User profile: Ali Lunn
I have had experience of the most brilliant music teaching in school when I attended Longfield Middle School in Harrow back in the 1980's. Valerie King - if you are out there I salute you madam; you were and continue to be my inspiration. At the start of the noughties I became so thirsty for that music making experience back in my life but also wanted to provide it as a teacher. I hope I get to music make with alot of children (and adults too!) in my life time...
- Occupation:
- Head of a non-building based Music School
- Email:
- ali@allypallymusic.co.uk
- Organisation:
- The Ally Pally School of Music
- Location:
- United Kingdom, Dorset
- Interests:
- I really am interested in people discovering and enjoying who they are. Music in many shapes and forms, reading fantastic stories, cinema, my dog and the beach (they go together) eating, meeting new people and finding things in common.
- Recent posts
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This 'body of knowledge' can be taught in various ways responding to the different ways people learn ie visual , aural, practical etc. In the summer I was singing 'Oh How lovely is the eve' with a tennis ball in my hand and bouncing it for every 3rd interval and throwing it up for every 4th interval. Had been taught solfa lanaguage first and carried out various activities to get to this point. It was practical, engaging, challenging, tremendous fun to be doing it with a whole group of people and not a whiteboard or worksheet in sight! I would say this was teaching music theory in a creative way. I was told that this activity works really well with teenage boys but I bet if I went into a senior school to witness a music theory lesson I would find all the kids sitting down. This I would say is un-creative and uninspiring teaching.
Was interested in the early years music part of the report which stated that no nursery teacher trainees were presented with any music training! I recently approached a Montessori Training College to propose some lectures on music making in the nursery currciulum but it didn't go anywhere. If music was effectively taught at this age then a solid foundation would be made for primary level music. Reading this report has motivated me to approach them again. As for freelancers and their gripes over rates of pay I am defensive of my teacher training as well as my instrumental playing experience in determining my rate of pay. I don't believe that playing an instrument well will make you a good teacher.
There are definately regional differences in recruiting freelancing music teachers. I moved to a new area a couple of years back and phoned my council to see if I could have an interview to be put on the 'books' for schools and was told that no such a system existed. when I asked how schools get teachers I was told they must find them privately but he wasn't sure. Nevertheless there is not as much instrumental learning here then where I was living before. Also the choices for parents is limited because of this lack of provision. Last time I heard the head of music was having personal problems and the whole system was in disarray. Compare this with a LEA in the north of England where I know one of the music advisors personally and the situation here is in a very poor state.