Why has ‘teaching music’ been regulated to something unimportant in our schools?
This is a question that Nicola Benedetti, a Scottish classical Violinist who was awarded a CBE in 2019 for her services to music. Nicky chats with us in our 57th interview and our 33rd women-in-education podcast.
In this podcast, listen to Nicky and Teacher Toolkit founder, Ross McGill discuss:
- Describe her own childhood and education
- How moving away to boarding school at 10 years old has shaped her
- What is was like to attend Yehudi Menuhin School
- What is the ‘Suzuki method‘ and the impact it had on Nicola as a musician
- How she dealt with the pressure of expectation as her profile continued to grow
- Explore how Nicola moves through making mistakes during a performance
- How stress decreases performance and how it influences physicality
- Tips for young musicians in school to improve their musicianship
- Why no week is ever the same for Nicola and how she balances her workload
- The workshops Nicola carries out with students and teachers across the world
- Why music teachers feel under-resourced and under-supported
- Nicola’s desire for music to be back on the English Baccalaureate curriculum
- Explain how the Benedetti Foundation is supporting music education.
Listen
Remember, our podcast is available on iTunes!
Nicola performs all over the world and also works with schools across the U.K. You can follow @NickyBenedetti on Twitter and discover more on her website: www.nicolabenedetti.co.uk.
Image credits: Chris Tostevin-Hall, Spencer McPherson and Andy Gotts.
In some schools music may be devalued. Not in mine, but then it isn’t that simple. Some schools might value it but not have the funds to support it. Others might value it but not have the teacher to deliver it. Others might value it but not be sure what great music education looks like. It is tough out there in music education. But there are so many examples of what music is valued and successful.