It is a fact that music in any sector works best when led by an enthusiast. In the primary sector in particular, singing (and more-formal choral activity for those pupils with more enthusiasm) has always worked best when driven by a keen resident teacher to whom the pupils can relate on a day to day basis. I cannot be alone in remembering with great pleasure the time when the primary musician had timetabled time with each class where the class teacher felt less assured in the subject, and when the last 10-15 minutes of each school day would often be given over to collective singing in the hall. This left the visiting instrumental specialists with a vast potential market of enthusiastic pupils, a background of aural training, and the time to concentrate on what they did best. Those were truly wider opportunities!

The problem with a 'creativity' based syllabus is that study of the 'Body of Knowledge' which is music education is downgraded. Schools do not start by delivering 'Creative French' because there are basics which are needed before one can create within the language. As a professional player and composer, I know what basic input was necessary to get me to this level. "Music is compulsory..KS3",yet "only 8% choose to take Music GCSE". Could this possibly be because by Year 10 pupils still don't know enough about the basics to have confidence in the integrity of the subject? As a teacher of both youngsters and adults, I have found no resistance to learning the basics; quite the reverse! The lessons seem to focus the students' efforts far more than frustrating attempts to 'compose' to order in a less than conducive environment.