Music education 'vital for children'

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/1004237/music-education-vital-for-children

The Bernarr Rainbow Awards For Music Teachers

The Bernarr Rainbow Trust makes annual awards to encourage excellence in music teaching. Teachers in schools and others engaged in the practice of music education are invited to apply for funding to support innovative projects and pedagogical initiatives. It is a condition of an award that a project is organised and carried out in a systematic manner, and usually over a period of one academic year. On completion of projects, award holders will be required to submit a full report and acknowledge the support of the Bernarr Rainbow Trust. further information: http://www.imerc.org/rainbow.php

The Place and Purpose of Popular Music in Higher Education

Call for papers: 'The Place and Purpose of Popular Music in Higher Education' The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London, UK will be hosting a conference on July 8 and 9 2010, entitled 'The Place and Purpose of Popular Music in Higher Education'. Popular music has a growing presence in universities and other institutions of Higher Education, yet its relevance and purpose in the sector tend to remain on the fringes of academic discussion. Popular music occupies a minority niche at many music education conferences. At popular music conferences, education is rarely mentioned. The objective of this conference is to address this imbalance by providing a platform for scholarly exchange and debate. Papers are invited on topics relating to the conference theme. The submission process is open for spoken papers and poster presentations. Papers may address, but are not limited to, the following subjects: Place * The value of studying popular music * What does a popular music graduate do? * To what extent and in what ways is popular music perceived as an alternative to traditional music in Higher Education programmes? * What does popular music education look like around the world? Purpose * What do we teach when we teach popular music? * What do students learn when they study popular music? * Curriculum and course design * What do popular music programmes expect of graduates? * The function in society of the popular music conservatoire * Directions for research in popular music and popular music education Abstracts should be between 100 and 150 words in length. Please state your name, institutional affiliation and preferred contact email address. Please state whether your abstract is for a poster presentation or a spoken presentation. Abstracts should be submitted via email to: conference@icmp.co.uk The closing date for the submission of abstracts is 15th March 2010 Notification of acceptance for presentations will be by April 8th For information about the conference, please visit: www.icmp.co.uk/conference

Music Education Special Interest Group / MA Study Day

Research Student Symposium As part of a joint Music Education SIG / MA Study Day, five research students, all working in the area of the sociology of music education, will give short presentations on their work-in-progress, with time for questions and discussion Everyone is welcome Date: Monday 15th February Time: 2.00 – 5.00 with a break Room: 944 Further details from: Lucy Green, l.green@ioe.ac.uk or Colin Durrant, c.durrant@ioe.ac.uk

PROGRAMME 2.00-3.30 The Gendering of Secondary Music Education Anna Green (ex-secondary Head of Music and full-time research student, IoE) Discussion surrounding the effect of gender upon the music curriculum, teaching and learning styles, and pupils' preferences has flourished during the last 20 years. This study consists of an empirical investigation into the practices and beliefs of secondary pupils and their music teachers in relation to the historical and theoretical concepts that underpin this domain. The main research question asks: To what extent is it reasonable to understand curriculum content and pedagogy in music education, as gendered? This issue is examined via a mixed–methods qualitative study, in a selection of comprehensive schools across England.

The guru-shishya relationship in Karnatic classical music training Sophie Grimmer (Professor of Singing, Trinity College of Music London, singer, and part-time research student, IoE) Many ethnomusicological studies suggest that despite the difficulties of maintaining certain aspects of traditional music-transmission processes in the ever-changing cultural landscape of modern India, musicians consider the unique communication between a master, or guru (who may be male or female), and a shishya (student), to be fundamental. Based on extensive field-work in India, this study explores the guru-shishya relationship across a range of participants in the South Indian Karnatic tradition of advanced solo vocal performance.

Music education in Kosovo: an overview of its socio-political context and influences Besa Luzha (National Music Curriculum Co-ordinator, Ministry of Education, Kosovo, Head of Music Teacher Training, University of Prishtina, and part-time EdD student, IoE) Kosovo has lately been referred to as the youngest country in the world, despite the fact that it has a long and fascinating history where freedom and national identity were the highest ranking goals and values. Music has long been a major source of national identity in the region. This paper gives an overview of the 'journey' of Kosovo towards becoming a 'state', and indentifies current challenges for music and music education in Kosovo's new social political context.

approx 3.30-4.00: BREAK

4.00-5.00 Exploring the social reproduction of traditional musical values and unequal musical opportunity in higher education in Ireland Gwen Moore Moore (Lecturer in Music Education, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick and part-time research student, IoE) This research explores the social reproduction of traditional musical values and unequal musical opportunity with reference to the experiences, backgrounds, values and beliefs of lecturers and students of music in Irish higher education. The study will explore procedure of admitting students onto music degree courses (audition, entrance tests) and the curriculum content in these courses. Research methods will include survey and semi-structured interviews of lecturers, and survey and focus group discussions with students. An adapted grounded theory approach to analysis will explore participants' attitudes to musical meaning, musical value, ideology, and social reproduction.

Sex and Drums and Rock 'n' Roll Gareth Dylan Smith (Lecturer, Institute for Contemporary Music Studies, London, drummer and part-time research student, IoE) What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless! The world inhabited by kit drummers is one of jazz, popular music and musical theatre. It is home to informal learning, poor jokes and institutionalized sexism. This paper explores some of the issues affecting male and female drummers from the inherently biased perspective of a male drummer. The discussion is based upon data collected in interviews, questionnaires and the literature review undertaken as part of a PhD. Many girls play drums, but the professional circuit is populated almost entirely by men; must female drummers always choose between parenthood and a career? When nearly all drumming role models are men, it may be unreasonable to expect women to pick up sticks at all; should they try to sound like their male counterparts, or should they forge a new path? Maybe it would all be a lot easier if drum kit could be played 'side-saddle'.

Symposium: Identity, aspirations and motivation in musicians

Friday 29 January 17:30 – 19:30, Guildhall School

I'm delighted to draw your attention to an upcoming Symposium at the Guildhall School titled Identity, aspirations and motivation in musicians which forms part of the Guildhall ResearchWorks Series. The Symposium will explore key factors affecting musicians' musical and professional identities as they evolve through the critical phase of study in a conservatoire.

Convened by Dr Helena Gaunt (Guildhall School), the presenters include: Dr Don Lebler (Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University), Dr Rineke Smilde (Prince Claus Conservatoire, Groningen/Royal Conservatoire, The Hague) and Rosie Burt-Perkins (Royal College of Music).

For further details, please see the attached the flyer. Abstracts and biographies of all the presenters involved are available on the following link under research events: www.gsmd.ac.uk/research.

If you would like to attend please email c4o@lso.co.uk

Job vacancy: Lecturer in Music Technology, University of Huddersfield

Applications are invited for the post of

Lecturer in Music Technology University of Huddersfield - School of Computing & Engineering Closing date: 21 January 2010 Details at

http://www.hud.ac.uk/hr/jobs/?id=1388 http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AAM089/lecturer-in-music-technology