Diversity and inclusion in music education - how do we bring about change?

There is an appetite in the music education sector to get better at inclusion: access and excellence do not have to be mutually exclusive concepts. But how do we actually go about making sure that ensembles include all young musicians with talent, regardless of their background?

You may have read Dick Hallam’s blog, 'Dare we hope?' on the Barbican and LA Phil’s recent symposium, ‘Future Play: Music Systems in the 21st Century’.  I too attended the symposium (well, the closing session anyway) where the debate got me thinking about two important questions: 

1) Are the structures that sit around music education (and its organisations and institutions) conducive to encouraging opportunities for access, progression and excellence for ALL children and young people? 

2) Assuming that the first question is rhetorical (I do work for an organisation whose main focus is on those with least opportunity!) - what are the most effective ways that we can bring about change?

1. What issues of access and equality?

Why is it that the majority of our most highly-regarded music education institutions, national youth orchestras and traditional music-making ensembles do not have cohort of students that is reflective of the UK population as a whole?  That is to say, why is it that those with least opportunity continue to find it very difficult to get to the end (that’s if they even want to) of the progression arrow as depicted on p18 of The National Plan for Music Education?

I will not attempt to dissect the issues here.  I’m writing this blog because I believe that our chances of bringing about change – at this moment in time - are actually pretty good.  I know from speaking to colleagues across the whole sector that there is a genuine desire to get better at this, and to be more inclusive.  I think the main barrier to change is a lack of understanding and knowledge about how to do it (and perhaps apathy, in a few cases). 

The size of the problem is very significant.  Change is not going to happen overnight.  But what struck me from attending the symposium was the following: a. There is an appetite to get better at inclusion, and an understanding that in creative music-making, access and excellence do not have to be mutually exclusive concepts; b. There are lots of pockets of effective practice happening (that could probably be better joined up); c. Perhaps the first step in building knowledge about effective practice is to share and highlight the good work that is already taking place.

2. What do we need to do?

• Tell people about what works.  In practicing what I preach, I have attempted to summarise some of the case studies that I heard at the symposium, along with some other work that I have come across recently as part of Youth Music’s portfolio – obviously I am only dipping my toe in the water here, so I URGE YOU to start adding your own examples to this.
• Be realistic.  We’re not going to change the world overnight.  We probably don’t have the resources to do that.  However, by adding SOME dedicated resource to the issue we will begin to make incremental changes.  And if we ALL make some small changes, the overall impact will start to become significant.
• Be open to other people’s ideas and approaches.  Too often there is a disconnect between different ‘sectors’ of music education.  As an example, a lot of Youth Music’s funded work takes place in the ‘non formal’ sector, where there can be disdain from others about what might seem like unstructured and un-rigorous ways of teaching music.   However, much of this work has a specific pedagogy attached and is particularly effective in engaging young people and supporting the development of sophisticated musical skills - see the Communities of Music Education research for more information.  I’m sure this disdain probably works in the other direction too, but it is only by opening up channels of communication and trusting each other that we will each develop our understanding.
• The role of the ‘community musician/music leader/teacher/teaching artist/musician’ (whatever you choose to call it) is crucial in how effective we might be in providing life-changing music opportunities for children and young people. So we need to make sure our leaders are properly trained and have a toolkit of approaches they might adopt for working in different settings and with different groups of children and young people.  We probably need to sort out the previous point to get this right.  Funders, employers, academic institutions, orchestras, umbrella bodies and the workforce themselves all have a role to play in ensuring this happens.  [On this point, thank you to everyone who has posted about their projects and approaches on the Youth Music Network – I for one find this a fascinating insight into how different people and organisations work].
• But then again, it’s about more than just the music leader.  The community surrounding young people also plays a vital role – whether we’re talking about schools, peers, parents, or those who give access to progression routes.  This needs to be taken into consideration when we – the music education sector – develop or fund programmes.
• Young people’s voice also needs to be central – otherwise how do we know what we’re doing well (or not, as the case may be)?  As tomorrow’s music leadership workforce and agents of change, we need to prepare and support them to develop their understanding, beyond just mastering their instrument.
• Make sure it remains high on the agenda.  Diversity, access, inclusion, engagement, equality – call it what you will.   Make it part of your plans, your priorities, your recruitment, programming or funding decision-making so you know it won’t get forgotten about or de-prioritised in our hectic working schedules (Youth Music expects our grant holders to demonstrate a committment to diversity within their funding proposals).
• And lastly – evaluate and reflect.  It is only by doing this that we can assess how well we are doing, and know what we need to do to make things better.

In his plenary remarks as Chair of the symposium, Youth Music Trustee Sean Gregory asked whether it was time for a new paradigm, or a new model.  Dick Hallam challenged us to be creative not just in the way we work with young people but in the way that we work with other organisations.  I would argue that what is needed is not a new model in the structural sense – we have that in the form of music education hubs – but a new paradigm that has as its central tenet a willingness to trust, cooperate and learn from one another.  The ‘model’ is in place but it’s down to us to make sure the new paradigm is born (does that sound a bit cheesy? But it’s true – or at least I think it is.  Feel free to argue otherwise!)

EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDIES

What follows below are some examples of effective practice that I heard about at the symposium and/or that I know about through my work at Youth Music.  It is by no means exhaustive – please add your own examples, either as blogs or as comments to this blog.  If there is appetite for this area of work perhaps we can create a specific group on the Youth Music Network to take the idea forward.

Music as an agent of social change

Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA) – inspired by El Sistema – provides free instruments, intensive music training, and academic support to young people from under-served neighborhoods in LA, ‘enabling students to become vital citizens, leaders, and agents of change’.  It is run by LA Phil and its community partners.  One of the key features that is required for YOLA’s success in its YOLA at HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles) project is the engagement of families (in such an intensive programme, that offers four rehearsals each week, it is essential that parents are on board).  Strategies adopted include running specific sessions for parents (from ‘how to help your child practice’ to yoga); eating together; hosting music-related movie nights for the whole family; having an open-door policy for parents; and community concerts.  It even extends to Programme Director Paloma Ramos and her colleague attending a community counselling course to better understand and deal with issues that may arise.

If you’re interested in El Sistema/In Harmony then see also Ian Thomas’s recent blog about the In Harmony project in Telford and Wrekin.  I often wonder whether expanding the In Harmony model beyond the western classical tradition would throw up any different outcomes?  If you know of any examples where this has been done then please enlighten us!

Musiko Musika run a diverse mixed ability ensemble (the Ethnic Contemporary Classical Orchestra) and they have just produced a spotlighting resource detailing some of the strategies they have adopted to support inclusion and diversity and co-learning and collective ethos.  

Supporting access in an environment of excellence and inspiration

The LSO’s On Track: Celebrate and Inspire programme gives young instrumentalists from east London – from beginners through to advanced players - the opportunity to play alongside LSO musicians in prestigious venues such as the Barbican and LSO St Luke’s. This approach means that beginners (some who have been playing for as little as four weeks) have equal opportunities to participate and be inspired.  This is done through the use of high quality mixed-ability arrangements of core repertoire, and the development of specific roles and partnerships within the programme (e.g. with the music service who work with the young musicians outside of the LSO rehearsals; students from London Music College who support and mentor the younger musicians).

Strategies for educating and diversifying the workforce

Kuumba Youth Music’s Youth Music-funded advance network is doing some thought-provoking work around increasing the diversity of (predominantly) classical music ensembles.  One case study from the last meeting was of Spitalfields Music who wanted to be more representative of the communities they were serving in their trainee music leader scheme, so decided that the latest intake would be recruited exclusively from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.  This included developing relationships with organisations such as Tomorrow’s Warriors and Serious to support recruitment.

Listening to the voice of young people

Future band is a creative ensemble made up of  25-30 musicians, composers, performers and leaders from across London, comprised of young people aged 8-18.  The band meets 4-6 times per year, for 3-5 day projects.  Improvisation, composition and collaboration are at the heart of Future Band’s practice as an ensemble. In the programme, Future Band members describe their music as unique; original; adapting.  They describe their identity as collective; a mindset; owned; connected; and their practice as investigative; reflective; trust; openness; sharing.  An essential part of the Future Band programme is reflection sessions for the young people.  When Future Band members spoke on the symposium’s closing panel about music, friendship, voice, collaboration, learning together, helping to teach each other, equality, loving music as a ‘whole thing’ – it was clear what kind of musical (and other) environment this approach had engendered.  

‘What is children’s music?’  asked composer Jon Deak as he established the Very Young Composers programme.  In this initiative, fifth grade children (aged 10-11) compose their own music for NY Philharmonic musicians to play (to proper audiences!)  Beginning with group improvisation and then one-to-one support, individual students make every compositional decision, with teaching artists serving as mentors and scribes.

Recruitment and selection

It would be really interesting to hear examples of how organisations have adapted their recruitment strategies to extend their reach (beyond the traditional fee remission strategies); and also selection strategies that support young people with raw-but-unnurtured-talent to become part of excellent ensembles and institutions.

Other strategies …?

What other things do you do to promote access and inclusion?  From pastoral support, to the way you structure your programmes, to special outreach initiatives – please let us know your experiences – good and bad.