Education On Fire - Sharing creative and inspiring learning in our schools

Sue Nicholls worked as a music subject leader in many primary settings during her career as a teacher. She has published several music resource books for non-specialists for A&C Black and OUP and contributed material to many other publications. Sue now works as an independent music education consultant leading workshops and courses for schools and music hubs.   Links to information in this podcast: https://www.singup.org Voiceworks Series Music Express Charanga David Liggins – Ocarina ISM Webinars – Primary Music Music Mark Certificate for Music Educators – Trinity Singing Breakfast Clubs  

Designed and refined over two years, working with amateur and professional ensembles, Syncphonia replaces paper scores with a digital system which synchronises to the beat of a conductor or lead musician. The current bar and beat are highlighted, so players can’t get lost, pages are turned automatically, and new parts can be distributed in seconds over a wireless network. Syncphonia provides seamless, intuitive technology to enhance the experience of ensemble performance for all.   The Syncphonia system features: Conductor-controlled, synchronised digital notation for ensemble scores and parts Library of 8 scores, with parts for all abilities Hands free page turns, with look ahead, so you know what’s coming next Low latency bluetooth networking Conductor app allows you to: Organise and manage your orchestral library Share new parts across the ensemble in seconds Intuitively and expressively control tempo User metronomic tempo control for rehearsals Jump to bar or figure Performer app features: Dynamic position highlighting so you never get lost Instant selection between available instrumental parts Preview page scroll during rehearsal downtime Find out more at http://www.syncphonia.co.uk email: info@syncphonia.co.uk twitter: @syncphonia https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/syncphonia-conductor/id1267828984?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/syncphonia-performer/id1267918984?mt=8 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Syncphonia-Performer/dp/B0761YBRQD/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1507546744&sr=1-1&keywords=syncphonia http://edhughes.org.uk http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/156493

THE ULTIMATE MUSIC SCHEME FOR PRACTICAL MUSIC-TEACHING IN THE PRIMARY CLASSROOM Simple and intuitive video lessons with PDF plans ready to use straight away. TAKE A FREE 10 DAY TRIAL. WANT TO HEAR SOME NUMBERS TO CONVINCE YOU?  168 LESSON PLANS 600 VIDEO CLIPS 200+ NOTATIONS & ACTIVITY SHEETS An exclusive offer for Education on Fire listeners. Sign up for a year and receive access for 18 months.  Here are the 2 things you must do. Sign up here http://activemusicdigital.co.uk/index.php/membership-account/membership-levels/ Send me an email stating your name and school. mark@educationonfire.com That’s it! Start making music in your school today. https://activemusicpicknmix.com/index.php/meet-sally/

The largest school choir concerts in the world Young Voices is in full swing for 2018 and I chat to their musical director Craig McLeish. Craig wants to know your questions, thoughts and experiences of Young Voices. Get in touch and you may get your questions answered and a mention on the follow up show! email mark@educationonfire.com Composer, arranger and director Craig McLeish began his musical life as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral. He has worked with a wide variety of groups in several genres, and scored a hit with the cult pop band ‘Fat & Frantic’.  Recently, Craig has collaborated with composer Tolga Kashif writing orchestrations for the RPO’s Seo Taiji Symphony, the Classic FM chart-topping CD by saxophonist Tyler Rix, and the Genesis Suite which was premiered at the Barbican.  He is musical director of Young Voices UK, bringing large school choirs together to play with a live band and solo artists, and conducts the Milton Keynes Community Choir, Hart and Soul Community Choir and the Milton Keynes Youth Choir. www.craigmcleish.com Young Voices Craig was invited by Young Voices to become their Musical Director in the year 2000. Since then he has chosen and arranged all the music for each annual show, which now lasts a month and plays to packed arenas in Manchester London Sheffield and Birmingham. This year over 2500 schools took part and there are more joining for next year. Craig takes months researching and arranging the music each year, producing a learning CD with comprehensive backing tracks and sheet music with notes to help the teachers in the classroom. The whole pack is designed to assist both musical and untrained choir leaders and there are further study notes to enhance the experience for the children involved. Craig also directs the live band for the performances and he has assembled some of the most versatile and capable session musicians in the UK. They are always praised by any visiting artist, and over the years they have accompanied the likes of Beverley Knight, Joss Stone, Lemar, Heather Small, Jocelyn Brown, Matt Cardle, Lucy Spraggan, All Angels, Katherine Jenkins, Lee Ryan, Keith Semple and Connie Talbot. www.youngvoices.co.uk   Moo Music Craig is the composer behind Moo Music’s very catchy songs with clever tunes and simple yet effective lyrics. Moo Music is a great fun and interactive regular music session for 0 to 5 year old children and their parents, grandparents or carers too, where the children sing, dance and play. Music is an essential part of every child’s development and the 100 original Moo Music songs used at the sessions are positive, uplifting, fun and educational. The interactive sessions help children gain confidence and develop memory, language and coordination skills in an exciting, enjoyable and multi-sensory way. www.moo-music.co.uk   Choir Community The choir scene in the UK and around the world is experiencing something of a ‘golden age’. More and more people are recognising the joy and fulfilment that can be derived from the simple activity of singing together.  A community choir is a place not only to share a love of music, but also to form friendships, share life’s ups and downs and perhaps escape to a place of perfect positivity every so often! It is estimated that the number of choirs in the UK alone has risen to over 40,000 in recent years, a large proportion of which have been formed purely to share the enjoyment of singing – and perhaps performing – music within a local community, workplace or other environment. Find out more at www.choircommunity.net

One Dance UK is the national Sector Support Organisation for Dance and the lead Subject Association for Dance in Schools in England. We have a growing membership of teachers and schools, who all benefit from advice, resources and discounted conference/CPD opportunities. I chat with Claire Somerville – Head of Children & Young People’s Dance, One Dance UK     We discuss How dance is used as part of the P.E curriculum How to use the funding available U.Dance Support for Governors and Trustees Bridge organisations – How to get in touch with people from arts companies to support you in your school Development of video to aid teachers Website: www.onedanceuk.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onedanceuk/ Twitter: @onedanceuk and @youthance (our school and youth dance twitter feed)   Useful links Out PE & Sport Guidance: http://www.onedanceuk.org/resource/delivering-dance-through-the-pe-and-sports-premium-funding/ Bridge Organisations: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/children-and-young-people/bridge-organisations U.Dance Information (For dance performances): http://www.onedanceuk.org/programme/u-dance/u-dance-registration/ Dance Education: Guidance for Governors and Trustees: http://www.onedanceuk.org/resource/dance-education-guide-governors-trustees/   One Dance UK is the national body for dance in the UK, formed by the merger of Association of Dance of the African Diaspora (ADAD), Dance UK, National Dance Teachers Association (NDTA) and Youth Dance England. Our organisation represents dancers at all levels of the dance industry, and champions excellence in education, youth dance, dance of the African diaspora, performance, health and well-being, management, leadership and career development.

Growing with Gratitude – Learn how to change the culture of your school & classroom. BUILDING & PROTECTING STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS THE UK The Growing With Gratitude Program aims to help teachers, students and families easily develop the habits of gratitude, kindness and mindfulness that have been identified as the stepping stones to greater happiness and success. Teaching children these skills as early as possible in their journey helps them develop greater resilience, builds their emotional and physical wellbeing, and promotes positive thoughts and habits. The program is based around learning the Five Habits of Happiness, and can be completed by children in every primary year level with their teachers or with their parents at home (see the Families page for more information on the Home Grown Gratitude program designed especially for parents). LISA AVERY is a positive psychologist, with over a decade of experience in educational settings. She’s particularly passionate about empowering young people through positive psychology, helping them uncover previously hidden strengths and tap into deep reserves of resilience. Growing with Gratitude  

  Jonathan Savage is Managing Director of UCan Play and we talk about Funding Music Education in your school. We discuss the benefits of working in partnerships and making the most of the opportunities around you both on a local level and through the internet. Jonathan has great experience from his role as Chair of Trustees for The Love Music Trust music hub in Cheshire. He has enjoyed a long career in music education, working for two high schools and co-leading the largest PGCE course in the UK at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is a published author and editor having written for Routledge, the Open University Press and Sage.     Follow the links below to find out more about Jonathan and get his guide to Funding Music Education. Business: www.ucanplay.org.uk MMU: https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/stepd/staff/profile/index.php?id=1314 Funding guide: http://www.ucanplay.org.uk/funding-music-education-in-your-school/ Twitter @jpjsavage Listen to all the podcasts from the ‘Music and the Arts’ season please visit About The Show

TryBooking is UK’s most innovative event ticketing, booking and registration platform. We provide an all in one system that helps you manage everything online. SELL TICKETSStreamline your events by selling tickets online.REGISTRATIONSCreate smart forms with custom questions and online payments.ONLINE BOOKINGSGrow your business with online bookings.FUNDRAISINGBuild a stronger community with events and online donations.Here is a few examples of how schools use us:https://www.trybooking.com/uk/eventlist/trybookingschools?embed=1All details about our costs: https://www.trybooking.co.uk/pricing/

Apollo Music Projects brings live classical music to children who might not otherwise experience it. Over 13 years, more than 8,600 children have experienced the magic of live performance from classroom to concert hall, culminating in the thrilling spectacle of a full orchestra in concert. I talk to David Chernaik about how this project was brought to life 13 years ago and how it has positively affected 8600 children. The 3 main ways are: Interactive Self Confidence Performance Apollo Music Projects provides a unique opportunity for children to work closely with professional musicians, using the language of music to develop listening skills, communication and teamwork. Our programmes enable students to discover for themselves how to listen to and enjoy classical music, using their own imagination and experiences to enter a new world of sound, stories and feelings. The programme introduces children to the instruments of the orchestra, the musicians who play them and the music they play, providing the opportunity to hear live music and the tools to understand what they are hearing. The programme takes the form of a residency in each school. Over two terms, the musicians gradually introduce the different members of the orchestra, starting with small groups including a string quartet, brass ensemble and woodwind quartet. At the halfway point of the programme there is a series of chamber orchestra workshops, each attended by three or four schools. This is a chance for the children to engage in music on a larger scale, to meet musicians up close and to learn about the ways in which the different instruments of the orchestra interact and join together to make music. The programme concludes with a spectacular symphony orchestra concert featuring large-scale orchestral works using the full range of instruments. David Chernaik (Chief Executive & Programme Director) is a professional conductor and cellist. He is passionate about music education and giving children of all backgrounds access to the life-enhancing experience of music, both performing and listening. He founded the Apollo Chamber Orchestra in 1989 and since then has given many concerts with the orchestra – including chamber orchestra, string orchestra, symphony and opera performances. http://www.apollomusicprojects.org/ Email: info@apollomusicprojects.org Twitter: @ApolloMusicLDN Facebook: @apollomusicprojects For more podcasts about ‘Music and the Arts’ visit www.EducationOnFire.com

Out of the Ark Music was born out of a passionate belief that children deserve the very best. Good songs leave a lasting impression and contain huge potential to make a difference to our lives. The importance of music and the arts cannot be emphasised enough and, though often overlooked, they are a vital part of our children’s education. Our goal is… To enhance and expand children’s enjoyment of music and the world around them by producing songs that are thought provoking, relevant and most of all great fun to sing. To produce top quality materials to give today’s children music which excites them and to which they can readily relate. To teach about music using traditional methods i.e. by providing strong melodies, interesting song structures and clever rhymes and combining these with modern musical arrangements. To preserve the best of our musical and literary heritage whilst embracing modern styles and instrumentation. To write good positive songs that re-enforce self-worth and significance and that are appropriate to children’s experience. To convey truth and teach about Christian values and faith. To make all our resources completely teacher-friendly and to support our customers through excellent customer service. I interview Antony Copus – Head of Education Development about their history and new projects being developed. For full details please visit www.EducationOnFire.com   History In 1989 Mark and Helen Johnson were asked to write a short nativity musical by the headteacher of the primary school where Helen was teaching. ‘Off To Bethlehem’ was a huge success and within months Mark and Helen were given the opportunity of leaving their jobs to explore and develop their gift in writing music. It was with a deep breath and a big step of faith that Mark and Helen went on to set up their own publishing and production company as a vehicle for distributing their songs to primary schools. What began with only a tiny desk under the stairs, has grown over 25 years to become a thriving business, which now supplies over 18,000 primary schools and prep schools (not to mention nurseries, churches, theatre groups, etc!) across the UK and countless others around the world. With publishing offices and a warehouse in Middlesex, a recording studio in Sussex and with an associate office in Australia, ‘Out Of The Ark’ is reaching out to the corners of the earth with good, positive songs, that everyone will enjoy. http://www.outoftheark.co.uk https://twitter.com/singoutoftheark https://www.facebook.com/outofthearkmusic https://www.youtube.com/outoftheark