Music education must keep on moving
If, like Mozart and Dudamel, we want to push boundaries, let's move beyond the idea that culture is fixed, says Sean Gregory
If we weren't already excited enough to welcome back the LA Philharmonic, led by Gustavo Dudamel, to the Barbican last month, their residency also included Future Play: Music Systems in the 21st Century, a major symposium of leading artists and educators from across the world to analyse the current and future state of music education, both in the UK and abroad.
In his keynote speech, opera director Peter Sellars delivered an impassioned address about how we provide young people with access to music education. He argued that education systems should move beyond the idea that culture (or the classical canon) is fixed, and that we should instead initiate 21st century versions of the bold social experiments that allowed composers such as Beethoven and Mozart to create something challenging and new ? that pushed the boundaries of what music can be.
One model for this kind of social experiment was showcased during the finale of the symposium: an open rehearsal with Dudamel conducting an orchestra of more than 100 young players from east London and Los Angeles. More astonishing than even we expected, the event not only showcased the talent of young people from across the two cities but also revealed Dudamel's absolute expectations of excellence when working with young people.
Venezuela's much heralded El Sistema programme that produced Dudamel (and which he draws upon for these open rehearsals) is so successful because it is about more than orchestras and choirs. First and foremost, it is a social action programme, one that achieves its aims by the pursuit of excellence through collective music-making as part of one big musical family. Put another way, the experience of playing in such a high quality ensemble fulfils both social and artistic aims.
In the UK, we are still uncomfortable talking about music education in these terms. Instead of social impact we tend to measure progression in the traditional sense: the passing of grades or the improvement of technique. There's certainly value in this approach. But we also need to look at the potential for music and cultural education to achieve wider societal aims and contribute to personal development and wellbeing.
As we play into the future, it is crucial that we do not underestimate those hard to measure 'soft' skills gained through music making. In his opening address to the symposium, composer John Adams said the arts were "critical to the success of society and the wellbeing of people". Until this attitude is commonplace to both policymaking and education, we have a job to do in advocating for the social impact of the work we do.
There is also a genuine need to assess whether the music education opportunities we provide create the right conditions for all young people, not just to learn the great works of the past but also to experiment and progress their musical skills across a wide range of styles and genres.
At the Barbican and Guildhall School of Music & Drama, we've been trying to do this by building links with our neighbouring east London partners to offer music-making opportunities across a wide range of genres through groups such as Drum Works, the East London Creative Jazz Orchestra and creative ensemble Future Band.
It's telling that Sellars' most fearsome criticism was reserved for the US education system, particularly the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind policies, which Sellars claims have led to schools prioritising rote learning and repetition rather than free thought.
In an era where our own education system seems to be increasingly focusing on classical work and rote learning, it is essential that culture gives young people opportunities to broaden their horizons and experiment with creativity, collaboration and composition. As debate continues about how arts organisations can complement and link to the education opportunities available to young people in schools, let's remember this is an area where we can really add value.
To do this we need to challenge ourselves constantly to ensure music and cultural education systems reflect the growing global nature of the arts, and make an effort to understand and appreciate the quality of work produced from different perspectives and disciplines.
We also need to recognise that artists and musicians are increasingly engaging with the worlds of digital technology and that boundaries between art forms are blurring. At the Barbican, we are working hard to ensure our cross-arts approach to programming fits with this fast changing world, but it's essential that our education systems also begin to reflect how art forms are evolving.
In the wake of the National Music Plan, there is no reason why we cannot create a 21st century music system in this country that not only reflects the pursuit of excellence but also meets the needs of young people and their contemporary cultural landscape. But if we are to achieve this it's essential that we not only give young people the ability to play the music of the past but also equip them with the skills to create the music of the future.
Sean Gregory is director of creative learning at the Barbican ? follow it on Twitter @BarbicanCentre
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