jfin107
Cambridge
Bio: Music teacher and researcher. I began my secondary school teaching career at Featherstone Secondary Boys' School in Southall. By week three, and never having played a brass instrument before, I was playing Eb Bass in the school band, a selection from Mary Poppins. Moves to schools in Worcestershire and Basingstoke, then higher degree study (The learning process of a group of 14-15 year-old rock musicians) led me to Homerton College, Cambridge and the Universty's Faculty of Education and work with beginning secondary school music teachers and their mentors. By now I had learnt how to read, write and think about music education. Initially rejecting the world of social media, I have become a convert understanding how this is part of the time-space contraction that is global modernity. I see my weekly blogs rather like a weekly newspaper column or perhaps like Radio 4s Thought for the Day. Each blog takes five to seven minutes to read and is intended to provoke thought.
Music Education Now 
John, I am not sure if you will remember me from your Alresford days, I was then Susannah Reid, now Nettleton. I just chanced upon your blog as I was researching the proposed new model music curriculum as I have been teaching music at Hampton Hill Junior School for the last 8 years or so and have developed our own curriculum with a Kodaly core for learning musicianship skills. It is a singing and playing based curriculum, with only 40 minutes a week for each class, but we sing and play as a class ensemble, focusing on practical music making. We have our own team of 10 peri’s who coach various ensembles, 2 orchestras and I lead our 3 choirs. Where we live, the state secondary schools have patchy music provision so I feel I have to cram as many experiences into the 4 years at KS2 to create a life long love for music in the children and the confidence in themselves as musicians, no matter what their level of skill. I am so glad to have found your blog as it is good to hear a musical perspective outside of school life. I do hope you and your family are all well.
Hallo Susannah, very good to hear from you and all about your great work for music in the primary school. That sounds very good work. Your children will know how to think in the medium of music, listen and make music thoughtfully. I can think of one or two blogs that you may find interesting in view of your approach. I will look them up and let you know. Have a great term.
Hallo Susannah, you might find the blog ‘Representing Musical Experience’ of interest. It’s one of my favourites and is visited by readers quite frequently. Keep up the good work.
Hello John,
This is all very good to see! Please could you drop me an email on t.blinko@herts.ac.uk? I’d love your input with a good thing if possible. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Tim
Professor Timothy Blinko