NAME National Conference 2009

NAME's annual conference in 2009 took place at York University from 18-20 September.

The theme was Musical Development and our keynote speakers were:

• Lincoln Abbotts


• Tony Knight


• Katherine Zeserson

Conference Report 2009
by Lis McCullough 

For 2009 the NAME conference returned to a university campus setting, with the Exhibition Centre at York University providing a light and airy hub to the event, as well as the added bonus of a lovely view over the lake – conducive to a feeling of well-being that was further enhanced by the generally good weather.

 Once again there was an overarching theme for the conference, this time that of musical development – an important consideration for all involved in music education – and the many ways in which this topic can be interpreted and encouraged were explored throughout the weekend.

 
The conference opened with a welcome song especially composed by the well known primary music educator Sue Nicholls, co-chair of NAME’s primary and early years focus group, before we launched into an extensive range of keynote speeches, workshops, round table discussions and research presentations.

Keynote speakers from A to Z – literally! – stimulated, challenged and shared with us their insights from a variety of different perspectives. Lincoln Abbotts, Chief Executive of Music for Youth, set out six universal principles for us as music educators, which he not only tied into his own personal experience but also related to young people’s experience. We were encouraged to ‘commit’, ‘seek out supporters’, ‘stretch our creative muscles’, ‘prepare to shine’, ‘play out’ and ‘welcome the unexpected’. Tony Knight, carrying out his last official engagement as specialist Adviser for Music at Ofsted, built on the Ofsted report Making more of music, published earlier in the year, by drawing out some of the key findings, presenting new data, especially to do with involvement, and pulling together effective teaching strategies. Later in the day he also led two discussion sessions based on the document. Katherine Zeserson, Director of Learning and Participation at The Sage Gateshead, set the scene for the final day with an inspiring and thought-provoking session encouraging our own musical development. She was positive in her acknowledgement that the ‘time of plenty’ for music education would come to an end but that we could and should capitalise on the resources, initiatives, structures and respect we have developed and enjoyed over the past few years. Touching on the essence of music education she urged us not only to look for the shine in our students’ eyes but also to ensure we consider what makes our own eyes shine.

Breakout sessions covered aspects as diverse as gospel singing, 14-19 diplomas, jazz, body percussion, updates on current initiatives, assessment, Ghanaian drumming and song composition. Something for everyone, no matter what their areas of involvement and interest!

The resource exhibition put on by NAME’s corporate members was, as always, much appreciated by delegates, giving an extensive and unrivalled hands-on opportunity to see and try out the newest products.

The conference saw the launch of NAME’s exciting new website, with the project manager, Fran Graham, leading a session introducing some of the key features, including increased interactivity and an online shop. Also launched was this year’s book, Sound Progress: Exploring musical development, edited by Helen Coll and Alexandra Lamont and providing ‘a range of different perspectives on what musical development is, how it can be supported, and what purposes it might serve.’

For those NAME members who had been students at York University’s renowned music department, it was an interestingly nostalgic few days. The university was also, of course, the setting for the seminal work on the secondary school curriculum that took place in the 1980s under the inspirational leadership of John Paynter and we were delighted that John and his wife Joan were able to join us for dinner on the Friday night.

It is always interesting to see the display of posters from the different NAME regions celebrating the variety of music education around the UK. In addition, one of the aims behind holding the conference in different venues is to showcase the music-making in those different areas, and many thanks are owed to NAME member Tim Brooks, music consultant for City of York Council, who worked closely with the NAME conference team this year. We were very pleased to welcome children and teachers from the local area and also, to round off the conference, the Yorkshire street band The Peace Artistes. Following the positive reaction to the practical music sessions (with the Grand Union Orchestra) two years ago, we repeated the opportunity to recharge our own musical batteries and ended the morning with a collaborative session playing a variety of instruments outside in the sun by the lake. Perfect!

The conference could not take the extensive form it does without sponsorship and this year NAME’s thanks go to the DCSF, Yamaha, Music Village, Rockschool, Trinity Guildhall, Experia and Soundbeam.