Teach Secondary - Issue 14.6

Misplaced melodies Helen Tierney surveys how the teaching of classical music is currently faring within the modern secondary classroom... A t a time when the presence and importance of music in the secondary classroom is increasingly eroding – with recent research showing that only 42% of schools even offer it at GCSE – concerns about the lack of classical music in lessons and extra-curricular activities might not seem like much of a priority. Yet the gradual diminishing in importance of the classical voice at school, especially at KS3, has long been a concern for many secondary teachers and those across the wider musical community. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Helen Tierney has run music departments in comprehensive schools for over 25 years, was an advanced skills teacher for secondary music in Barnet and now works freelance in music teaching, examining and dementia work The ‘coolness’question How did this come about? Some of the main factors include fears of being labelled elitist, a growing lack of teachers with applicable skills and knowledge, and reduced funding resulting in band- and technology-based opportunities being prioritised to encourage uptake. Financial constraints across the board have also made studying music to degree level increasingly the preserve of privately educated, middle class musicians. At one time, those studying in British conservatories would have mostly been state educated, but now the reverse is true. Plus, the fact remains that classical music simply still isn’t cool – but is that really the case? InMay of this year, Radio 3 was named ‘Station of the Year’ at the annual Audio and Radio Industry Awards, coming on the back of an upward trend in listeners, with 2.15 million now tuning in weekly. In recent years, The Proms have also reached larger and wider audiences than ever before. Could it simply be that adults – unlike school students – are coming to classical music having been drawn in by its structural complexities and the comparatively high demands made on its audiences? What’s now classed as ‘classical music’ has a much broader diversity of composers and performers than in years gone by – but would many departments give it time, were it not for the KS4/5 syllabus demands? Orchestral extinction? Esi has taught secondary music in both state and private settings, and is now parent to a student studying at music conservatory. In her experience, “ Music technology, for many schools, has replaced mainstream music ALevel, and in some departments, KS3’s experience of classical can be only through film and gaming music. ” She notes how, over the years, many private schools have widened their music offer from ones that were once largely classical, but has seen far fewer efforts at promoting classical in state schools. “ The lack of classical is even more apparent in extracurricular, ” she adds, “ where many schools have active band cultures, but not many state schools currently boast healthy larger scale orchestral and choral ensembles. ” But why should we dedicate more time to Bach, Britten and Beethoven in our music classrooms and school concerts?Well, it’s realistic to assume that the vast majority of students passing through secondary music departments will, as adults, engage withmusic solely as listeners. Music teachers therefore have a responsibility to try and activate the skills needed for truly rewarding experiences, and give those KS3 students who leave music behind at Y10 a grounding and fearlessness – not to mention respect and appetite – for eventually exploring the classical canon. Break those barriers Now, there’s nothing wrong with Pachelbel’s Canon – but if you need to refresh your ideas, you could do worse than use the non-statutory Model Music Curriculum’s suggestions and resources for delivering lessons in the Western Classical Tradition (see tinyurl.com/ts146-M1 ). These include works by Handel, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, but also John Rutter and Anna Meredith. The BBC’s ‘Ten Pieces’ resources (bbc.co.uk/teach/ ten-pieces) are also great for teachers who are less confident in this area. Local support for nurturing classical activity is also often available (and usually free!) from adult enthusiasts in choral and orchestral societies, who long to see younger audiences and could help to create fruitful school partnerships. Enlisting help from any classical enthusiasts you might have on staff could additionally give your students a new outlook on the relevance of chamber, orchestral and choral music-making traditions. Because despite everything music educators presently face, the UK remains a world leader with respect to the richness and diversity of its classical music. All class teachers thus have a responsibility to at least try breaking down those barriers for our future composers, performers and audiences. 83 teachwire.net/secondary MU S I C