What's it like teaching BTEC Music in a special school? (Part 1)

Invisibility is a common problem in our work. Loads of people - including many in the music sector - simply haven't heard of us; and if they have, their knowledge is sketchy at best. This is no criticism - just try me on a 'starter for 10' on the finer details of workings of the ISM or the MEC, and I'd struggle. In my experience, because a lot of what we do involves non-mainstream technology/ gadgets/ gizmos...it's often difficult for people to 'get' what we do, it just seems too 'out there' and specialised.

I want to help demistify Drake Music. And the best way to do that is to simply describe what an average day is like - if such a thing exists - for an Associate Tutor like me, making music with music students who also happen to be disabled. Better still, describe my work week-on-week, the highs, the lows, the inbetweens. Many of the approaches and equipment we use can be assimilated successfully by other music educators, both in mainstream and special schools; but I hope that this bridging of a gap can be helped along by unpacking what happens in a Drake Music session - in this case, BTEC Entry Level Music.

So, this week...

We arrive and unpack the van - about 4-5 cases, 3 rucksacks, mic stands...guitar, saxophone, keyboards...it is a lot of stuff, but we need/ use it all. Wherever possible, we do use the equipment the school has - it's better for them in the long-term, so they can run their own sessions independently (as long as they can hang onto the non music-specialist staff who learn to use it...)

The session is run in a decent sized room, and well equipped in terms of computers/ projector etc. More than often, we're put into rooms resembling shoeboxes, and that's before you try to fit three wheelchairs into them. We get set-up quickly; hardware, software, wires etc. Many people's reaction on entering the room is that we are about to launch the next Apollo 11 mission (and it's true that we have more computing power in one laptop than they did on the entire craft)

You may have noticed I say 'we' - it's nearly always two tutors. It works best this way e.g. one person to run the computer, one to be 'front of house' talking and playing music with the kids. LAs often want to do this kind of work with one tutor. It rarely works, stressful for the tutor trying to do it all, a unsatisfactory experience for the kids. All music classrooms should ideally have two adults e.g. a teacher and a freelance musician, especially if they're using a lot of technology.

Back to the session...we open the software (Ableton Live/ Reason) and check everything is working. We use switches to launch audio clips; set up keyboards with gaffer tape blocking off many of the keys, to help the students focus on one particular scale; get the mic working; test the Soundbeam; check, check and check again. Mainstream teachers would need extra time and another person helping to get to this stage of preparedness (I know this, having been a classroom teacher in a mainstream secondary school previously)

Then, the TA who accompanies the first BTEC group (three physically disabled students, all with varying access needs) arrives to say that none of the kids are in, mainly due to illness. It's disappointing - we hoped to perform a piece today to an audience. Frequent absences is a key barrier to disabled students gaining accredited outcomes in Music (and other subjects). This group is full of strong personalities, and we have a lot of fun just jamming - but of course, we film the whole session as it is all potential evidence.

The second group are also depleted due to illness, again, a shame as we plan to perform our version of Pachelbel's Canon: eight switches, each with a single note on it...when played in the right order, we get the basic Canon. Instead we have a 'scratch' group consisting of other students who have come along to make up the numbers. We give everyone a switch, including the TAs. The floor looks like a sea of spaghetti with extension cables allowing the switches to stretch further (watch your feet, health and safety applies). Some students hold the switches on their laps, others press their switches mounted on an angle arm.

We do a sound check, with everyone playing their note in turn. They all work. We try playing the cycle of notes; I add Harpsichord, my colleague plays the ground bass notes on drum pads, borrowed from the school. The piece works, a beautiful sound emerges, participants are taken aback, until that is, one of the switches fails. We try swapping switches...no good. Check the cables...no; check the adaptor? Still no. Then we realise the order of the last two notes is also wrong...what's the solution? Try to back track through the MIDI assignments...my brain is hanging out as I try to suss what needs to be done.

When this happened in the old days, when I first started doing this work, I felt the attendant silence in the room very keenly; seconds feel like minutes. In reality, it takes us 90 seconds or so to get things sorted; from the audiences point of view, it's no big deal, just a pause in events. In a classroom situation, with a mixed group of 30 students, I realise this would be a much bigger problem. But then, I wouldn't suggest using the equipment we have today, but instead try it with gear that teachers are confident with.

The piece continues, and again, it really works, has momentum, a sense of timing, people taking turns...staff stick their heads round the door to see where it's coming from. It could have been different, had we not been able to sort out the glitch midaway, and we have had to abandon sessions where we just couldn't save the situation ("computer says no") That's when the humble guitar comes in handy, as my other colleague attempts to get the 'engines restarted'.

So, a good outcome musically...a close call when it nearly all went down...absent students...'spaghetti' on the floor...Pachelbel done our way, accessibly.

More in two weeks...

‘…good in places, and distinctly optimistic…’ (apologies to Henley Review, section 1.10)

I’ve read the Henley Review (no government researchers to brief me…) and I’m feeling very positive! I truly think that Henley is a golden opportunity for young disabled musicians to finally get where the action is. For the first time there is the opportunity to place their needs strategically at the heart of a National Plan for Music Education (see Recommendation 10) No more add-ons, half-measures, fudges etc.

In many of the schools we have worked, there are hard-working music teachers who despite being completely ‘on board’ about including disabled musicians in music lessons, ensembles and accreditation, consistently fail to achieve this. Many of them put their hands up and admit it just isn’t realistic given their timetables/ resources/ experience/ SEN support (delete as appropriate) Many of these are excellent professionals and massively frustrated that they can’t achieve what they want for all their students.

The reasons why they don’t succeed have to be at the top of the agenda for any discussions around disabled/ SEN students at the ‘National Plan for Music Education’. The discussions have got to be honest, not defensive; we need to understand the true picture, including why (often- isolated) music teachers find it so challenging; equally the unique perspective of disabled students – what are the barriers they face on a daily basis to access music?

I believe we need to work on three key areas: Identify the barriers to participation and accreditation in music for disabled/ SEN students which currently exist in the UK music education sector. Many of them are not necessarily musical in nature – for example, a school which does not have a named IT technician to ensure that potential software/ hardware issues can be addressed. Many disabled students rely on the smooth running of assistive music technology to access music.

I’m currently working at a school in Stroud, delivering our OCNSWR Introduction To Music course to a class of 6 students, all who face physically disabling barriers to participating in music lessons, but have no significant learning difficulties. I’ve recently spent time sorting out problematic film files so they are compatible to play in Clicker 5 (we are currently doing the ‘Composing Soundtracks for Films’ unit) The PCs at the school I am working at didn’t have the right drivers to play the files…frustrating, and stops a lesson in it’s tracks…it took me a while to crack but I’m fairly certain it would take the staff much longer.

The logical conclusion once we have sat round a table and identified these barriers is to establish benchmarks in participation and accreditation for other music educators to follow. Most music educators want this lead to be taken, to have solid guidelines to implement and reflect upon. There’s a sizeable hole at the moment in music education where this should be. There are notable islands e.g. Mencap have produced some excellent guides of late, but we need much more, based on the best practice we can find.

Lastly, my eye was caught by Recommendation 33 - sharing best practice for the creative use of music technology in music education. This is a win-win recommendation for everyone. If we start to do better in terms of using music technology, then, by definition, disabled/ SEN students will increasingly be included because they will have improved access. Darren Henley recommends ‘new methods of creating music that embrace technological innovation’ – we’ve got to start taking music tech seriously in the classroom as a performance tool, not simply as an occasional outing to the IT suite to work on Garageband (for instance)

I’m currently delivering Entry Level BTEC at a Special school in Bristol – with students facing very similar barriers to the ones I work with in Stroud. The students are producing some striking performances, mostly using fairly straightforward music tech. It’s first and foremost good music in my opinion, it just happens to be produced using music tech.

So, in general, I think Darren Henley has a clear message for us; as a profession, we need to lay down clear expectations for a modern music education sector. The detail of the provision – the ‘new deal’ - for disabled/ SEN students needs to be clearer than most. This is an opportunity we must step up to as a profession.

'On coalitions...'

Coalitions are, obviously, much in vogue in this country at the moment. Despite the oncoming train that is the October 20th announcement on spending cuts, the public appears to be, in the main, relatively content with the Conservative/ Liberal pact. There's a feeling that this might be a new, more sensible approach to dealing with the big issues, rather than the usual Westminster shout-ins and in-fighting.

Much of what I'm reading and hearing about recently re: music education, is similarly focussed on this theme of collaboration and partnerships. In easier financial times, organisations who deliver music provision can more afford to concentrate on their own plans and aspirations, but now, with 'all bets off', people are looking around them for potential allies. But can coalitions prosper in the music education sector, in particular classroom teaching and community music? The nominal wall between formal and informal music education has of course been partly dismantled in recent years, but so many of the projects and partnerships tend to suffer from short-term-ism; plenty of 'value-added' to the curriculum, but rarely a lasting legacy.

The recently announced 'Henley Review' an independent review looking at how the funding available for music education can most effectively be used to secure the best music education for all children and young people - would, I think, do well to look hard at this question. Music departments cannot realistically be run by one individual any more, if they are to engage with the demands of a '21st Century' music education (and the current, fast evolving musical landscape of the UK). By this I mean issues like: in-depth engagement with music technology; small group-based working models rather than 30+ students at once; quality access to music for students with SEN/ disabilities; ongoing CPD for teachers via interaction and support from other music professionals.

We need community musicians/ orchestral players/ talented musical parents (enter your own tag here _) in every music class in this country, working alongside music teachers. That means a compete re-appraisal of how we fund and organise music services and school classroom delivery. The knowledge and experience about teaching and assessing music is held in so many different places and minds. Rather than continuing to merely observe each other across the musical 'dispatch box', we need to make a new deal (ideally one involving a more diverse cross-section than these two...)

GCSE Music success for Jordan!

Talented Drake Music student Jordan Andow has achieved his goal of passing GCSE Music. Jordan, who attends the City Academy in Bristol, had previously worked with Drake Music (SW) on a range of performing and composing projects. He has been supported over the past two years by Jonathan Westrup, Drake Music Curriculum Development worker. Jordan’s achievement is made even more remarkable for the fact that he nearly didn’t take the course. A mixture of timetabling clashes and other pressures meant he considered having to drop his favourite subject. However, the school stepped in to fund one-to-one support from Drake Music and the result is a fantastic outcome both for Jordan, and for music education generally in this country. Jordan is soon to start college and plans to continue making his own music.

Music for music's sake, or something else...?

What is music for? In a recent Q&A for the upcoming NAME conference, Dick Hallam, National Music Participation Director, was asked why he believed music education is important for all children. He answered by pointing to 'its power to transform lives'. Equally, the phrase 'The Power of Music' has become a main staple of music education speak in recent years. Now, no one would deny that music is a special kind of human activity, capable of grabbing our attention and emotions and even allowing us fresh perspectives on our lives.

And yet...I find myself a bit irked with this power/ transformation speak; it's as if the function of music for young people has become that of a vessel for promoting social cohesion, economic well-being, personal revelation. What happened to music for its own sake, without the baggage?

There are echos here of the debate that occurred around the arts when New Labour came into power, roughly, were the arts to be used for social change, or be promoted for it's own sake and enjoyment? To some extent, the increased funding for music education in recent years has been sold on the back of claims for the 'knock-on effects' eg increased performance in other subjects by students who take music, improved future economic prospects for those from low income families.

However, a focus on music as a transformative 'balm' for the self, and for wider society, has the potential effect of diverting attention away from currently overlooked and under developed aspects of music education. An example, based on my work: many students with SEN/ disabilities currently have sketchy access to quality, ongoing music provision in their schools. It's common for onlookers to describe this group's musical experiences and achievements only in terms of their theraputic qualities - rather than in the context of a normal 'bog-standard' music education with all the usual ups and downs. For such students, music can and should be pursued and enjoyed without hanging tags on it. We should focus on developing their access to workaday music provision and accreditation, instead of automatically looking for the transformative, dramatic effects from often short-term projects.

Because pursuing music as an interest or subject is actually often more straightfoward; it's a series of ongoing, repetitive rehearsals; time spent composing songs with plenty of dead ends; performances that went well but could have gone better...and then, occasionally, magic moments to make all the graft worthwhile. What is music for? It's about the love of it and, yes, it can contribute to young people transforming their everyday situation. But please can we re-balance things towards the former?

Bradley breaks the glass ceiling!

Bradley, our pilot student for our NOCN 'Introduction to Music' Course, successfully passed last week (four units, all at Level 1) This is obviously a significant achievement for him personally, overcoming many barriers along the way, and creating a quality portfolio which is both wide-ranging and musically surprising by turns.

However, his success also plants a clear signpost in the ground for other students to follow. Firstly, he is an excellent role model and a pioneer; he has proven that students facing the barriers he does can independently take accredited music courses and succeed. Next academic year we plan to deliver the course to a class of six students with physically disabling barriers at the same school.

Secondly, the approaches and resources we have used to create the music are now ready for any other student to pick up and use - they won't simply sit there now, in an educational time capsule. The most important task now is to get the course more widely known - and used.

Lastly, it moves the goalposts in terms of music provision in this country for SEN/ disabled students in the UK. Current provision is simply not good enough; we know that educators and musicians and exam boards recognise the need to change this, but it isn't happening nearly as much as it could be. Bradley's success opens the door for professionals to walk through.

If this sounds grand, it really is not; congratulations Bradley!

Wonderful Support for our Curriculum Development Initiative (CDI)

We recently received a very generous donation, made in memory of Jason Morris, to support the development of Drake Music’s Curriculum Development Initiative. The CDI, part-funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, aims to broaden access to the music curriculum in general and to accreditation in music in particular.

Through the CDI we want to ensure that disabled children and young people can pursue the same progression routes as their non-disabled peers, using accreditation as a springboard. As part of CDI, we will support young people with their BTEC in music, and have written and piloted a new NOCN (National Open College Network) course 'Introduction to Music', which will be rolled out nationally over the coming years.

Other key components of this initiative are advocacy, extensive lobbying of key policy makers, and developing a new, fully inclusive music technology exam, working closely with ABRSM.

Jason Morris, in whose memory the donation was made died in 2009. He was a talented, technically adept and very fast guitarist. Music was the centre of his life. He was much appreciated by his peers for the way he shared his knowledge and gave his encouragement, as well as being known for his wit. He participated in Gasfest, a guitar event in support of Drake Music. Jason greatly admired Drake Music's work and this donation is in many ways a fitting memorial to him.

This generous donation – over a four-year period - will have a significant impact, increasing our reach and enabling us to make a step-change in the development and implementation of the Curriculum Development programme.

For more information about CDI, please contact

Jonathan Westrup

jonathanwestrup@drakemusicproject.org

07905563545

Or visit

www.drakemusicproject.org

http://drakemusiccdi.blogspot.com