Where did UK music teaching go wrong? - Slippedisc (2024)

Meyrick Alexander says:

Could it be 14 years of cuts and discouragement of the Arts, do you think?

Jonathan says:

Are British players still eligible to play in the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester? On their website in the FAQ it says the following…

…….only musicians with a European citizenship are admitted to the orchestra.

Does that mean only EU citizens, or citizens from a country within the European continent?

Musician says:

I am so not surprised. As a musician living in London I thought would be so easy to find good music education for my child. I was so wrong! It was very difficult and expensive. We were living near one of London’s leading music colleges with a Junior Department, and yet we had to go a long way across the city for music lessons at one of its branches.

As I understand, Britain used to have a really great music education system until about 30 years ago. The nets were cast very wide, with primary and secondary schools offering inexpensive music tuition with peripatetic teachers. That meant that many kids would have access to music lessons (which showed later in a very vibrant amateur music making scene, with many good quality amateur orchestras around the country). And then if they were particularly talented they could join a junior departments of a music college or a specialist school like Purcell, Menuhin or Chet’s. But then the system shrunk, got more expensive and many music education responsibilities were shifted from schools to professional music institutions.

Ok. I maybe the ubiquitous and free/inexpensive music education was too expensive for the tax payer, but what I could not understand was that the system did not compensate with selectiveness! My child had a very good voice and excellent good musical ear, but could not get to a weekend music school because places were already taken by kids who were not tested for their musical abilities, so probably some not showing any chances for developing great musical talent.

So, if Britain wants to have better quality young musicians then either you make the access to music education cheap and ubiquitous or you make it selective and look for kids who have at least some chance in succeeding in this profession.

But I have to stress, we should probably make every effort to go for the former. I just cannot understand why, when there is so much evidence of benefits of music training for other school subjects and when soft skills are more important than ever in the modern employment market (and even on social media!) our schools (and not just in Britain) offer less and less in the field of cultural education.

Anon says:

Brexit prevents young British players to participate in the GMJO.

Same applies for the orchestral courses at the Concerteboew and Berlin Phil.

Leon Bosch says:

In the UK music has, protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, been transformed into a middle class fashion accessory. And that has inevitable consequences.

Anon says:

15 plus years of wider opportunities lessons in primary schools has a had a lot to the with decline in instrumental education, how can you teach a whole class an instrument properly? Ticks box’s achieves nothing, schools like it for this reason, not to mention cheaper than buying teacher cover,

Tim Walton says:

One questions answering before this blog can be taken at face value.
How many UK pianists applied to take part in the competition, but were eliminated in earlier rounds.

Interested Observer says:

Conservatoires have changed in the past 30 years. They used to encourage musicians to think and interpret independently and to perform solo repertoire frequently- there was always the chance to tryout new repertoire in a performing environment. They now want to produce neatly packaged ‘portfolio’ musicians who all sound the same and are sadly ‘ Jacks of all trades and masters of none’. They spend so much time in meaningless rehearsals, updating images on Social media and earning money to support themselves that students no longer have time to just practise. To really focus on excellence and on the intrinsic message of each piece. Instead, they swivel between orchestra, chamber music, some solo work, technicals academic work – all of this is important, but why not have pathways – after a foundation year decide which path you want to follow? Singers don’t typically start opera training with an opera school until postgrad level – of course the voice is an instrument and it needs to mature and it is different to playing a string instrument for example, but why is the process so different? The pursuit of excellence has been eradicated from state schools in the UK seeking to make everyone the same in the pursuit of equality – now it is disappearing from conservatoires. In most countries a conservatoire student will have at least two lessons a week with their Professor and maybe an Assistant – here they have just one hour ! It is also increasingly the case of ‘the least offensive wins’ – the personalities of yesteryear would not stand a chance today as their playing was often controversial. However, that type of playing was original and meaningful – and (usually )about the composer and music first and foremost- not about the performer or their clothes. We need more music societies and more early career performing opportunities.

Cathy says:

My child is a very talented 10 year old pianist and violinist. We live in Lewisham, London.

The upstairs neighbour and the Council had threatened us for Noise Abatement Order if he continues to practise at home, even though we always practise strictly at socialable times. We don’t even own a TV and his other home activities are reading books and doing homework.

It’s very hard……

Jonathan says:

https://discoveringleeds.wordpress.com/leeds-international-pianoforte-competition-finalists/

According to this website only 7 British pianists have made it through to the final since the competition began, out of a total of 61 finalists. It doesn’t give information about the pianists who made it through to the earlier rounds, so quite possibly there were many more British entrants each year, but is having only one UK pianist through to the 2nd round this year really indicative of the state of musical education in the country? I’m not saying that the situation is great in the UK as clearly there are many problems at all levels, but to make such a sweeping statement based on one competition is going a bit far. According to the competition website there were at least two Brits in the 1st round (Callum McLachlan and Julian Miles Trevelyan).

PhD music education student says:

Years and years of government rhetoric that the arts are not worthwhile career choices, cuts in funding, cuts in university departments, BREXIT, a pandemic and need to ‘catch up’ in English and maths in primary and secondary schools, the Ebacc that removes any art from some school syllabi, schools being responsible for their funding distribution but at the same time being accountable for not hitting arbitrary targets, music curricula being written by people who have long since been in a modern, multicultural UK classroom so thus they are not relevant to the type of music young people relate to in 2024, costs, a cost of living crisis and a ‘You Tube’ environment that makes everyone and no one an expert.
Put all that in a pot and stir it up…welcome to the future of music in the UK.

Erik says:

Follow the money. British people can’t afford to be musicians. British musicians get paid peanuts in comparison to their continental counterparts. They’re not less talented, they’ve simply assessed the risk of their investment is too high and the chance of a good life too low.

CB says:

I am so sad to hear of Cathy’s experience in Lewisham.
I am a governor of a small primary school in Lewisham. This year we have decided that every child in Year 4 will learn the violin. Their teacher is one of the Lewisham Music Hub team.
It seems that Lewisham Council may not be consistent in its attitude to music education.