Scottish based educational resource developers, ABC Creative Music founded by twin jazz musicians Tom & Phil Bancroft, are launching a new Creative Scotland funded music education website – ABC Creative Music Online at www.abcmusic.org.uk .

Curriculum for Excellence (CFE) really hit Scottish schools this year and is bringing in a new cross-curricular world where potentially music can break out its one hour a week slot and be something that brings excitement and fun to learning other subjects. However adjusting to CFE is also adding to the workload of already hard pressed teachers, many of whom arenʼt confident in teaching music.

The new website has been piloting in schools in Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Midlothian since October 2010. The pilot is being extended to 5 schools in Stirling, and a Gaelic version of the website is being being finalised for a pilot in the Western Isles. Now a package of Free lessons is being offered to every Primary School in Scotland.

ABC Co-founder Tom Bancroft says “In the pilot the teachers really liked the animations and interactive lessons on smartboard but the moment they really came on board was when they saw the CFE planning sheets. They realised it wouldnʼt add a whole additional level of planning work on an unfamiliar subject. You could feel the shift in the room. Suddenly you could see them go ʻThis might be something I can realistically fit into my weekʼ. My wife is a primary school teacher so I know how much pressure they are under.”

One of the biggest pilots is in Edinburgh where the website has been offered to all Primary Schools. Leading the pilot there is David Leslie, Quality Improvement Officer: Expressive Arts – “ABC Creative Music Online is benefitting teachers and children in Edinburgh because it is so easy for teachers to use and it is absolutely up to date with the new Curriculum for Excellence. The lessons are colourful and interactive and provide active learning for children at an appropriate level for teacher and children. The online assessment and planning features are motivating teachers to get involved even if music isn’t in their comfort zone. The approach is very creativity centred and is very much aligned with our priorities for expressive arts. We are also happy that the resource is available free to schools in Edinburgh for 2 years as part of a Creative Scotland pilot.”

Short video examples of website features:

• interactivesmartboardbasedlessons(exampleshere) • onlineteachertrainingvideos(exampleshere) • onlineassessmentandplanningfeaturesfocussedonthenewCurriculumforExcellence(exampleshere) • innovativeShapeNotationapproachtoreadingandwritingmusic(exampleshere)

The site was developed with funding from Creative Scotlandʼs Youth Music Initiative and the full website will be available for free until July 2012 for all the primary schools in the 6 pilot areas.

David McDonald, Creative Scotland’s Youth Arts Manager said:

“Creating access to music making, especially for those young people that would not normally have the chance, is the backbone of the Youth Music Initiative. We want to see music and creativity become an integral part of the daily lives of young people and central to the delivery of a Curriculum for Excellence. ABC’s new resource will provide classroom teachers with the toolkit that they need to teach music confidently and enjoy it too!.”

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If youʼd like more information, or to schedule an interview with Tom or Phil Bancroft, or David Leslie call Tom Bancroft on 07974 983701 or email tom@applebananacarrot.com. Downloadable images go here PTO for Background info. Background:CFE is the second big change in 10 years.

The launch of CFE is the second big change to hit Scottish music education in the last 10 years. The first was the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) launched in 2003 with £17 million of ring-fenced funding. Co founder Phil Bancroft says ”YMI drove a big expansion in the quantity and diversity of music being done in the primary sector. There was ring fenced money for music and local authorities were forced to think outside the box and start up new projects quickly. It gave us the opportunity to win contracts and prove our ideas. We developed some important partnerships with Local Authorities so we could tailor our resources to fit the quite complex mix of factors on the ground that impact on the success of programs like ours. Most of the time it has been really positive and we have learnt a huge amount. Everything we have learnt has gone into the new website.”

John Wilson ,Links Officer in the Arts and Education, East Ayrshire Council discussing the 6 year partnership with ABC says “With the invaluable range and quality of ABC Creative Music resources and support, class teachers have been given the skills and confidence to involve their pupils in a meaningful, imaginative and engaging creative music experience reflecting the CfE experiences and outcomes. The new primary classroom website further supports this and has been enthusiastically received by teachers.”

Barbara Scott is Senior Trainer at ABC and was herself was a music specialist for 30 years “In some areas specialists arenʼt there for every year in the school, or all the terms of the year, and in some places there arenʼt specialists at all. When specialists arenʼt there music can get neglected. At ABC we feel the ideal is for specialists to teach music in partnership with classroom teachers. Specialists bring a unique skillset and there are some things only we can teach. We can also play music live in the classroom which is important. But if specialists arenʼt there the classroom teacher can, with the right support, do a lot. In some of ABCʼs most successful projects like North Ayrshire and East Ayrshire there are dedicated specialists supporting the classroom teachers to deliver the ABC program. ”

CFE is happening in a different financial climate to YMI and it is an even wider revolution – transforming all primary school subjects. One of the changes is a more flexible cross-curricular approach to the timetable. In the past it was felt music was something you did maximum 1 hour a week, so this change could have a big impact.

ABC co-founder Phil Bancroft says “There are two main differences in our approach. 1) We assume that the teacher may not have a lot of music experience or confidence. 2) We teach general musical skills and literacy by focussing on creativity and performance right from the start. So even from Nursery age children are getting chances to make decisions, compose and improvise, and then perform. Our bottom line goal is that all children leave primary school saying “I am musical, I create and perform. Itʼs one of the things I do.”

Both these differences are critical to fitting with CFE. Only classroom teachers can fully integrate music into cross-curricular learning so they need the resources and support to do it. Many classroom teachers didnʼt develop the “I am musical” feeling at school and had minimal training on music at college* so they donʼt see music as something they can teach. Attitudes that music can only be taught by people with a particular ʻtalentʼ adds to this. Tom Bancroft says “We are passionate about saying to all classroom teachers ʻYou donʼt feel you need to be a published poet to teach creative writing, or a painter to get your children started with Art. You can do this, this is how! Once they see the smartboard lessons and things like Shape Notation they visibly relax!”

ABCʼs creativity centred approach means classes can compose music and songs about other things, so creative music can be used in a cross curricular approach to add fun and excitement to pretty much any subject. Phil Bancroft adds “The cycle of creativity, auditioning, and performance creates real focus, team working, and powerful transformative experiences. Performances can be recorded and videoed.The experience of creating and performing can be reflected upon developing emotional resilience and confidence. This is all the kind of assessment material at the centre of Curriculum for Excellence. Itʼs music but the content can be about Emotional Literacy, Health and Well Being, Citizenship, even Science. This approach is essential if classroom teachers are to be able to fit music into their week.”

* Many PGCE students do one day or less of music in their one year teaching course. ABC Creative Music Online at www.abcmusic.org.uk