Enabling the sharing of effective practice: Adapting Sistema to an English context

Introduction

The purpose of this project was to bring together music teachers from Sistema-inspired programmes in England to learn and share effective practices with each other and subsequently with the wider music education workforce. The project follows a trip to Venezuela’s El Sistema by programme leaders and music directors in 2012. Teachers and leaders from In Harmony Liverpool, In Harmony Newcastle, In Harmony Nottingham, In Harmony Opera North, In Harmony Telford & Stoke and Sistema in Norwich participated. In Harmony Lambeth also participated in the final workshop.

Spotlighting Practice

Programme leaders chose three areas of focus for spotlighting, identified as among the most important for exploration, improvement and sharing to further effective learning for young people:

a) Social Pedagogy
b) Differentiation
c) Repertoire

For teaching resources related to the above areas, click the links above. On each page you will find ‘Tips and Tools’, film clips of good practice in action, and a place for your own comments and ideas.

Resources

Want some ideas to further your music delivery with young people? Keen to develop reflective practice? Thinking of running a peer-learning day? Have a look at these General Resources or if you are looking for more specific, visit our Social Pedagogy, Differentiation, or Repertoire pages.

What we did

• Four steering group meetings with programme leaders from each programme to agree targets, content foci and logistics
• Six visits by teachers to each programme, during which teachers recorded good practices observed
• Six filming days to capture good practices as identified by each programme
• Two peer-learning workshops, one at the start of the project in November 2013, and one towards the end in April 2015
• Creation of Teaching Resources accessible to teachers from all music education and ‘music for change’ contexts, including the global Sistema movement
• National and international presentations of The Reflective Teacher research on differences and similarities between Sistema-inspired programmes and other music education contexts

Thanks

The many teachers and leaders from In Harmony Lambeth, In Harmony Liverpool, In Harmony Newcastle Gateshead, In Harmony Nottingham, In Harmony Opera North, In Harmony Telford & Stoke and Sistema in Norwich, who have contributed time and generosity to this project, in particular the Steering Committee of Music Directors and Programme Leaders. Many thanks to you all.

Youth Music for making this project a reality and catalysing further teacher collaboration.

Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) for enabling young musicians to come together to perform at the ISM Conference 2014.

European Union Culture Programme.