Music Education I

MUM100

Dr.Carol A. Gartrell

Kaewalin Prasertchang

MA in Music Education

K0733740

Deadline Date: 29 November 2007

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How do the music subject leaders help to manage the primary music

curriculum?

The study of music has always been important for people in society. In England, the

National Curriculum provides a structure for music education in the curriculum so that people learn

about music from a young age. Therefore, every school must have timetabled music lesson for

every child. The National Music Curriculum separates study into four key stages. Moreover, it is

important to have skilled music teachers to teach those children in the school.

Two articles will be used to discuss this topic:

• Beauchamp, Gary and Harvey, Janet, ‘It’s one of those scary areas’: Leadership and

management of music in primary schools’, British Journal of Music Education 23:1

(2006), 5-22

• Holden, Hillary and Button, Stuart, 'The teaching of music in the primary school by

the non-music specialist', British Journal of Music Education 23:1 (2006), 23-38

The purpose of first article is to study the role of the music subject leader or the music co-

ordinator in primary school from the leadership and management perspective. The data was

collected by the interviewing three subject leaders from three primary schools with successful

music programmes. All of the subject leaders have responsibility to manage the music curriculum

in the school by working with the head teacher, who plays an important role, ‘any decisions

regarding their area of responsibility would be taken by the head teacher and not by themselves.’

(Beauchamp and Harvey, 2006:10)

The second article considers teaching of music by non-music specialists. Moreover, this

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article also examines attitudes to teaching music, support for music teaching, the relationship

between the teachers’ confidence and training support, teaching experience and musical background

(Holden and Button, 2006). The data was collected by questionnaire survey and the follow-up

interviews. The concern of teaching abilities is one of the most important issues, because music

teaching may be carried out by non-specialist teacher who may not have the skills required.

In my opinion, music subject leader is the important position to control music education in

the school. The reason is because they will have a chance to communicate with other teachers in

the school. There are lots of responsibilities of music subject leaders for instance, they have to

organize and manage curriculum in the school, to manage music activities in school and to prepare

the resource for good lesson. There are different ways of managing effective music curriculum, and

the following discussion with consider some of these.

Firstly, music subject leader position has become increasingly rare in state of education

(Hennessy, 1998). Beauchamp and Harvey have listed the management responsibilities that related

to music subject leader, which include supporting staff, involvement of peripatetic staff, extra-

curricular groups and organizing concerts (2006:12). Weichsell (2006), as cited by Beauchamp and

Harvey (2006:13), indicated that an important part of music subject leaders’ management style is to

make the staff felt comfortable to come and ask for advice. Holden and Button agree that:

‘These generalist teachers are now required to teach music to specific levels which demand skills of a very

high order, irrespective of their inadequate training in music and lack of confidence’ (2006:23).

At this stage, music subject leaders should support the development of their colleagues in

order to improve the quality of teaching music for the pupils in school, ‘Co-ordination in primary

schools is an offer to provide a supportive function for the classroom teachers in respect of a

particular subject area in the curriculum’ (Nelson, 1996:184). However Button and Potter (2006)

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note that, some of the generalist music teacher did not feel comfortable asking the subject leader or

the head teacher, and would like music subject leader to guide them in their use of resources. With

all of that support, they believe it could help the non-specialist to teach music in school more

effectively.

On the other hand, Button and Potter (1999), as cited by Button and Potter (2006), state that

the general class teachers sometimes argue that music subject leaders are not necessary in the

classroom, because they consider that music subject leaders are not always more experienced, or

better qualified than general class teachers. Such teachers tend to be willing to learn or get advice

from the subject leader or even to study the new developments in music curriculum. Moreover,

many teachers find that they have uncomfortable feeling when music subject leaders present in their

classroom. Such research provides sometimes the expectations of teachers and head teachers

concerning the role of the music subject leader are not always in agreement.

Secondly, Beauchamp and Harvey (2006) believe that the subject leaders should work to

improve the confidence of the general music teacher by provide the musical knowledge through In-

Service Education and Training (INSET) and support in classroom. This provides professional

development and an opportunity for teachers to improve their skill and quality of teaching.

‘if non-specialists are helped to find the confidence through in-service training, have appropriate access to

resources, are provided with professional in-class support then music can be taught effectively by the non-

specialist.’ (Stock,1998 in Holden and Button, 2006:26)

However, from the respondents in Holden and Button’s research (2006) make the point that

they do not think In-Service Education and Training (INSET) in music helps them to teach music

effectively. Moreover, Holden and Button note the reports and reviews that were instigated by the

Department for Education and Science that ‘music was more often taught by specialist teachers at

primary level, than any other subject’ (2006:25). Indeed, this evidence would suggest that music is
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a special case and needs teachers who have wnough musical knowledge to be able to teach.

Gambarini (2006) concurs agree, ‘I think maybe music is different from other subject areas, because

it might almost be a bit more personal’ (Beauchamp and Harvey, 2006:18). This suggests that In-

Service Education and Training (INSET) do not help those teachers to improve their musical

knowledge, and music specialists might achieve better results.

There is the meaning of ‘Music specialist’, which is a teacher that has the musical

knowledge and ability to teach music to the children. By this reason, many of teachers in primary

schools think that they do not have enough musical ability or knowledge to teach music. In

addition, many instrumental teachers, such as those who teach guitar, voice and drum kit are also

aware that because they have had no formal music education, they have no ability to read the music

notation. So they think they cannot, or should not, teach music in school. Some generalist teachers

believe that music cannot be taught except by the specialist teachers (Hennessy, 1998). According

to Holden and Button, ‘[…] music was found to be the subject which most teachers ranked last on

the confidence […]’ (2006:32-33).

The third point deals with the peripatetic instrumental teachers. The aspect that has to be

considered is many primary schools have the visit from the peripatetic instrumental teachers. Those

peripatetic teachers are the specialist who teach the insrtumental or manage some the ex-tra

currilular. As Ben-Tovim make a point that ‘the peripatetic teacher who are deployed by the music

adviser to teach instrumental technique in a number of schools’ (1979:43). Beauchamp and

Harvey (2006) report that some schools work close to the peripatetic teacher because they think that

when make them feel like the part of the school, it will make the big progress in the future. By

contrast, some schools have the different point of view, they mark that it is like the individual lesson

that teach in school. There is nothing between school and the teacher or with the parent.

Finaly, music subject leaders have to organize the extra-curricular activities in the school,

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for example, the choir, orchestra, ensemble concert and preparing the programme. By this reason,

the music subject leaders should have the musical knowledge and skill because of the role that they

have in school. Although, Nelson explains that ‘The music co-ordinator may or may not have

particular musical expertise’ (1996:184). Weichsell (2006), as cited by Beauchamp and Harvey,

describes that ‘the subject like music sets its leadership and management apart from other subjects,

and therefore the subject leader can hold a degree of real power here’ (2006:14). If the subject

leader does not have musical knowledge will have a difficulty achieving such tasks without

specialist help.

Moreover, one of the most important issues is that music subject leaders need to address

concerns effective model for the curriculum, which provides the basis for everyday lessons. The

curriculum is the programme that set out what the teacher should teach the pupil. Music subject

leaders should try to revise the current music curriculum, to keep it up to date (Mill, 1991). The

most effective curriculum is to teach knowledge, musical skill and understanding in music in a way

that is suited to each pupil’s abilities. The curriculum needs to be accessible to both boys and girls,

and also suit children from any culture.

The fundamental importance to the success of the good music curriculum is the support and

understanding of the head teacher and the school (Hennessy, 1998). Their work is also to provide

the framework and focus on what should the curriculum needed to deliver to the pupils. The good

curriculum is to allow the pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding through the

coursework, activities and the visit of the music specialist. The models for music education for the

primary pupils should allow the pupils to have the independently working by their own thinking. It

is the good idea to develop their musical knowledge, musical skill and understanding through the

music activities, such as the game or the music exercises by having the classroom teachers or the

music specialists stayed as a guide.

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 In my opinion, the schools and the peripatetic teachers should work together to make the

good benefit to the music curriculum in school and for the pupils. Those peripatetic teachers are the

one who have the knowledge and experience in music area. It is generally recognize that many

pupils get the musical experience in the rehearsing and performing in the instrumental or choir

(Swanwick,1992). By this reason, the subject leader should work together with the peripatetic

teacher and find the best solution to create the effective management in the curriculum.

In conclusion, from all this evidence can shows how necessary to have music subject leaders

in school. Music subject leaders can help to manage and organize manythings in school as can be

seen from the two researchs. The good music subject leaders can work to give the total benefits for

pupils. They should have abilities to inspire and encourage other people, because originally they

have to work in collaborating with many people, such as, the head teacher and the classroom

teacher, the parents and pupils. Moreover, they have to discuss and decide to find the best

curriculum that suitable for the pupils and school. The music subject leaders have the role to

manage curriculum in school. Under such condition, the music curriculum in primary school will

be good or success from some point of view it depends on the knowledge and ability of the music

subject leader.

Word Count:1,856

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Bibliography (by MHRA)

- Beauchamp, Gary and Harvey, Janet, ‘It’s one of those scary areas’: Leadership and

management of music in primary schools’, British Journal of Music Education 23:1 (2006),

5-22

- Ben-Tovim, Atarah, Children and Music: A handbook for parents, teacher and others

interested in the musical welfare for children, (London: Adam & Charles, 1979)

- Button, Start and Potter, Allison, ‘Changing roles: The music co-ordinator in the primary

school’ Research in Education (Nov 2006 ),

<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3765/is_200611/ai_n17194300>

- Hennessy, Sarah, 'Overcoming the red feeling: the development of confidence to teach

music in primary school amongst student teachers', British Journal of Music Education 17:2

(2000), 183-96

- Hennessy, Sarah, The subject leader’s handbook: Coordinating music across the primary

school (London: Falmer Press, 1998)

- Holden, Hillary and Button, Stuart, 'The teaching of music in the primary school by the non-

music specialist', British Journal of Music Education 23:1 (2006), 23-38

- Mills, Janet, Music in the Primary School (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991)

- Nelson, David, ‘Co-ordinating music in the primary school’, in Teaching Music in the

Primary School, ed. By Joanna Glover and Stephen Ward (London:Cassell, 1996), pp,184-

203

- Swanwick, Keith, Music Education and the National Curriculum (London: Tufnell Press,

1992)