Welcome to April's MT, and let's start with the positive: last month's Music and Drama Education Expo. Many hundreds of teachers turned out to London's Olympia to network with a fascinating diversity of music education professionals, and to sample the biggest selection of free CPD training under one roof. It was a vibrant and uplifting couple of days.
The Music and Drama Education Awards took place on the fi rst night of the Expo. Many worthy winners were honoured, none more deserving than Professor Susan Hallam, who won the ISM-sponsored Lifetime Achievement Award. Susan has devoted her career to the science of music education's positive effects, summarised in her important book The Power of Music. Congratulations to all the winners, and sincere thanks to everyone involved in this year's Expo.
I can't avoid the topic of coronavirus, which is likely to affect most music teachers. Self-employed teachers may face many cancellations, perhaps beyond what they are prepared for financially. I hope the government acknowledges this and offers help to freelancers, as is being called for. Employed teachers should speak to their employers about any planned contingencies.
At the time of writing it is unclear what will happen regarding school closures. Teaching via Skype (or equivalent) may become more widespread, and teachers should take care to promote good safeguarding practice when doing this. Use a business-like profile picture, dress as smartly as you would to teach in person, and don't use Skype to contact students outside of lessons. All this might just be common sense, but it bears repeating. Skype also demands a different approach to teaching, so it might worth testing it out with a suitable student before using it more widely.
MT will pass on any important information during this challenging period, and readers are also advised to follow the guidance issued by their membership organisation (MU, ISM, NEU, MTA etc). These organisations offer much free advice on their websites for those who can't afford membership right now. Now, turn the page and we'll get back to talking about music education.
