​The future of school music

Away from school, engaging with music is a common place, day-to-day activity for most young people.  Musical Futures takes a students personal connection with music outside of school and brings it into the classroom.  It turns, what is for many students the least engaging of their school subjects, into an enjoyable learning and creative environment.

Musical Futures approach to teaching and learning reshapes the way that both students and teachers engage with music in school. Musical Futures:

• Is 100% practical providing more opportunities to play (or sing), more often 
• Engages both students and teachers through new and imaginative musical activities and the use of music technologies 
• Involves whole classes of students engaged in music making that includes performing, recording and composing
• Brings students passion for music into the classroom, driving their own learning and sharing their experiences and skills with others 
• Incorporates the learning of technique, notation and other forms of written instruction as part of the process practical music making
• Creates authentic musical experiences for students as they make music in groups with friends
• Non-formal teaching and informal learning approaches allow teachers to develop new roles as mentors, coaches and guides. Teachers become another musician in the classroom 
• Supports schools existing teachers, increasing their skills and confidence and  enabling them to deliver high quality music learning

Tried and tested

Musical Futures was developed in the UK a decade ago and now more than 3,000 British schools use Musical Futures approach.  Schools in Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, Brazil, as well as, Australia are now also implementing Musical Futures in their classrooms. 

Major research studies show that Musical Futures:

• Significantly increases the number of students able to participate in school music
• Increases the number of students wanting to continue their music learning
• Students achieve high levels of musical skill and confidence and, a wide range of musical experiences including performing, composing, improvising and recording
• Improves student motivation, behaviour and attendance
• Provides schools with real solutions to struggling or failed programs
• Develops students’ independent learning skills, self-esteem and leadership
• Rejuvenates teacher enthusiasm and skills

Each of the research studies are available here.

Curriculum ready 

Musical Futures is immediately compatible with any existing or future Australian music curricula; 

• Musical Futures is already being used successfully in schools in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and South Australia. 
• Musical Futures embeds the key skills of composing, performing, improvising, responding and listening. 
• Students to become independent music learners.
• Musical Futures incorporates the use of technologies including computer music software, iPads, electronic musical instruments and audio products into learning

Teacher friendly

Musical Futures focuses on developing and extending the skills of a schools existing classroom and instrumental teachers.  Musical Futures;

• Provides teachers with professional development, resources, materials, mentoring and networks
• Assists teachers build and deliver more engaging, higher participatory music programs 
• Reconnects teachers with their skills as musicians and encourages them to bring those skills into the classroom
• Integrates the work of both classroom and instrumental teachers 

Musical Futures and your school

• Removes barriers to student participation and engagement in music
• Provides cost effective, quality music learning for all students
• Extends the reach of existing music programs or; rejuvenates tired or failing programs
• Improves student motivation, behaviour and attendance 
• Develops students independent learning skills, self-esteem and leadership
• Integrates classroom and instrumental music programs into a single music subject
• Inspires teachers, increasing and extending their skills as teaching professionals and musicians 
• Enables school leadership to provide a sustainable, engaging, quality music program from within the existing schools existing teaching and physical resources 

Changes to the way students access and engage with music has created a very different music learning environment from one that existed even just a few years ago.  Personalised playlists, music apps, YouTube lessons, access to affordable instruments and music programs embedded in computers can be accessed by most students.

Musical Futures recognises and incorporates these changes creating  a 21st century music learning environment in the classroom.

Download the pdf version.  It's an easy way to share with colleagues or contact us for more information if you have more questions.
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