Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 141, Patrick chats to Michael Wright about approaches to teaching improvisation in the classroom and with ensembles (0:33). Dr Liz Stafford introduces the forthcoming Curriculum Music Conference from Music Education Solutions, and chats about unrealistic expectations in Primary Music Education (23:37). And award-wining music teacher Zac Moxon explains how he has doubled his schools’ numbers at Key Stage 4 (31:04). Presented and produced by Patrick Johns. &nbs...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 140, Patrick kicks off the new academic year with a look at A Level Music, with guest, Vanessa Wilson-Best. As numbers decline for A Level Music, Vanessa and Patrick discuss whether the qualification is fit for purpose in its current form. The MTA’s new season of online CPD is here, and Patrick plays a short extract from music teachers Katie Sollars and Chelsey Bamford from a recent session. And Rob Reich-Storer tells Patrick all about his new resource, CC Designer...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 139, Patrick discovers The Rapturous Romantics in the third book of The ABC of Opera, written by Mark Llewelyn Evans. Mark explains about the power of children discovering their ABC (Any Body Can) through opera. The MTA’s own Laura Bendy encourages listeners to respond to the Call for Content, to hear from as wide a range of voices as possible. And the CEO of the Cathedral Music Trust, Jonathan Mayes, and the Director of Music at Hull Minster, Mark Keith, discuss t...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 138, Patrick chats to David Gray (aka ‘Music with Mr Gray’) about The Big Strum, a new ukulele event to be held in July in Devon, in association with Octopus Ukuleles and Devon Music Hub (0:57). Geoff Pearce introduces Music Scholars, a new online resource with hundreds of lessons for KS3–KS5, plus composition tools, marksheets, and much more (9:54). And award-winning author, speaker, teacher and workshop leader, Karen Marshall talks about neurodiversity within mus...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 137, Patrick meets Tessa Armstrong, founder and director of Voices for Life, who provide free singing workshops and concerts for primary children, with a focus on well-being. MTA President James Manwaring updates listeners about A Choir in Every School, including the latest newsletter. And Natalie Wild and Christopher Tarrant chat about their latest book, The Composer’s Toolkit, in which students are guided through tried-and-tested compositional techniques and proc...