Meet our Music Consultants: Behind the scenes of our conference performances

Music combines creativity, discipline, and expression, and music education goes beyond imparting technical skills, it fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and perseverance. It encourages students to appreciate diverse cultures and become well-rounded individuals. 

We love to see our students excel in the subjects they are passionate about, and at our recent Harris Federation conference, we saw fantastic performances from Harris in Harmony, our cross-Federation choir, and our new Harris Federation Concert Orchestra.

Working hard to achieve this were Ian Rowe and Diane Stirling, Music Consultants for the Federation. We caught up with them to discuss the importance of teaching Music at Harris, how students engage with the subject, and the work that went into putting together the incredible performances at the conference.

 

Describe your roles as Music Consultants, and what does it involve?

It's a multifaceted role. We take on the position of Music Advisor and provide CPD to our music teacher colleagues on a large range of topic areas, such as curriculum development, composition at GCSE, or planning an upgrade of music technology equipment and much more. 

We regularly support teachers in the classroom by modelling lessons, team-teaching and helping to run rehearsals. We also plan and develop resources for initial teacher training, early career teachers as well as for more experienced colleagues.

We help create choirs and bands in our academies and run large scale music events such as the ExCel centre performances. We also help advise academies on upgrading their equipment and facilities and support with applications to external funding bodies.

Variety keeps it interesting!

 

Why is teaching Music important?

The positive benefits of music on wellbeing are much reported, so are the benefits of music supporting non-verbal reasoning and logical thought processes. 

But we feel it is more than that – music really does change lives and should be for everyone. It opens the doors of cultural capital and develops citizens of the future.

 

How would you describe the students’ engagement with Music at Harris?

Music is firmly on the curriculum at Harris, with all students from EYFS up to Year 9 benefiting from quality teaching and a huge range of musical opportunities. 

A measure of our success comes at Key Stage 4, where students choose to continue the subject or not. We are very pleased that last year we had a 32% increase in uptake to Key Stage 4 music, with students studying GCSE and BTEC, against a national decline of -12%.

We are sad about the national decline but pleased that Harris is bucking the trend.

 

How was the preparation and rehearsal processes for the choir and concert orchestra conference performances?

This took a lot of strategic planning and we ensured that all of our academies had the music and other resources required to start the learning process early on. We then had 3 fantastic days at Harris Academy Bermondsey and Harris Academy Chobham, bringing all of the students together.

What a joyous experience that was, and great to have the musical talents of the staff in attendance adding to the musical outcome. A true “Harris family" experience. Hearing 200 singers and 125 instrumentalists sharing their musical abilities was awesome for everyone there. 

 

 

How was the final performance? How did you feel during and after?

Both the orchestra and the choir raised their game for the final performances, supported by a fantastic, encouraging audience. It was simply electric in the auditorium. The performances had the wow factor, showing what can be achieved and the power of music to create emotion.

 

What were your highlights from the performance, and from the conference as a whole?

Listening to the inspirational Patrice Campbell (teacher at Harris Primary Academy Purley Way and BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Singer of the Year 2022) and Israella Chris (student at Harris Girls' Academy Bromley and winner of The Voice Kids UK 2022) backed up by the Harris in Harmony Choir and Band was on a different planet of good. A genuinely moving performance that demonstrated just how music can change lives.

Secondly, the Harris Concert Orchestra were performing at their first proper gig. We were nervous we would not get such a large orchestra fitting on the stage. But we did, and they proved they can really perform and tackle challenging music...

 

 

What is your favourite thing about working at Harris?

Being trusted and having autonomy to lead our subject in an authentic way.

Being able to work collaboratively with students and staff across the Federation and always being welcomed into academies.

To see more of our Music work, and that of our amazing students and teachers, visit @HarrisFedMusic