If your curriculum/teaching doesn't grow pupils' musical fluency, accuracy, confidence & sophistication, however shiny your assessment methods may be it's going to be hard for you to show their increasingly musical understanding. It's what, not how you assess that's crucial.

Bravo to the pupils and staff Kennet School chamber choir for their performance opening Berkshire Music Trust conference yesterday. Thank you to the school SLT who clearly value & support the arts. Confident, musical teaching leads to high quality, confident singing, if you allow it.

Once again Night Tracks with Sara Mohr-Pietsch is the perfect late night listening - calming, but also intriguing. It's what BBC Radio 3 does best & what distinguishes it beyond other stations Thank you.

ICYMI, Gatsby benchmark 4 has been broadened to include ALL curriculum subjects & not just STEM. Significant not just for careers education but also wider. If secondary schools offer a narrowed or weak arts curriculum, aren't they also restricting future careers opportunities?

Wishing everyone a Glad Lucia! Sweden Visit Sweden youtu.be/uBf31aqAPdw?fe…

As we do every year, we'll be playing this CD tonight and wishing a happy Christmas from our house to yours. youtu.be/eiJuWw7Wg50?fe…

We've been listening to 'Incarnation' this afternoon, Paul. Charpentier Messe de Minuit and the Berlioz this evening, concluded with an Anne-Sofie von Otter smorgasbord. Choirs of New College, Oxford and St John's College, Cambridge tomorrow morning. So much music that helps make the season, Thank you.

First new music (to me) of 2025 and it's an absolute cracker. CD unwrapped this afternoon and it's already been played twice in its entirety. Perfect for contemplating the year past & the year ahead. Thank you, Gareth Bonello Galargan amzn.eu/d/gJC0mOO

Wishing everyone a very Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus! youtu.be/2kEwtasY02c?fe…

Agree - and just to add to that, the publishers, editors, publishers, rights professionals, publicists, booksellers who bring our books from manuscript to bookshelves. Thank you all.

ICYMI, last night Sweden chose its song for Eurovision Song Contest. 5 weeks of heats, televotes with the whole nation involved & the views of international juries were considered. The winner - the most Scandi & most Eurovision song imaginable. youtu.be/QIvtyzCYJDg?fe… Marvellous Melodifestivalen

The AI voice translation used by BBC News (UK) for the new Pope's first message was appalling. De-human and soulless. It would have been far better to let us hear him speak uninterrupted. I hope that there will be some serious conversations at Broadcasting House. BBC Feedback

The winner of Rights Professional of the Year (sponsored by Sharjah Book Authority) is Simon & Schuster UK Adult Rights Team: Amy Fletcher & Ben Phillips ✨ With more than 600 deals in 2024, they doubled rights income and nearly quadrupled translation deals #Nibbies #BritishBookAwards

I've just read this in the small print of a GCSE Music specification. What unhelpful messages might this be giving to music educators in KS1-3 and to SLT? Prof Martin Fautley Dr Gary Spruce

Can I just take a proud Dad moment?

A privilege to talk with music teachers The PTI residential University of York today. A real moment in making the connection to John Paynter's work there fifty years ago. Knowledge of (not about) music at the heart of the curriculum and musical teaching. John finney Dr Gary Spruce

Really sad to hear the news that Raymond Warren - 'Prof' to so many of us - has died. A great composer and music educator. 2025: Professor Raymond Warren (1928-2025) | Department of Music | University of Bristol

Over the summer holidays, every pupil & teacher will gain new tacit musical knowledge through TV, radio, online, improvising etc. Do our curriculums recognise, enhance & help make musical understanding of this knowledge? Music education can be a messy but joyous business.