Gathering 3 - musical quality breakout session - continue the debate

Did you attend the musical quality breakout sessions at the Musical Inclusion Gathering in June, or are you curious to know what went on? We’ve posted the notes on the padlet / visual document and photo wall here http://padlet.com/musinclusion/bkb4rp8lshmt, and also attached them below, along with a few further questions to continue the conversation …

In the sessions, there appeared to be a consensus that in Musical Inclusion, quality should always be seen as distance travelled rather than specific achievements such as grades. But can we move the debate on from this?

If we want everyone to work fully inclusively, we need to find ways to articulate, share and debate what happens in and with the music – and at the moment, that may be one of the things that prevents us from fully communicating the quality and value of the work.

So how can we articulate our approaches to musical quality and how the young people develop musically through our work, so there's a greater understanding - and valuing - of approaches between colleagues using formal and informal approaches?

Here are some questions to hopefully help us move things forward:

1. Are there ways we can look at a young person’s musical development in both formal and informal sectors that will make sense to the other sector? What, in your opinion are our best ways into this future discussion? 

2. Are there key areas you as practitioners are sure to develop in your work (we're aware that the term 'standards' is loaded and are looking for alternative viewpoints that can still resonate with formal and classroom based music educators)? Are there universals in the work - what are they?

3. What are the links and pathways/ environments involved when we are heloping young people develop musically, personally and socially? How does this relate (or not) to what have up to now been called more formal contexts?

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