A common thread running through the articles in this issue is that enjoyment is a vital but somewhat elusive criterion in shaping effective and engaging experiences of music education. It becomes clear by reading these articles in conjunction that enjoyment is not always externally recognised as a necessary component of musical learning, but that it is highly valued by pupils and students of all ages, whether it is found in the teaching they receive or the music they make and listen to out of school.

This article examines the perceived and documented problems of school music, particularly at secondary level, through a study of young people's music in and out of school. Four issues are explored: teachers' approaches to music in school; pupils' levels of engagement in musical activities in and out of school; pupils' attitudes to music in and out of school; and pupils' aspirations in music. A Pupils' Music Questionnaire was administered to 1,479 pupils in Years 4, 6, 7 and 9 (aged 8–14 years) from 21 schools in England; Teacher Interviews were conducted with 42 head teachers and teachers responsible for music in all these schools; and follow-up Music Focus Groups were conducted with 134 pupils from the original sample. In contrast to earlier research, both teachers and pupils across the sample demonstrated very positive attitudes towards music, whilst also acknowledging constraints on good practice. Music listening formed an important part of pupils' lives, but music making was more prominent than suggested by previous research. Commitment to musical activity seemed more robust out of school than in school, and it is suggested that involvement in musical activity may be transitory for some children and adolescents.

The link between voice and self-image is so fundamental it is often overlooked or taken for granted. Yet the knowledge of this relationship has much to teach singing teachers and choral directors in making communication with singers more effective, in choice of repertoire, technical development and rehearsal strategies. This study set out to explore the way adolescent singers think about their voices and express themselves through singing. The results produced a rich diversity of evidence which suggests that vocal change is a fruitful area for exploring in greater depth the relationship between the voice, musical expression and the human psyche.

This is a sister article to one that appeared in this journal in 1999, which established benefits in coupling instrumental study and voice-leading analysis, primarily for performers but also for analysts. That analytical students too were more receptive to study when connected with their instrument was the cue for the present article; performance has much to offer the teaching/learning of non-tonal analytical techniques founded on the basic tenets of set theory. This article details an experimental curriculum, ‘Practising set theory’, tested at Lancaster University across 2001–2, in comparison with more traditional methods employed across 1995–2002, and in relation to the new ‘Music benchmark statement’ (2002). Beyond the specifics, it is hoped this research may interest other practitioners seeking alternative pedagogical approaches to parts of the Music curriculum perceived as difficult or especially demanding.

This study was designed to examine any links between the concept of flow or optimal experience and the creative output of student compositions. The creative products of group compositions by university students (n=45) were rated for creativity and on a number of standard criteria and compared with scores obtained from Experience Sampling Forms (Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1988) completed by each participant. A significant correlation was found between optimal experience or flow levels of students and the quality of their group compositions as measured by creativity ratings. Some implications for educators and learners in the music classroom are explored and a proposed self-directed learning tool is discussed. Some of the issues on the assessment of creativity in music raised by Sheridan & Byrne (2002) are also discussed. This paper highlights the subjective nature of existing assessment procedures, considering whether examiners need extended criteria as opposed to a single dimension of creativity. The formative assessment nature of the flow paradigm is also explored.

This article draws on my other writings about developments in the teaching of music in Kenya, and on the decision to promote traditional musics and to make music one of the compulsory examinable subjects at the end of primary school. It considers two textbooks published by Oxford University Press in Nairobi: Music Makers for Standards 7 and 8, by Brian Hocking and me, was issued in 1985, and Music Makers for Standards 5 and 6, this time with George Mutura as co-author, was published in 1989. The music education syllabus was revised in 1993, and both books were adapted to adjust the placing and progression of the material. This case study sets out the background of developments in Kenyan educational policy, notes the changes in curricular music, explores how the adaptation happened in practice, tracks the process, comments on its implications and considers responses to the completed project.

In December 2001, the Times Educational Supplement reported on an OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) inspection in which a school music department had been heavily criticised for placing too much emphasis on fun and enjoyment. In this paper, the OFSTED report is examined for evidence of the assumptions and justifications of its negative conclusions. The place of enjoyment in teaching and learning music is discussed and it is suggested that enjoyment is important to underpin necessary implicit learning, to maintain motivation and to ensure a lifelong commitment to music. Furthermore, enjoyment is not an easy option, depending as it does on a balance between challenge and developing competence. It is concluded that the OFSTED report fails to back its judgement with convincing evidence, fails to acknowledge the possibility and legitimacy of different positions, and relies on the power of OFSTED for its own legitimacy.

The introduction of a ‘Points for Debate’ section in BJME is a welcome innovation. It provides a context in which important aspects of music education can be discussed in a friendly and temperate manner. It is in this spirit that I offer this response to Vic Gammon's interesting article concerning the subject knowledge of intending PGCE music students and how such knowledge might be identified.