[5] Making music education a core subject in the poorest schools in New York – Education Through Music

In this episode, I’m talking with Penny Swift, Executive Director and Katherine Damkohler, Director of National Activities of Education Through Music (ETM). ETM is a New York-based organisation working with under-resourced schools to provide music education as a core subject for all students ||| It’s grown significantly over the last few years, and has an effective model which combines partnering with schools in the poorest neighbourhoods, and employing and training music teachers who then go on to be employed by the schools ||| We talk about how ETM: * works with every class in each school, for 1-3 years – prioritising ‘long-term, sequential music education’ * works with the Principal (headteacher) as a partner, securing a commitment to sustaining the music programme after ETM’s work is finished * trains and develops their music teachers * aligns their curriculum with the teacher assessment framework used by headteachers * works with classroom teachers to understand how music can tie into other areas of the curriculum * is expanding nationally and internationally and is open to approaches from music educators