Music for Education & Wellbeing

 A hate crime and a near death experience caused Ami Gaston to re-evaluate her life and future. She now works internationally to promote healing and wellbeing through music and activism. She's worked with refugees and families through organisations such as the US government and the United Nations. She also has a great story to tell about performing for the Dalai Lama. 

 In this episode, I talk with Serona Elton, from the University of Miami and the Mechanical Licensing Collective; and Dr Oliver Morris, Head of Education and Skills at UK Music. We talked about their routes into the music industry, and the challenges and opportunities for young people – and their families - wanting to understand what roles they could pursue in music.  

 In this episode, I talk with Penny Osmond, workshop and choir leader, about her singing work with new mums who have perinatal mental health disorders. We discuss the first randomised control research in this area, led by Professors Rosie Perkins and Daisy Fancourt, which found that singing could relieve moderate to severe post-natal depression at double the rate of control groups. We also hear about Penny's wider music and perinatal mental health programmes including Songs from Home – addressing social isolation in new mums through online songwriting, and Music at Heart, singing with mothers referred through a hospital. 

In this episode, I talk with Emma Supica, Education Coordinator for Artiphon, a music tech company that creates new instruments to enable everyone to be creative, with or without prior musical experience. It's latest is the Orba, a palm-held instrument that can be used alone or connected to other technology. We talked about the importance of play in music; how the Orba is being used in education, wellbeing and social justice settings and can be adapted for different people and environments; and the value of participant and user voice in education and in tech. 

 In this episode, I talk with Mark Robinson, the founder of Rocksteady Music School, which brings in-school rock band lessons to primary schools across the UK. It's a new model for music education that combines peripatetic tuition approaches with group rock band tuition and inclusive pedagogy, increasing children's interest in and uptake of music lessons. Mark's lightbulb moment was when he realised that children in his lunchtime band workshops were progressing faster than those in one-to-one lessons, and his mission ever since has been to get more children making music by choosing what they want to learn, and learning as part of a band. 

 In this episode, I talk with musicians Carl aka C. Roots, and Grace from Inhouse Records. Inhouse is an award-winning record label for change, working inside and outside of prisons with emerging musicians who are prisoners. The team work to highlight the creative potential of prisoners and to reduce reoffending, focusing on what's strong, not what's wrong.  They're supported by a range of impressive partners and funders from the Universal Music Group to the Ministry of Justice, and have won awards for their social enterprise work 

In this episode, I talk with Sam Chaplin, community choir leader for The Choir With No Name, workshop leader, singer-songwriter, jazz trumpeter, pianist, composer and arranger. We discuss: how community choir leading is ‘caught rather than taught'; the four Cs of connection, confidence, congratulations and the catharsis of ‘singing it out and the song on Sam's new album inspired by this; the value of peer mentors as part of advocating for the choir; music more central in everyone's lives.

 In this episode, I talk with  Rachael Perrin, a co-founder of community music organisation, Soundcastle, which runs projects in the south of England, coaches and trains music practitioners across the UK, and has an online community to support them. We talk about bringing together the music and social care worlds and wanting to find ‘other uses for music'; their Musical Beacons work with families and People's Music Collectives work with adults on a journey of mental health recovery; the crossovers between coaching, mentoring and community music; the importance of creative autonomy; and wellbeing, the thread that runs through everything from projects to collective decision-making.

 In this episode, I talk with head vocal coach for X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, Annabel Williams. Annabel talks about her route into vocal coaching, gives some insights into the support given to TV talent show contestants and shares some tips and advice for vocalists. She goes on to talk about her The Vocal Coach app for singers of all levels wanting to develop their voices, or use singing for fun and wellbeing 

In this episode, I'm talking with JB Rose who is a soul vocalist, recording artist, and vocal tutor at three charities (Heart and Soul, Clean Break Theatre Company and Second Wave Youth Arts where she's also an Associate Director). JB has supported Chaka Khan, and worked with the likes of Coolio, Omar and Junior.  Alongside all of this she also has an impressive scriptwriting and songwriting career. I was particularly interested in her beginnings in youth arts, and the difference that's made to her progression into the music industry.

In this episode, I talk with Helen Brookes, Head of Whole Class Instrumental Teaching for Services for Education Music Service, Birmingham which leads the music education hub for the city. It’s part of the Services for Education charity, which provides a range of services to schools from school-centred initial teacher training to school improvement consultancy. We talk about the services’s progression model for whole class instrumental teaching; taking that model online during the pandemic; how they bring inclusion into the work in SEN/D and mainstream schools; and managing the balance between partnering with and marketing to schools.

In this episode, I’m talking with pioneering and award-winning jazz musicians, educators, and producers Janine Irons MBE and Gary Crosby OBE, who together run the music education and development charity Tomorrow’s Warriors. We talk about their routes into music and their work addressing barriers to music and the music industry for young people facing barriers to progression in the music industry – in particular black or/and female musicians.

In this episode, I’m talking with Roz De Vile, CEO of Music Masters, a music education charity that runs group music making programmes in five London schools, teacher training, and has developed ‘I’m In’, a diversity tool and process to help music organisations to be more inclusive and better reflect the society we live in. This episode was recorded in December 2020 and before the new January lockdown rules in England.

In this episode, I’m talking with Catherine Birch, who is a senior lecturer in Community Music at York St John University. She is currently researching, how trauma-informed approaches can benefit community music practice, through singing and songwriting work with women prisoners as part of the York St John Prison Partnership.

In this episode, I’m talking with Ije Amaechi, Victoria Port, and Ross Lanning: music tutors working for Hertfordshire Music Service, part of a local authority in the UK. They specialise in working with young people who face barriers to music education, particularly those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

In this episode, I’m talking with Laura Hassler, Founder and Director of Musicians Without Borders. It’s a charity based in Amsterdam that uses the power of music for peacebuilding and social change, particularly in areas of war and conflict ||| There are many reasons why you’ll be interested in Musicians with Borders. From its early beginnings as a bus full of musicians bringing music to refugee camps and communities affected by the Balkan Wars, to its community music work in Palestine, Central Eastern Africa, Central America and Europe and training of music leaders. Laura herself has had a fascinating track record too, having been active in US civil rights and peace movements from an early age. She worked for social change organisations in the US and Europe before moving to the Netherlands to develop a career as a musician and link music to social causes.

In this episode, I’m talking with Ollie Tunmer of Beat Goes On. Ollie teaches STOMP-style body percussion and samba drumming to all ages, including in schools from primary to secondary, and to teachers. In primaries, he’s developed Body Percussion with Literacy, working with literacy specialist Pie Corbett, and his sessions recently moved online during lockdown.

In this episode, I’m talking with Malaki Patterson, who is Gloucestershire-based music producer, community musician, music manager, and creative director. Malaki has helped to achieve much change in the county, to support young people facing barriers in access to music and progression routes into the industry.

Sally Cathcart of The Curious Piano Teachers, shares how they’re continuing to provide services and support to piano teachers, and piano teachers to young people, during lockdown.

Stuart Birnie of Services for Education Music Service Birmingham, shares how they’re continuing to provide services and support to young people during lockdown.

Steph Dickinson, of Pie Factory Music, an East-Kent creative youth charity, shares how they’re continuing to provide services and support to young people during lockdown.

Emma Coulthard, of Cardiff County and the Vale of Glamorgan Music Service , shares how they’re continuing to provide services and support to young people during lockdown.

Neil Phillips, of Awards for Young Musicians, shares how they’re continuing to provide funding and support to young people and those who teach and mentor them, during lockdown.

Helen Murray, of Nottingham Music Hub, shares how they’re continuing to provide support and services to young people during lockdown.

Ben O’Sullivan of The Music Works, a Gloucestershire-based community music charity shares how they’re continuing to provide support and services to young people during lockdown.

In this episode, I’m talking with Bev Foster, Founding Director of Room 217, a Canadian social enterprise that uses music to change the culture of care || Bev started the organisation with her husband Rob, after experiencing first-hand the power of music for her dying father || It now provides music training for care staff as well as research-informed products like conversation cards, music books, and CDs, so that music can become an integral part of the day-to-day life of the home.

In this episode, I’m talking with Elle Williams, a classically-trained guitarist who previously worked as a music tutor in mainstream schools, and now specialises solely in one-to-one music lessons with disabled people and those with additional needs || We talk about: the lack of music tutors working one-to-one with disabled people, particularly young people with moderate or profound and multiple disabilities; the tendency for provision in special needs schools to be music therapy or group music-making; and where tutors can find information and guidance to broaden their skills to reach more young people || Elle also shares three helpful tips for fellow music tutors.

In this episode, I’m talking with Paul McManus, CEO of the Music Industries Association (MIA), the trade body for the musical instrument industry. The MIA work in a number of ways to support music education for all ages, and recently in October 2019, held the first of what will now become an annual conference focused on music education and the music industry working together. The MIA also has a charitable arm called Music for All, which runs initiatives like the Learn to Play day and Make Music Day UK, and gives grants to encourage more people to make music.

In this episode, I’m talking with Jimmy Rotheram of Feversham Primary, Bradford. Jimmy is the teacher who was thrust into the spotlight to tell the story of how music contributed to transforming his school. He’s a great example of how one person with a mission and a story can get noticed and listened to - and can make a difference through music education advocacy.

In this episode, I’m talking with Ruth Jones, who is a youth arts specialist, trainer, music development manager and bass player, as well as being an experienced arts and music development manager currently working with Arts Awards and Wiltshire Music Connect || We discuss the value self-employed people bring to the sector and the challenges they face || Ruth shares some tips about being clear on your purpose, marketing yourself and earning money|| And we talk about what organisations can do to support this growing workforce

In this episode, I’m talking with Liv McLennan, who is a community musician and a specialist in early years music || We discuss what parents and carers can do to introduce music to their pre-school child, and share some ideas for making music with babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers || We talk about || keeping it simple - thinking of music as communicating using what’s available to you daily || being guided by your baby/child || combining music with movement and touch || introducing music to your regular daily routines || using the music you enjoy and not being limited to ‘kiddies’ music || finding a range of ways to expose your child to music – from apps to concerts || and we finish with three pieces of advice for parents and carers

In this episode, I’m talking with Penny James, Cardiff-based freelance press and PR specialist who’s held PR Manager roles with organisations such as Welsh National Opera and St David’s Hall, and has gained national and in some cases international coverage for Wales Millennium Centre, Music Theatre Wales, Black Rat Productions, Artes Mundi and many others ||| We talk about * how to prepare for approaching journalists * why you need a content calendar and a media toolkit and what they contain * thinking creatively about where you place your stories * the importance of documenting your work * preparing a press release * what you can create or prepare for print, radio and TV journalists * nurturing relationships * whether exclusives are a good thing * how education/community departments can get gain support from their marketing departments * the importance of personal stories.

In this episode, I’m talking with Penny Swift, Executive Director and Katherine Damkohler, Director of National Activities of Education Through Music (ETM). ETM is a New York-based organisation working with under-resourced schools to provide music education as a core subject for all students ||| It’s grown significantly over the last few years, and has an effective model which combines partnering with schools in the poorest neighbourhoods, and employing and training music teachers who then go on to be employed by the schools ||| We talk about how ETM: * works with every class in each school, for 1-3 years – prioritising ‘long-term, sequential music education’ * works with the Principal (headteacher) as a partner, securing a commitment to sustaining the music programme after ETM’s work is finished * trains and develops their music teachers * aligns their curriculum with the teacher assessment framework used by headteachers * works with classroom teachers to understand how music can tie into other areas of the curriculum * is expanding nationally and internationally and is open to approaches from music educators

In this episode, I’m talking with Simon Glenister, Director of Noise Solution, a social enterprise based in Bury St Edmunds which provides 1-1 music mentoring programmes using music technology for young people in challenging circumstances |||| Noise Solution is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, the business model is unusual for this sector – Noise Solution is not a charity and all of its income for delivery comes from commissioning ||| Secondly, they use digital storytelling as a central part of the work and its evaluation ||| And thirdly, they have developed a robust evaluation model that’s recognised by the Cabinet Office and NHS Clinical Commissioning ||| We talk about … the importance of sharing a positive story about a ‘disengaged’ young person with those they’re closest to ||| Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory and the impact of autonomy, competency and relatedness ||| the power of music and technology to improve wellbeing ||| the meaning of ‘statistically significant’ in relation to their evaluation ||| Simon’s three top tips for other people changing lives through music.

In this episode, I’m talking with Nick Howdle and Sophie Amstell of Wiltshire Music Connect, which is a music education hub. Hubs are partnerships of organisations in England, who receive government funding to create joined-up music education provision in their local area as part of the government’s national plan for music education to 2020 |||| The Hub works in quite a different way from other hubs because it has a small team which doesn’t deliver music education, but devolves this to a range of music tutors and organisations, and supports local clusters with CPD, networking, and identifying needs |||| We talk about: • the model for music education in Wiltshire and its community development influences • how it collaborates with local music tutors, schools, and music education organisations • what implications the model has for delivering the core and extension roles that are required by government from whole class instrumental tuition to progression routes • how it maintains quality and access • how has involved stakeholders in developing communications • and we finish with Nick’s tips for other hubs interested in learning from Wiltshire’s approach, and Sophie’s wishes for the future of music education.

In this episode, I’m talking with Dr Simon Proctor who is Director of Music Services (Education, Research and Public Affairs)  for Nordoff Robbins, the national music therapy charity. You may know Nordoff Robbins because of famous supporters like Nile Rodgers, Sting, Ricky from Kaiser Chiefs, and many others, as well as fundraising events given by people like the Premiere Football League and the Music Industry Trusts Awards. We talk about: We talk about: • how Simon became involved with music therapy • what music therapy is and does • the intersection between community music and music therapy • evaluation and evidence for music work with people, and some of Nordoff Robbins' current research projects • balancing advocacy and evidence, with communicating the craft of music work with people • and we finish with three pieces of advice for encouraging more communication and learning between music therapy, community music and music education

In this episode, I talk to Dr Anita Collins, an educator, researcher and writer in the field of brain development and music learning, based in Australia. You may know Anita from her TED Ed lesson, How playing an instrument benefits your brain, and her TEDx talk, What if every child had access to music education from birth? And more recently, she’s starred in the Australian version of a British TV show, ‘Don’t Stop the Music’. We talk about: • why Anita is so passionate about this area of work and her early childhood struggles with reading. • the three main areas where music can have an impact on brain development in children • how music can help young people in challenging circumstances • how we can use neurological research to advocate for music in education • what are the ingredients for music programmes that create cognitive change • and we finish with three pieces of practical advice for people advocating for music education