The Music Workshop Company Blog

Each month the Music Workshop Company publishes two blogs. One blog, written by the MWC team addresses a key issue in Music Education or gives information about a particular genre or period of music. The other blog is written by a guest writer, highlighting good practice or key events in Music Education. We hope you enjoy reading the blogs.

We embed multimedia content in many of our blog posts, if you have rejected cookies for this website, you may have white spaces where the multimedia content should be. This is due to a recent change of policy by YouTube, Spotify and other platforms. We are in the process of updating all our posts. If you come across white spaces in a blog post, you can open the link in another browser or private browser and approve cookies to access all the content. We are sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

To contribute as a guest writer please email Maria@music-workshop.co.uk

Posts tagged “MUSIC EDUCATION”

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The joy of music and friendship

Posted on 16th November 2024 at 14:22

In past blogs we have explored many of the benefits of music education and participation in music: brain development, self-expression, motor skills, collaboration skills, self-discipline as well as improving wellbeing.

This month, our Artistic Director, Maria Thomas, explores an element that isn’t often highlighted as a benefit of music participation – friendships.

She argues that participation in music - whether through playing music with others, or sharing an appreciation of music - can be an important way for us to form vital connections with other people.

Image: David Amann

What's the future for university music courses?

Posted on 16th August 2024 at 12:51

A stage with empty seating for an orchestra

Picture by Rui Alves, Unsplash

The last few years have been a challenging time for arts education in the UK. As educational institutions have struggled with rising costs and funding decreases, we have seen a series of decisions to cut back university music education across the country.

And while most of these cuts have affected courses for post-18 students, junior departments have not been immune. This summer, young musicians hoping to attend weekend courses at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama were disappointed to learn of the closure of this provision.

We explore what has been happening in the sector, the reasons behind these closures, and – with a new government in place – what the future may hold for music in higher education.

Introducing Yukee

Posted on 30th March 2024 at 14:51

Our guest post this month comes from Mark Gordon, composer, founder of Score Draw Music and one of the producers behind Yukee, a new CBeebies show that puts music centre-stage. The programme, which hit TV screens in February, gives its preschool audiences a gentle introduction to musical concepts, and crucially, shows them that music is for everyone.

Here, Mark explains where the idea for the show came from, and how he and his team set about bringing it to life with the help of some talented musicians and educators. Read on to learn more and access the show’s free learning resources…

NYJO Under 18s Living Values

Posted on 28th December 2023 at 15:22

Also known as the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, NYJO has grown over the years from a single jazz orchestra to an organisation with a range of activities focused on supporting and developing musicians. From programmes that focus on professional development for emerging artists, to its Learning programme for under 18s, NYJO works to make jazz and creative music-making accessible to everyone.

In this month’s guest blog, Beth Ismay, NYJO’s Learning Programmes Manager and Kenyah Johnson, NYJO Assistant, lift the lid on their work developing a set of ‘Living Values’ to underpin their under 18s programme – co-created with the young people themselves.

Nicole Wilson on the joy of music courses

Posted on 30th November 2023 at 18:03

Photograph of Nicole Wilson holding a violin

This month Nicole Wilson, Artistic Director of Virtuoso International Music Academy, tells of the life-changing music courses she attended as a teen, and how she tries to recreate the experience for the next generation.

Nicole, who is also violin professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London, a freelance leader and Chair of European String Teachers Association (UK) reflects on the value of the arts for young people.

To learn more about the Virtuoso International Music Academy’s next course, visit https://www.virtuosointernationalmusicacademy.com/

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Music education on the Westminster agenda

Posted on 31st July 2023 at 11:41

Photo: Adrian Pingstone, used under Creative Commons licence

This month the Music Workshop Company’s Artistic Director, Maria Thomas, reports back from two key music events – the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Music Education and the UK Music Summer Party. Both are key for highlighting to MPs the great work of the music industry and the importance of music education.