So, how has your summer been? Busy? Relaxing? Stressful? Anxious? Certainly has been like that for me and it’s only in the last throes of the holiday where I am feeling some sort of calm and clarity. A big part of that is accepting I have no idea how the start of Autumn term will be, what kind of challenges will be faced or how my teaching will look like. The irony of this is for the first time in my teaching career, I feel at ease with the start of the academic year and not consumed by doubts, fears and questions over how my planning will work, or whether I can cope with the intensity that Autumn term brings. As COVID protocol adds a thick dollop of uncertainty and limitations, my focus is solely on how I can best serve my school and students at this moment.
I hope the last six or so months away from school has given us all the headspace and clarity needed to take stock of what is important to us. Here is what I have considered and learned from my time.
School’s shift towards pastoral
Steve Carr, founder of A Mind To Teach and former colleague, speaks about a change in what we now need to focus on. Pre-COVID times saw education emphasise the learning of facts and knowledge over the pastoral role required to teach these. Post-COVID will see this paradigm shift to the latter, both in the classroom and institutionally.
You may have experienced what a lack of human connection meant in your remote lessons, I know I did. When I was teaching remotely, I remembered a lecture during my PGCE based on the book Why Do I Need a Teacher When I’ve got Google? The lecturer hypothesised what education would look like if students relied on ‘virtual teaching’ (during my PGCE, there were discussions about the existence of teachers and schools). I think it is fair to say that conversation can be put to bed. Remote learning, if anything, has taught parents and students that school means so much more than sitting in a class and learning about a subject. School connects everyone to a hub of community, togetherness and importantly, provides our biological need for warmth, safety and nourishment (knowledge and information).
Make the most of the time given to you
Not wanting to waste newly acquired time and headspace, I thought it would be wise to make the most of it. This included:
- Composing a jingle for my wife’s Happy Birthday message to her and her cohort’s lecturer from conservatoire (quite a touching gift, in fact students in Ukraine actually celebrate National Teacher Day by throwing parties for them. Isn’t that a lovely gesture?…ahem!)
- Recording bass and guitar on a remote video for my former students at Dordogne Jazz Summer School
- Work with Trinity Laban’s academic staff and the Animate Orchestra in writing and performing ‘For All The Neighsayers’
- Further work with Trinity Laban’s Songwriting Sessions, led by the wonderful artist Abimaro Gunnell and help from Trinity graduate Daniel Kemshell
Despite all this work (not including my Master’s work and school planning), I felt that this was not enough. Looking somewhat enviously at other departments and musicians output, I suddenly remembered creating is not about competition; Musicians and teachers should always look to expand upon skills and experiences for relevancy and authenticity.
There were other people involved in my creative output and their experiences count for allot, for instance, the Songwriting workshop provided the students with wonderful moments and a deep sense of collaborating as musicians. It was quite remarkable to hear their feedback on the workshop, ranging from “this was the highlight of my summer”, or that they “never experienced this like it in remote lessons”.
Maintaining one’s creative output whilst working as a full-time educator is exhausting. Still, the extra time proved the pay-off is worth it. This also got me thinking about how grateful I am to had the opportunities to perform in as a young musician, sadly in my hometown, it looks like those venues are disappearing…
Music will always be a part of our community
Jazz artist and fellow Lincoln-ite Nik Svarc posted that Lincoln City’s Drill Hall, a venue I’ve played many times and seen the great Steve Cropper perform in is having its funding cut, likely resulting in closure: https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2020/08/outrage-after-council-cuts-crucial-lincoln-drill-hall-grant/
Venue closures are nothing new, iconic places such as London Astoria, Cavern Club (original), Olympic Studios and The Hacienda have all said their goodbyes but for smaller cities like Lincoln, the Drill Hall represents the cultural heartbeat of the city. I began my performing career in Lincoln, whilst studying at Access To Music (now Access Creative College). The Falcon, Jolly Brewer, The Bivouac, The Lawn and Drill Hall all played a crucial role in my musical development as a performer and provided me and other talented performers/artists I grew up with a vehicle to develop and hone our skills. As industry moves more and more into online and social media platforms, my worry is musicians won’t have venues like the Drill Hall to cultivate an audience and forge real connections to make a scene in their respective towns and cities.
We are told that COVID will change society, I agree, but I hope the economic fallout from the pandemic does not mean we redirect value, financial and intrinsic, elsewhere when it comes to keeping music a part of our lives. The damage sustained to arts during the Gove/Morgan era planted the seeds of doubt in many parents, students and subsequently, schools evaluation of music’s seat on the curriculum table, couple that with the music industry not doing enough to invest in grassroots level or restructuring of its operating model i.e. not doing enough to entice people to work in it by offering secure work structure and benefits which any other sector offers for secure employment; Throw in Brexit related complications for UK musicians who’s income mainly comes from working in Europe (this is not an attack on the Brexit vote, just my view on how UK musicians earn a living) means you have this situation where arts funding to music will be the obvious one to fall first due to the economics of keeping music in our society.
We have a rich and proud heritage of producing music that truly has influenced culture, art and social change, and we are still doing it. By limiting opportunities like shutting the Drill Hall, authorities give the impression that music is expendable and this could have a detrimental effect on music teachers like me who work so hard in showing our students how great it is! Music really does have its place in post-COVID society and we need musicians to be part of this, they provide so much more than profit.
Lincoln council, please don’t take away an important venue from the people you serve, they need this now more than ever.
I wish all a happy and safe return back to school.
Mike Wright Music Education 