MT: How would you describe yourself in three words?
RB: Passionate, creative, flexible.
MT: What will you be sharing with Expo delegates?
RB: Some of the best workshops I have been to are the ones that give honest, practical advice and leave you equipped and empowered with strategies, tips, and tricks that you can implement in your own setting. The session aims to do just that. Some people who attend will be experienced leaders and practitioners, others may have been recently tasked with the job of ‘Music lead’, some may be interested in taking the role on in the future – my session will be applicable to all. I hope it will be helpful, supportive, realistic and informative!
The session will include lots of take homes, sharing of resources, and best practice. We will be looking at the role of a music lead and how to identify and respond to the challenges of this role. What could your school action plan look like and what do you prioritise?
Monitoring and evaluating progress is often a tricky one for many people, so I will be sharing how I approach this in a practical, manageable way that ensures that the evaluating I do is formative to the children's progress while meeting the needs of SLT and Ofsted. One of the other biggest challenges in leading music in a school is taking everyone else along with you on the journey and having the support and investment from those around you. I will share my own experience and my best advice for whole school development.
MT: Tell us a bit about your background and career.
RB: Music is in my bones. Coming from a very musical family, I grew up surrounded by instruments and I was lucky enough to have opportunities to learn to play them. It is the thing that has remained a constant in my life and a driver throughout my career. All children should have this opportunity; I am passionate about music's power to enrich children's lives and the primary education experience. I have sometimes wondered what I would have been if I hadn't followed a career as a music educator. They always say you won't go far wrong if you do something you love and have a skill in. So far so good – 25 years on and I still love it!
I play piano, oboe, saxophone and I sing, I can dabble on percussion, and I have recently added ukulele to my repertoire after Covid forced a change in our continuous provision of recorders at school. I am happy to say that our children now learn both instruments! One of my favourite instruments is the cello – I have never taken lessons, but I love to learn, so maybe that's my next challenge.
I have worked as an instrumental teacher, a community facilitator, and now I am lucky enough to work in a large primary school in Lincolnshire that really values music education. I am employed as a full-time music teacher, so spend my days teaching all our 640 children curriculum music from nursery to Year 6 and running bands and choirs. We are part of a multi-academy trust, and I recently became head of creative arts for the academy and am currently loving the challenge of developing music provision across all seven of our schools.
I have developed the curriculum that we follow and love getting involved in training of ECTs, running workshops, such as the one I'll be doing at the Music & Drama Education Expo, and running training for local music hubs.
MT: If you could make one change to the UK music education system, what would it be?
RB: The dream: music would be a core subject with an hour of compulsory music education for every child, including learning to play a musical instrument.
MT: Other than your session, what are you looking forward to about attending the Expo?
RB: I love the event for its power in connecting likeminded people to network and learn from each other. I always leave feeling empowered and part of something inspirational.
MT: What were the key takeaways from your own music education?
RB: So many things that I think I am still discovering, but the key things would be tenacity – sticking at something –, discipline, commitment, knowing and accepting that for something to be crafted it takes time and commitment, and not to expect instant gratification. Also, I learnt a way of feeling that isn't through words – a deep understanding of emotion.
MT: Who should attend your Expo session and why?
RB: My session is open to everyone from the mildly curious to the desperately-in-need-of-some-help-and-support, and everyone in between. If you read the title and are even vaguely interested, come along. Everyone is welcome and there will be something for everyone. Developing music provision in a school is never about moving mountains; it's about commitment to improve and small steps in the right direction.
MT: What do you hope to see happen in music education in the next five years?
RB: I hope that music is boosted up the ranks in terms of its value for building well-rounded people. Wouldn't it be great if financial investment in the subject allowed all children to benefit from its magic, and regardless of what school children went to, their musical diet was one of quality and enrichment?
MT: What should we be talking about that currently isn't getting enough attention?
RB: Music brings people together, it teaches emotional engagement, it offers a creative and fun way to express yourself, it is inclusive, and it heals. This is just what we need at this moment in time in education. We are still in the process of recovering from a very turbulent few years – let's equip our teachers with the skills and resources to fill our classrooms with more music.
MT: What artist/composer are you listening to on repeat this week?
RB: I am taking 53 children to perform at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a massed ensemble for the Youth Proms, so for me it's Beyoncé and Single Ladies! On a Sunday it will always be Classic FM.
The Music & Drama Education Expo takes place on 23 and 24 February at the Business Design Centre in London. View the 2023 programme and register for free.
