Reflections on progress in musical education

Abstract

This article raises questions about three features of musical education that have been explored in the pages of the British Journal of Music Education (BJME) over the last 25 years: the assessment of creative work; the nurturing of an elite among young musicians; the uses of electronics in music classrooms. The article suggests that teacher-based assessments of pupils' compositional work rarely promote deeper understanding because pupils learn better by considering the extent to which they have fulfilled their own musical intentions. The dilemma of serving the needs of all pupils while attending to the musical needs of the most gifted musically is explored, and it is suggested that, inter alia, pupils aged 12 should have a strong voice in their choices within arts education. Electronic keyboards have become sufficiently embedded in schools for broad judgements to be made. There are few signs that basic electronic keyboards offer expressive opportunities of value whereas the use of computers in support of composition have led to results of quality that merit close attention.