate, and make recommendations on, the most appropriate methods of mentoring and supporting young people's preferences and skills;
- To find ways of validating and (where appropriate) accrediting all forms of young people's musical experiences, including those undertaken without supervision;
- To facilitate support for music trainees, leaders, teachers and performers/composers through the provision of development opportunities which highlight collaborative working practices
Project Outline
After inviting applications from consortia of local music education providers, three Pathfinder Local Authority Music Services – in Leeds, Nottingham and Hertfordshire - were commissioned to explore new approaches and structures which might ensure that more young people participate in better quality musical experiences for longer.
As the consultations with young people in these three regions began, in 2004, it became clear that Pathfinders needed to find different responses to young people’s enthusiasms and ambitions in their music-making. Two characteristics soon became apparent in their strategies: each felt it important to informalise the way music is often taught, and to personalise the nature of the opportunities on offer. You can see, and hear, some of the projects which have been taking place in the three regions by clicking here: Hertfordshire, Nottingham, Leeds.
Five core areas of enquiry emerged, which we felt were key to understanding how young people’s experiences of music-making could be transformed. Following our Introductory Pamphlet, we reported back on these through a series of short pamphlets:
We also commissioned a number of research and development projects which might help improve our understanding of informalisation and personalisation:
- The ‘Simply Connect’ report identifies the key elements of non-formal music making, using the Guildhall’s Connect project as a case study. To further illuminate an area which has remained something of a mystery so far, we also commissioned a DVD of the leadership processes found in high quality non-formal music making ;
- The Musical Routes information, advice and guidance service, was created by Sound Connections, the London Youth Music Action Zone, in partnership with Musical Futures. A key feature of personalising provision is in enabling young people to create their individual learning pathway, supported by appropriate and up-to-date advice. Musical Routes combines internet searching capabilities with face-to-face mentoring;
- ICT has been a particular interest of ours throughout the project and, at the end of 2006, we published a report Electrifying Music which is designed to support teachers and music leaders in making the best use of technology in their work with young people.
The website you’re now visiting is the fourth R & D project. SYNERGY.tv were commissioned to create a collaborative music learning space which could support young people and music leaders. Having undergone a number of re-designs, the site now has an
interactive area for on-going and recent projects, and a resource section for publications and audio-visual archives.
Synergy will be continuing to develop the NUMU site in 2007, as it now expands beyond the original Musical Futures partners.
Impact of Musical Futures
We will continue to collect evidence as we move into the next phase of the project. So far, we know that all of our participating Pathfinders and schools have reported improved motivation, enthusiasm and creativity in the young participants after one year’s involvement in Musical Futures programmes. In some schools, 30% of last year’s Year 9 students are now taking GCSE Music and demand for instrumental tuition has risen universally. Over 90% of students asked say they have preferred these new ways of music learning.
The Musical Futures resource pack, Personalising Music Learning, has been requested by over a third of all secondary schools in England, and we are collecting data on its effectiveness in developing next practice in the classroom.
The Future
The primary, action-research, phase of the project came to an end with the publication of our summary findings, launched during the State of Play Music Conference in January 2007. Our future priorities are to help embed the new practices developed through Musical Futures. We will be establishing a national network of schools that are implementing the learning models and each region will have a Musical Futures coordinator. We will also be working with our partners to provide regular CPD opportunities for practitioners. Details of these and of other developments will be sent to everyone on our mailing list, so please register to be kept abreast of the latest news.
Musical Futures would not have been possible without the invaluable support of:
Key partners:
- Youth Music
- DfES Innovation Unit
- Music Manifesto
- Specialist Schools & Academies Trust
Hertfordshire Musical Futures Pathfinder
Hertfordshire Music Service
Institute of Education, University of London
Delivery Team
- Abigail D'Amore
- Professor Lucy Green
- John Witchell
Consortia Partners
- Hertfordshire Rock Project
- MMT Openplay
- Nuance Music
Schools/youth services
- Barclay School, Stevenage
- Brandles School, Baldock
- Cavendish School, Hemel Hempstead
- Collenswood School, Stevenage
- Falconer School, Watford
- Francis Combe School, Watford
- Goffs School, Cheshunt
- The Highfield School, Letchworth
- John Henry Newman RC School, Stevenage
- Kings Langley School, Kings Langley
- Monks Walk School, Welwyn Garden City
- Sandringham School, St Albans
- Sheredes School, Hoddesdon
- Simon Balle School, Hertford
- Sir John Lawes School, Harpenden
- St Luke’s School, Redbourn
- Stanborough School, Welwyn Garden City
Leeds Musical Futures Pathfinder
Artforms Education Leeds
CAPE UK
Synergy tv
Delivery Team
- Paul Kaiserman
- Jo Richardson
- Fran Hannan
- Fiona Pacey
Consortia Partners
- Aim Higher
- Excellence in Cities
- Leeds College of Music
- SAA UK
Schools/youth services
- Abbey Grange CE High School
- Allerton Grange High
- City of Leeds High School
- Corpus Christi Catholic College
- Guiseley School Technology College
- Host Media Centre
- Lawnswood School
- Morley High School
- North East Leeds City Learning Centre
- Ralph Thoresby High School
- South Leeds Performing Arts College (Rodillian)
- Touchwood Studios
- The Trinity School
- West Leeds City Learning Centre
- West Leeds High School
- Wortley High School
Nottingham Musical Futures Pathfinder
Nottingham Music Service
Nottingham Trent University
Delivery Team
- Ian Burton
- Alistair Conquer
- Carolyn Davis
- Adam Giles
- Sharon Jagdev Powell
- Catrin Jones
- Rob Maddison
- Helen Maltby
- Matthew Mellor
- Nathan Miller
- Kate Thurman
Consortia Partners
- Confetti
- Creative Partnerships Nottingham
- Eastern Orchestral Board
- The Hallé Orchestra
- Viva
Schools/youth services
- Big Wood School & Technology College
- Elliot Durham School
- Ellis Guilford School & Sports College
- Fareham Community College
- Haywood School
- Henry Mellish Sports College
- Nottingham Emmanuel School
- Nottingham Music School
- Top Valley School & Engineering College
Research & Development Partners
Synergy
Delivery Team
- Mark Riches
- Tim Riches
- Adrian Scully
- Cliff Manning
- Joanna Buick
- Andrew Flowers
Musical Routes
Delivery Team
- Kate Atkinson
- Nick Howdle
- Nicky Pleming
Consortium
- Sound Connections (London YMAZ)
- Connexions Lewisham
- Hackney Music Development Trust
- Midi Music Co.
CONNECT
Delivery Team
- Sean Gregory
- Lucy Hunt
- Rachel Toogood
Consortium
- Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- CONNECT Ensembles
Musical Futures Advisers
- Norinne Betjemann, Arts Council England
- Colin Brackley-Jones, Federation of Music Services
- Christina Coker*, Youth Music
- Ben Cole, Youth Music
- Richard Hallam, Oxfordshire Music Service
- Valerie Hannon, Department for Education and Skills Innovation Unit
- David Hargreaves*, Project Consultant
- Marc Jaffrey, Music Manifesto
- Richard Jones, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
- Nicholas Kenyon, BBC Proms
- Margaret Martin-Griffiths
- Angela Overington, Department for Education and Skills
- Philippa Staff, Department for Culture Media and Sport
- David Sulkin, Youth Music
* = Denotes Steering Group Member
Musical Futures Team
- Lord Moser, Chairman & Trustee of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation
- David Price, Project Leader
- Abigail D’Amore, National Coordinator
Musical Futures Advocacy and Dissemination Partners
- Andrew Adonis
- David Ashworth
- Association of British Orchestras
- Bridget Bell
- Christina Coker
- Kathryn Deane
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport
- Department for Education and Skills
- DfES Innovation Unit
- Duncan Sones Associates
- Federation of music Services
- Charles Handy
- Valerie Hannon
- Igloo Design
- Marc Jaffrey
- Richard Jones
- David Lammy
- Patricia Lankester
- Music Manifesto
- Margaret Martin-Griffiths
- National Federation of Music Educators
- Prolog
- Redbox Productions / Andrew Hawkes
- Peter Renshaw
- Serious
- Sound Sense
- Specialist School and Academies Trust
- Youth Music
The Trustees and staff of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, particularly Robert Dufton, Régis Cochefert, Lisa Howard, Ruby Ireland and Premila Patel.
The Musical Futures project is dedicated to the memory of Jane Attenborough, who died tragically in the Asian Tsunami. Jane was the arts manager at the Paul Hamlyn Foundation who, along with the project Chair, Lord Moser, gave shape to the project from the PHF trustees’ original aspirations.
