Music Education
in the UK
Talking Classical Podcast
Back in May 2020 I was approached by Dr. Annabelle Lee who asked if I’d be interested in presenting a guest episode of the brilliant Talking Classical Podcast. At the time I’d been thinking a lot about music education, and arts education in general, and my own experiences as a teacher and facilitator, the challenges facing organisations and the next generation of artists, and my own learning journey. What started off as an idea for a 30 minute podcast looking at some of the challenges and triumphs in the world of music education turned into a 4 part series, because there is just so much important stuff to talk about!
With special thanks to all the contributors who have given their time and care to helping create this documentary:
Julia Ient (Business Development Manager, Cambridgeshire Music), Matthew Gunn (Head of Service, Cambridgeshire Music), Lucy McCullagh (Director of Learning & Community Engagement, Ulster Orchestra), Colin Stark, Education Liaison, Ulster Orchestra), Hester Cockcroft (Chief Executive, Awards for Young Musicians), Daniel Quigley.
Episode 1 - Music Hubs
Delving into the crucial role that Music Hubs play.
Music Education Hubs are groups of organisations – such as local authorities, schools, other hubs, art organisations, community or voluntary organisations – working together to create joined-up music education provision. The total amount of Hub funding from the Department for Education in the 2019-20 financial year was £75.84 million. They are a crucial part of the infrastructure for ensuring that every child aged 5-18 has the opportunity to sing, learn a musical instrument and benefit from rewarding musical experiences.
Music Featured in this episode
Episode 2 - Partnerships
Talking a good look at the work of two great UK orchestras, The Hallé in Manchester and the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, and more specifically the education and outreach departments that they run. We’ll also discover the key to running successful education and outreach projects is building partnerships with other organisations.
More Links:
Ulster Orchestra Community Engagment
Ulster Orchestra Crescendo Project
Queens University Belfast Crescendo Research
Episode 3 – Accessibility
Exploring some of the ground-breaking schemes and initiatives that are designed to break down barriers to musical experiences and music education in general.
Music featured in this episode
Episode 4 - Everyone Benefits
Benefits that getting involved in education and outreach projects can bring to the players and musicians themselves, and we’ll be finding out about the positive things to emerge out of lockdown for the Hallé and Ulster Orchestra education and outreach departments.