M1 The music leader has relevant musical competence, and is both an able practitioner and positive role model.

Obviously a practitioner needs to have adequate expertise to be able to respond to any musical or technical requirements. This will partly come down to their planning and preparation but is equally relevant to how well they can respond to demands or questions as they arise. I think credibility as a musician/artist is hugely influential especially when working with ‘hard to reach’ young people who can find it hard to quickly build a trustful or respectful relationship with adults.

This can be a tricky balance as a music leader between letting a young person see that you have got expertise but at the same time, not showing off to a point that a young person feels intimidated or belittled by their skill/expertise. It’s not always about what they do in a workshop either. One of the things I have noticed is that young people often go home and Google an artist/music leader, find out what work they have done or released or what other people say about them. So music leaders need to be mindful that their publicly accessible profile (often through social media etc.) is also a key factor in their responsibility as a positive role model.

Taken from AudioActive

Drake Music: Music leaders who work regularly with young musicians with additional needs often have a wide portfolio of experiences and skills in music. There's no magic formula to becoming an effective inclusive practitioner but a flexible, child-centred approach is the best foundation, along with an understanding of the social model of disability.

Example: A Disabled musician has a song-writing residency in a special school. She has played and toured in bands all her life and currently sings and uses Thumbjam on her iPhone as an instrument. She has real life experiences as a working musician and facilitator and is an inspiring role model for the young Disabled musicians she works with, several of whom would like to follow in her footsteps.